It was Dec 6, 1917, the height of the First World War. The port of Halifax was an extremely busy place as convoys of supplies to the war effort in Europe came and went.
That morning two ships collided, one fully loaded with munitions. The subsequent explosion destroyed a large segment of the port with some 2,000 deaths and massive numbers of injured, many blinded by flying glass as they watched the burning ship from their windows overlooking the harbour.
A technician watches as a Christmas tree is lowered in Oxford, N.S. on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Boston in the U.S. rallied to help with doctors and supplies. Ever since Nova Scotia has sent a huge Christmas tree to the American city as a thank you.
Red balloon shows the small town of Oxford N.S (google maps)
This year a 14-metre white spruce in the town of Oxford was selected. It was cut down this morning and loaded onto a large flatbed truck to begin the long drive south. However, it will stop first in Truro for a brief display, then on to another stop in Halifax for the Chronicle Herald Holiday Parade of Lights on Saturday.
The tree carefully loaded onto the large flatbed truck to be taken to ceremonies in Halifax before heading to the US. . (Brett Ruskin-CBC)
After a Sunday stop in Amherst, it will head to the U.S border and on to Boston.
The annual tree lighting ceremony in Boston attracts a huge crowd of thousands and is broadcast live on local tv.
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