On the morning of December 6, 1917 there was a huge devastating explosion in the Halifax Harbour.
The Halifax Explosion was a maritime disaster in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, which happened on the morning of 6 December 1917. The Norwegian vessel SS Imo collided with SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship laden with high explosives, in the Narrows, a strait connecting the upper Halifax Harbour to Bedford Basin. A fire on board the French ship ignited her cargo, causing a large explosion that devastated the Richmond district of Halifax. Approximately 2,000 people were killed by the blast, debris, fires or collapsed buildings, and an estimated 9,000 others were injured. The blast was the largest man-made explosion before the development of nuclear weapons, releasing the equivalent energy of roughly 2.9 kilotons of TNT (12,000 GJ)
Architect Thomas Adams designed the Hydrostone homes. They were meant to provide housing to the residents who were displaced after the devastating explosion in 1917. It is a neighbourhood in the North End of the Halifax Peninsula
consisting of ten short parallel streets.
The neighbourhood draws it's name from the special cinderblocks from which the houses were constructed. They were designed to minimize the danger of fire as they were non-combustible. Hydrostone is a concrete block that was finished with crushed rock (granite) to give the appearance of cut-stone construction. The concrete blocks and their faces were combined through a hydraulic pressing process. The blocks were manufactured in Eastern Passage and were hauled across Halifax Harbour by barge.
Most of the dwellings are row-houses in groups of four and six, except for the large two-storey single family houses at the eastern end of each street. Some have now been converted to sets of flats. All the streets in the Hydrostone are boulevards except one. These boulevards have treed, grassy strips which serve as communal outdoor space for the neighbourhood. This was consistent with the Garden City movement which Adams was influenced by. All streets also have back lanes, which is similar to many Western Canadian Cities, but not being found in Eastern Canadian communities.
The Hydrostones are now designated as a national Historic Site of Canada.
Today the Hydrostones have all been completely renovated and gentrified, sought after by young professionals and small families for its ample green space and its proximity to shops and transit.
In 20ll, the Canadian Institute of Planners named the Hydrostones the Second Greatest neighbourhood in its inaugural Great Places in Canada contest.
Designated by Parks Canada as a Federal Heritage Site, the Hydrostone District in Halifax is a splendid example of an English-style garden suburb, designed according to the latest principles of town planning in the rebuilding after the Halifax Explosion. The houses and shops are all constructed on a common architectural theme, and preserve a remarkable sense of time and place. Visitors will thoroughly enjoy the Hydrostone Market which is a popular and vibrant European-style strip of unique shops and eateries. The Market is open seven days a week, with most shops open on Sunday. Weekend brunch is also very popular at the Market.
Hope you enjoyed the walk with me in this very unusual interesting areas of Halifax.
Namaste
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