Bells chime for Halifax Explosion

Bells rang out in Halifax Thursday morning, a reminder of the explosion that took 2,000 lives and left much of the area in ruins 90 years ago.

More than200 people gathered on Fort Needham Hill in the city's north end, near where two munitions ships collided in Halifax Harbour on Dec. 6, 1917.

The resulting fire and explosion also injured 9,000 people.

The crowd of dignitaries, residents and school children watched in silence as wreathes were laid at the base of the bell tower to honour the victims of the biggest man-made blast at the time.

Wilf Creighton, 103, was 13 years old when the explosion rocked the city. He was in his home studying when the Mont Blanc exploded.

"All of a sudden the house began to shake. Then it seemed to get dark and there was a terrible crash, and the doors and windows came flying in," he recalled.

Darcey Poultney attends the memorial ceremonyevery year.As a north-endbusinessman,he wants the event to be as much about survival and rebuilding as a reminder ofwhat was lost.

"Every year it gets bigger. The best thing is the school children that come because that means we've passed the memory on to a whole new generation," Poultney said.

Mi'kmaq victims remembered

Across the harbour in Dartmouth, a tobacco offering was sprinkled in the water at Tufts Cove in honour of the Mi'kmaq community that was destroyed.

About 20 native families livedalongthe waterfrontin 1917.More than a dozen people who stood along the shoreline to watch the fire died in the blast.

Tuma Young said his grandmother used to recount how she survived the tragedy.

"She was on the train, and often said that was a close encounter for her," Young said.

Catherine Martin, who led the ceremony,said the survivors were never offered support and instead were relocated to Millbrook, near Truro.

The Millbrook band plans to recreate the village at the site within 10 years.