I asked Mom for a book about the VE-Day Riots that occurred in that fair city on May 7th and 8th 1945.
She gave me as a gift Sailors, Slackers and Blind Pigs - Halifax at War by Stephen Kimber. It's proven to be a really good read.
In short, two things happened during these two dark days: The Navy Sailors were given open gangway (they could come and go off the ships as they pleased), and the LC was closed. In essence, a can of crazy was opened. The Sailors looted the liquor stores and went gangbusters downtown smashing and burning as they went. The next day, the wet canteen ran out of beer in the early afternoon. The sailors made their way to the Keith's brewery en masse. They were given access to the beer in order to save the brewery - the Sailors (and others, let's be fair) managed to distribute over 100,000 quart bottles of beer. The result was over 200 looted stores and some 2500 broken windows.
I told you they know how to party in Halifax.
The CBC Archives has a great story marking the 40th anniversary. Give it a look!
Categories: Canada, History
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