The following is an encore presentation of Everything Everywhere Daily.

This week I'm going to be publishing some of my favorite episodes from 2021,

and I will be back again with brand new episodes on Monday, January 3rd, 2022. On December 6th, 1917, one of the greatest tragedies of World War I took place.

In a single instant, 2,000 people, mostly civilians, were killed.

However, this tragedy didn't take place in the fields of Belgium or in a trench in France. It took place in the harbor of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Learn more about the Halifax explosion, one of the worst disasters of World War I on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. When Britain entered World War I on August 4 4, 1914, Canada by default became part of the war because they

were a Dominion of Great Britain at the time.

Despite the lack of a declaration of war, the majority of Canadians supported the war effort and many Canadians enlisted.

The city of Halifax, Nova Scotia was quickly becoming the most important port in Canada.

It was the eastern most major port in Canada which was connected to the mainland.

St. John's Newfoundland was technically closer to Europe but it was on an island which made

getting goods to the port difficult.

Halifax was connected to the Canadian Pacific Railway, which allowed goods to travel all the way from Vancouver to the Atlantic,

where they could be loaded onto ships headed for Europe.

In fact, it was really World War I and the rise of Halifax as a port that was responsible for much of the population growth at the beginning of the 20th century.

Many ships which carried supplies from American ports would stop in Halifax on their way to Europe to pick up more cargo

before making the voyage across the Atlantic. It was in this environment that the

events of December 6, 1917 took place. The disaster came about because of two ships. The first ship was

the SS EMO, which was a Norwegian steam ship which was transporting relief supplies for Belgium.

It had crossed the Atlantic empty on its way to New York to get supplies.

It was a neutral ship as Norway did not take part in World War I.

It had arrived in Halifax on December 3rd and spent two days in port refueling and getting supplies.

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