Description
On December 6, 1917, harbour pilot Francis Mackey was guiding Mont Blanc, a French munitions ship, into Bedford Basin to join a convoy across the Atlantic when it was rammed by Belgian Relief vessel Imo. The resulting massive explosion destroyed Halifax’s north end and left at least two thousand people dead, including pilot William Hayes aboard Imo.
Who was to blame? A century later, this question is still unanswered. And yet, following the explosion, federal government and naval officials found in Pilot Mackey a convenient target for public anger. Charged with manslaughter, he was imprisoned, villainized in the press, and denied his pilot’s license even after the charges were dropped. He is still unfairly linked to the tragedy today.
In Aftershock, author Janet Maybee shares information never before revealed, from evidence of federal coverups to Mackey’s family lore. Examining the circumstances leading up to the Halifax Explosion, the question of fault and the sustained impact on Pilot Mackey and his family of unjust, deliberate persecution, this compelling narrative sheds new light on Halifax’s darkest day.
Published by Nimbus Publishing
130 pages
