Halifax Explosion 100th Anniversary

November 09, 2017

On December 6, 1917, the cargo ship Imo collided with Mont-Blanc, a French vessel loaded with explosives. The massive blast that followed resulted in nearly 2,000 deaths and widespread damage. Issued one month before the 100th anniversary of the disaster, this stamp commemorates the tragedy and the resilience of Haligonians, who rebuilt their city from ashes.

Designers Larry Burke and Anna Stredulinsky of Halifax’s Burke & Burke combined illustrations by Mike Little with the front page of the Halifax Herald from the day after the tragedy.

“The post-disaster front page portrayed the enormity, the devastation, the human tragedy of the day,” says Burke. “Little’s illustration of the moment just before the explosion completes the story of a disaster that instantly shattered our city.”

“My street was completely demolished in the explosion, and one person – whom I was surprised to discover shared my last name – perished in a nearby home,” explains Little. “Those discoveries made this stamp issue deeply personal.”

HalifaxExplosion_Booklet

Booklet of 10 stamps

$8.50

  • Product #: 414068111
  • Denomination: Permanent™ (domestic rate)
  • Design: Burke & Burke
  • Dimensions: 32 mm x 32 mm
  • Printer: Colour Innovations
  • Printing Process: Lithography in 4 colours
  • Quantity: 140,000
  • Illustration: Mike Little | Photos: Courtesy of the Nova Scotia Archives and The Chronicle Herald; Adam Hartling, courtesy of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
  • OFDC Cancellation Location: Halifax NS
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HalifaxExplosion_OFDC

Official First Day Cover

$1.85

  • Product #: 414068131
  • Denomination: Permanent™ (domestic rate)
  • Design: Burke & Burke
  • Dimensions: 190 mm x 112 mm
  • Printer: Colour Innovations
  • Quantity: 9,000
  • Illustration: Mike Little | Photos: Courtesy of the Nova Scotia Archives and The Chronicle Herald; Adam Hartling, courtesy of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
  • OFDC Cancellation Location: Halifax NS
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