subject: Heritage Buildings New Trends Renters Favour [print this page] Heritage buildings house the most popular Apartments for Rent Halifax as those seeking accommodation vie for abodes that best showcase the citys rich history.
As the largest city in Eastern Canada, Halifax is the site of several historically significant events which helped build the countrys reputation on the international stage. In recent decades, Halifax has cultivated a strong reputation for its efficient and safe port, helping to move cargo through and along the Eastern Seaboard.
Esteemed because it is naturally deep and ice-free, the ports significance was heightened during the Second World War when it acted as a lifeline for British soldiers during the Battle of Britain and during the Battle of the Atlantic. Many convoys assembled in the citys basin to deliver supplies to troops in Europe.
Before that time, Halifax was entrenched in many peoples minds as the site of great carnage following a massive explosion which killed more than 1,900 people. On Dec. 6th, 1917, munitions ships travelled into the citys harbour. Merchant and naval ships filled the basin, anchored and waiting to be loaded with new cargo. One boat, which was behind schedule, empty and therefore travelling at a faster rate of speed than normal, collided with another which was carrying a cocktail of explosives and volatile material. A fire resulted, leading eventually to the boat drifting toward the city. Resting against the pier and still on fire, an explosion followed and flattened two square kilometres of Halifaxs so-called North End. A pressure wave or tsunami came next and many nearby ships were unmoored by its force. Hundreds of Haligonians, many of whom had been on land during the fire and explosion, were injured by shattered glass and the fires that soon erupted throughout the city. Rescue efforts were significantly hampered by a dramatic blizzard that followed. The Halifax Explosion, as the incident later became known, was considered the largest man-made explosion until the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945.
While the Halifax has long since recovered, evidence of the explosion remains and often piques the interest of tourists and city residents. It is not uncommon for those interested in Renting in Halifax to seek out accommodations which showcase the historic incidents that shaped the city.
