Boston Lit Tree from Halifax Tonight......

[sail7seas]

For those who have visited Boston and Halifax, perhaps on a Canada/New England HAL cruise, you may have heard about the Halifax Explosion and the aid Boston lent at the time of that tragedy.

 

It is now tradition for Halifax to send a beautiful tree to Boston each Christmas and tonight Boston lit the gorgeous tree.

 

Here's a link if you are interested in the connection between these two cities. It's always a wonderful event in Boston.

 

http://www.novascotialife.com/featuredevent

[Pokeynose]

From what I could see it looks beautiful. I wish there was a bigger picture. Thanks for sharing Sail. :)

['The Bear']

'Sail' ---- I have a personal connection to this story ----- my grandfather arrived the day after this explosion, from Moncton, N.B., by train to provide aid for the homeless. As a matter of fact he got married the following year and raised his family in Halifax during the re-construction.

 

He always praised the aid from Boston, and stated that they went 'above and beyond' in his estimation!! Actually, from then on he always referred to New England as "the 'Boston' States".

 

These maritime areas always seem to be able to support one another in times of tragedy! :)

[fann1sh]

I knew about the "largest man-made pre-atomic explosion", but not about the Boston connection. Thanks, Sail.

 

P.S. - don't know if this link will work for everyone, but this "Historica Minute" dramatizes the events of the explosion:

 

http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=10203

[COLLEYBERRY]

Thankyou Sail..I learned something new as well.

A good neighbor is a wonderful thing.:):)

[sail7seas]

One of our visits to Halifax we took a tour which included 'highlights'. We've lived in Boston all our lives and knew there was a special bond between Boston and Halifax and always love the gorgeous tree that arrives with great excitement each year but we were vague about the details of why.

 

We had an outstanding tour guide who gave us vivid descriptions of the horrid event and his information made a great impression on me.

 

We loved Halifax from our first visit but feel very much more now for the people of Halifax thanks to what we learned from that tour guide.

 

 

 

'Sail' ---- I have a personal connection to this story ----- my grandfather arrived the day after this explosion, from Moncton, N.B., by train to provide aid for the homeless. As a matter of fact he got married the following year and raised his family in Halifax during the re-construction.

 

He always praised the aid from Boston, and stated that they went 'above and beyond' in his estimation!! Actually, from then on he always referred to New England as "the 'Boston' States".

 

These maritime areas always seem to be able to support one another in times of tragedy!

 

That's a wonderful story, Bear.

Thanks for sharing.

 

Yes, Colleyberry....... we are so lucky for our two great countries to be such good neighbors for each other.

We can never forget what Canada did for all those folks stranded on planes on 9-11 nor all the wonderful friendship through the years.

 

[sparky-elpaso]

How interesting - I had never heard of the incident. Eventually we want to go on the Canada-New England cruise so this info will make it much more interesting.

[solocanadian]

For those who have visited Boston and Halifax, perhaps on a Canada/New England HAL cruise, you may have heard about the Halifax Explosion and the aid Boston lent at the time of that tragedy.

 

It is now tradition for Halifax to send a beautiful tree to Boston each Christmas and tonight Boston lit the gorgeous tree.

 

Here's a link if you are interested in the connection between these two cities. It's always a wonderful event in Boston.

 

http://www.novascotialife.com/featuredevent

 

Sail: Thanks for posting this. I was not aware of the Christmas Tree Story however I do know about the Great Explosion in Halifax Harbour. As a matter of fact, when I was in Grade 12 we had to read the book, "Barometer Rising" which covered the event. This was the last year the book was read in High School in Ontario. It was removed from the cirriculum in in 1960 because there was an illeigimate child. Go figure - how times have changed. You Maritime people sure know how to look after each other.:D

[sapper1]

'Sail' ---- I have a personal connection to this story ----- my grandfather arrived the day after this explosion' date=' from Moncton, N.B., by train to provide aid for the homeless. As a matter of fact he got married the following year and raised his family in Halifax during the re-construction.

 

He always praised the aid from Boston, and stated that they went 'above and beyond' in his estimation!! Actually, from then on he always referred to New England as "the 'Boston' States".

 

These maritime areas always seem to be able to support one another in times of tragedy! :)[/quote']

I have always heard the term "Boston States" and have used it myself a lot but I did not know the origin. That is very interesting.

 

My mother told me about the explosion at a very early age. It happened before she was born but her older brother had his face pressed to the window watching the ship on fire in the harbour and was blown across the room and suffered cuts to his eyes when the explosion took place. It was several days before they were able to get medical help for him but he recovered. My mother also told me about the train from Boston. It was December and people had no heat, food , shelter or medical help. The train brought all of that and provided so much relief for the suffering. My mother said that people in Boston were throwing their coats on the train as it pulled out of the station, headed for Halifax.

 

Maritimers have always had close ties with New England because of our Loyalist roots and this was certainly reinforced with the aid received at that time.

[azalice]

We thoroughly enjoyed Halifax the couple of times we were there. The first was an Elderhostel trip for about a week; we saw the sights, heard the stories and history. We look forward to being there again, if only for a day, next summer on a Eurodam cruise. P.S. Is our favorite restaurant still there - I think it's called the Five Fishermen?

 

Alice

['The Bear']

Yes the 'Five Fishermen' Restaurant is still there, on Argyle, adjacent to the lower entrance of the Metro Center.

 

It is our favourite seafood restaurant as well; and 'Billy's Seafood' in Saint John, NB is a close second!