At 9:04:35 on the cold, clear morning of December 6, 1917, two ships were among several in Halifax harbour. The Mont Blanc, a French ship, was laden with a volatile cargo of munitions and explosives. It collided with a Norwegian freighter, the IMO. The explosion that followed literally shredded the Mont Blanc, while the IMO was blown onto the Dartmouth shore. It was the largest man-made non-nuclear explosion the world had seen up to that time.
This resulted in the worst calamity to ever strike a Canadian city. The deaths, injuries and sheer devastation that descended upon Halifax equalled the worst of the carnage inflicted on the First World War battlefields of Europe.
Growing up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the story of the explosion was included in the school curriculum. As a student, I read about it, but I was not moved beyond the significance of a school assignment. Every December 6, I accompanied my parents, Jack and Mary Durnford, to remembrance services for the nearly 2000 souls who lost their lives.
The Echos of the Disaster Touch My Heart
December 4, 1998, was a pivotal day for me. I had been visiting family and friends in St. John’s, Newfoundland. At the airport, awaiting my return flight to Halifax, I strolled around the gift shop and glanced at several books. Then I spotted it—the book that led me down a path I never anticipated: Too Many to Mourn (Mahar, James and Rowena, 1998). Coincidentally, the authors were at the airport, so I had them sign the book I purchased, and we chatted briefly.
As I read the account of the explosion in Too Many to Mourn, my heart broke. On that December day, 66 Jackson family members were living in Halifax: forty-six were killed, and the majority of the surviving twenty were seriously injured. This was the largest loss of life suffered by one family in the explosion.
When I finished reading the book, I was literally weak. I felt compelled to organize the Jackson family information on family group sheets. I worked steadily at this endeavour, and when I was finished, I thought, “What now?” I was not related to the Jackson family; therefore, I was unable to perform their temple ordinances. The prompting persisted: “The work needs to be completed for this family.”
At that time, I asked the Halifax Nova Scotia Temple President, “What am I to do?”
His reply was, “Be patient”.
Angels Are Sent to Assist Me…and Those Who Were Lost
Ten years later, I had my next pivotal moment.
While working at an elementary school in Bedford, Nova Scotia, I met a new teacher named Diane Walker. As we talked, the topic of the Halifax explosion came up. I learned she was a great-great-granddaughter of James Jackson and Elizabeth (Halloran) Jackson, the heads of the family that lost 46 members in the explosion.
In August 2015, I learned Diane was organizing a family reunion for the descendants of the Jackson family. Some family members had relocated to California to escape the memories of that dreadful day. Mary (Minnie) Jackson gave birth to a daughter, Eloise Catherine Walker, in California. Eloise decided to move back to Nova Scotia, where she raised her daughter, Diane Walker.
A Family Reunion Unites Those on Both Sides of the Veil
I felt an urgent prompting to participate in the reunion. I did not know why. I contacted Diane and offered the assistance of my husband, Bill, and me. She graciously accepted our offer. We watched from the kitchen as this marvellous family group from Maryland, California, and Nova Scotia came together to share their stories and experiences. We felt privileged to be part of this historic moment.
Written permission from a family member was required to complete temple ordinances for deceased persons who were not one’s ancestors. I summoned my courage and prayerfully approached Diane. She consented to provide the essential permission, and my heart swelled with joy.
I submitted the written consent, and the Temple Department of the Church informed me I could begin this sacred work in the Halifax Nova Scotia Temple. I quickly realized a great deal of help was needed. Ward and stake members were happy and willing to assist.
It was my desire that those persons acting as proxies for the ordinances know as much as possible about the Jackson family members. We encouraged the youth to research and then present information about various family members in a ward fireside. We performed the temple ordinances not just for a name, but with knowledge about the life and tragic end of each person.
A Further Miracle Blesses the Children
I continued my research while the temple ordinances were being completed. I learned that several children under the age of eight at the time of their deaths could not be sealed to their families unless permission was given by a family member who was also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This was a daunting request. The search began and spanned over a year.
Another pivotal moment was meeting Sister Vince Vincent, who became my biggest supporter. Her expertise was invaluable.
One evening, as I concluded my shift as an ordinance worker at the Halifax Nova Scotia Temple, I received a telephone call from Sister Vincent. She told me she had found someone who was a descendant of the Jackson family and met the requirements of church membership.
I asked, “Are they close by?”
“Oh yes,” was her reply. “It’s your husband, Bill.”
I was shocked beyond words. My husband was raised in California with no knowledge of the Halifax explosion. He is a tenth cousin of James Stephen Jackson (1848-1901), the head of the Jackson family.
My prayers and efforts were guided so I could help provide the saving ordinances for the Jackson family—ordinances that were so vital and well deserved.
I am grateful to all who helped complete the temple work for the Jackson family: Diane Walker, Vince Vincent, the Lower Sackville Ward youth and families, Halifax Nova Scotia Temple workers, and many church members.
When a door is closed when doing vital work for the dead, somewhere, somehow, a window is opened. My life has been filled with pivotal moments resulting in eternal blessings on both sides of the veil.