Annual gift for the response to the 1917 Nova Scotia disaster, after the jump …..
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Since 1971, the Canadian province of Nova Scotia has sent a Christmas tree to the city of Boston … in remembrance of its swift response to a horrific harbor explosion in its provincial capital of Halifax in 1917. It began as the brainchild of the Lunenburg County Christmas Tree Producers' Association as not only a remembrance, but also a way to promote tree exports. Five years later, the provincial government assumed oversight, as a way to promote trade/tourism.
Boston did not even have its first city Christmas tree until 1941, and while the gift from Nova Scotia originally was placed in the Prudential Center: since 2002 it resides on the Boston Common.
While this story is well known in the Maritime Provinces of Canada (and to a lesser extent in New England) this may not be well known elsewhere … and thus deserves another mention.
In 1917, Canada was already weary in its third year as part of the Allied Force in World War I (the US only joining the war earlier that year) and Nova Scotia’s capital and port city of Halifax bustled with ships carrying troops, relief supplies, and munitions across the Atlantic Ocean.
The collision/explosion on December 6th itself was well-detailed in a diary just last year by Lenny Flank— his work says it all — suffice it to say, one of the ships (the French freighter Mont Blanc) was destined for Europe, with its hold loaded with explosives. When it collided with another ship: its explosion killed nearly 2,000 and (after a snowstorm) left hundreds injured and homeless.
A famous story involved the Canadian Railways dispatcher Vince Coleman— who got on his wireless to warn incoming trains to stop before entering the city. While historians are not absolutely certain as to whether his frantic messages saved an estimated 700 lives — his efforts certainly cost Vince Coleman his own.
30% of the casualties were children, with 242 deaths from those under age five).
And while help came in from across Canada, it was not nearly enough.
The news travelled to the capital city of Massachusetts, where a fundraising notice organized by a relief committee went out: and the people of Massachusetts raised the equivalent (today) of $1.9 million within an hour and sent the equivalent of $15 million (in total) to support relief efforts.
And while in his long career he was quite a bit of a rascal (“Vote early and often for Curley”) … here (in the words of Winston Churchill) was Mr. Mayor’s finest hour:
The state’s Republican Gov. Samuel McCall sent a telegram to its mayor as well as this letter, indicating that he is sending an aide (Abraham Ratshesky) to lead the state’s relief effort (here, only showing page two):
Less than 12 hours after the explosion, a train left Boston with doctors, nurses, and supplies — the first of many shipments of medical personnel and supplies that arrived from across New England.
Nearly a year later, Governor McCall visited a recovering city of Halifax, with a building named after him and in the baby carriage is Charles Vaughan …. a future mayor of Halifax.
Today, both the choice of a tree (as well as its transport) are big news throughout Nova Scotia, with an extra-special commemoration in 2013 (for the Boston Marathon bombing) and in 2017 (for the 100th anniversary of the explosion). A spokesman for the provincial Department of Lands and Forestry has said:
"It never ceases to amaze me how excited people get about it every year. The whole province gets excited about the tree. It’s a big deal."
It spends part of its journey on a ferry across the Bay of Fundy before resuming its road travel in Maine and New Hampshire, with special permits needed. And upon arriving in the city of Boston, it is greeted by passersby:
This year, a 45-foot white spruce was donated by Heather and Tony Sampson of the town of Dundee with Tony saying, “My stepfather's mother was adopted from Boston when she was two. The tree comes from our property, which was passed down through the family. It has quite a bit of meaning to me and my family to send Nova Scotia's gift to the people of Boston.”
During the pandemic, this year the lighting ceremony had to be virtual. Still, in this year of mostly bad news …. this strikes the right chord.
Let’s close with a song written by a nineteen year-old white songwriter at Motown in 1965 and recorded by The Supremes (and five years later, it was recorded by the Temptations). That songwriter …. was Jimmy Webb, who the year before tried to pitch his demo tapes to all the Los Angeles publishing houses, with no luck. He then walked into the Motown West studios, where the receptionist (with a smile) said, 'Honey, you must be lost.' Yet staffer Frank Wilson heard something the big houses did not … and Webb went on to write 45 songs for the label. Eventually Johnny Rivers (of “Secret Agent Man” fame) bought-out his contract and Webb went on to a prolific career, especially with Glen Campbell. Yet his start fulfilled Berry Gordy’s vision, as being part of the “Sound of Young America”… full-stop.
Now, on to Top Comments:
Highlighted by TheGaikotsu:
In the front-page story about the upcoming White House pardons— this comment made by VCLib on the presence of the Secret Service after January.
Highlighted by Captain Frogbert:
In the front-page story about Sen. Rand Paul expressing anxiety over efforts to recruit new voters in the Georgia runoff elections— this comment (by Spancos) on a basic part of the mail-in voting process.
And from Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........
In the front-page story about Dominion Voting Systems threatening to take action against the recently-jettisoned attorney Sidney Powell— nailbender begins with some cogent legal analysis, then MichaelDonner notes that Dominion could also file suit in its native Canada… before alguien commences a thread on Sidney Powell’s favorite phrase.
TOP PHOTOSDecember 16th, 2020 Next - enjoy jotter's wonderful *PictureQuilt™* below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment that features that photo.
(NOTE: Any missing images in the Quilt were removed because (a) they were from an unapproved source that somehow snuck through in the comments, or (b) it was an image from the DailyKos Image Library which didn't have permissions set to allow others to use it.) |
And lastly: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:
5) Thanks Greg. Oh hell no! by Denise Oliver Velez +13825) Sounds like genocide to me. by MsTribble +7528) Oh please do it! by Oregon Dem +7430) Let it be, dear lord, let it be by exlrrp +71