Halifax Board of School Commissioners

Summary of Halifax Board of School Commissioner minutes relating to the Halifax Explosion (102-53-2)

This page provides a summary of Board of School Commissioners minutes relating to the Halifax Explosion. Meeting dates are hyperlinked to a PDF containing digitized minutes from that session which relate to the Explosion.

December 17, 1917

Re-opening of schools
Saving school property
Teachers injured by Explosion
Transportation of children to operational schools
Deputation, and condition of building fabric

December 28, 1917

Free transportation of school children
Richmond School new addition
Alexander McKay School
Examination of schools
Estimated cost of repairs
Funding
Use of schools by Reconstruction Relief Committee
Africville, Alexandra, St. Patricks’ Boys’ School

January 11, 1918

Report of the Committee on School Sites
Re-opening of schools
Transportation of school children
Reference to specific schools include: College St. School, Bloomfield, Chebucto, and Joseph Howe Schools
Chairman’s Report regarding repairs to school buildings
Explosion repair accounts $850.58
Construction accounts $3,828

January 14, 1918

Coal shortage - worry that school should not open
Letters from concerned Board of Control, the Relief Committee, and Hon. R.G. Beazley, Fuel Controller, addressed at meeting
Board of School Commissioners decide schools to remain open until shortage occurs

January 31, 1918

Repairs to schools
Letters proposing Morris St. School be used as a place for relief work

February 27, 1918

Committee on Finance - Explosion accounts $10,846.17
Temporary repair work on various schools a success
Temporary relocation of classes until repairs made/schools built
Letter addressing $3,000 donation from the school children of Chicago ($1,000 for books, $2,000 to Blind Relief)

March 4, 1918

Additional loan for repairs to Bloomfield High School

April 4, 1918

Committee on School Sites and Buildings - Explosion accounts $10,212.92
Discussion of portable school houses
Representative of Teachers Union thanks the Board for increase in wages and their promptness in making school buildings fit again for teaching, resuming classes

April 18, 1918

Adjusting of losses on the Alexander McKay and Richmond school buildings, and the speedy completion of the Alexander McKay

April 24, 1918

Alexander McKay School repairs

May 3, 1918

Explosion accounts $5,305.48
Committee on Teachers - appointments and relocation
Portable school houses have arrived and soon will be set up

May 10, 1918

Discussion of insurance rebate for buildings not totally destroyed
Chebucto School - cleaning of school grounds
Children at Exhibition Grounds

May 30, 1918

Explosion accounts $7,038.44
Insurance rebates for rebuilding/repairs

June 12, 1918

Morris St. School - need for building to resume functioning as a school instead of being used as a hospital (deadline August 15)

June 26, 1918

Committee on School Sites and Buildings

July 5, 1918

Committee on School Sites and Buildings
School nurses yearly report (11 children listed killed in Explosion, 249 eye cases, 91 received treatment)
Explosion Accounts $12,194.11
Repairs to Bloomfield High, Chebucto, Joseph Howe, Oxford, and St. Patricks’ Girls’ High schools

July 22, 1918

Committee on School Sites and Buildings - Oxford School usage (Health Board to Hospital)
Morris St. School - removal of hospital in August

September 5, 1918

Committee on School Sites and Buildings

October 3, 1918

Committee on School Sites and Buildings and Committee on Finance - Explosion Repair Account $18,701
Inspection of school buildings by Board
Alexander McKay School ready by November 1
School children with defective eyesight due to Explosion

October 7, 1918

Committee on School Sites and Buildings - plans for Bloomfield, St. Joseph’s, and St. Patricks’ schools
Alexander McKay School grading of playgrounds
Morris Street School garage
Oxford Street School fumigation

October 22, 1918

Committee on School Sites and Buildings - letter from Chairman to J.P. Quinn, Chairman, Board of School Commissioners regarding rebuilding North End Schools destroyed by Explosion
Purchasing building sites for school property
Explosion Repair Account - advance of $50,000 received for civic and school repairs

October 28, 1918

Committee on School Sites and Buildings Report to Halifax Relief Commission - Explosion Repair Account: “The Chairman read reports of Explosion repairs on Schools, estimate of cost of Bloomfield High, Chebucto, Joseph Howe, Oxford and St. Patricks’ Girls’ High Schools, teachers personal and school property losses, furniture and its replacement, new buildings, with estimated total of $785,324.61. Stating that a copy of this estimate had been sent to the Chairman of the Halifax Relief Commission. This amount ($785,324.61) comes within four thousand dollars of the estimate made right after the Explosion.”
Plans for building locations/land/rebuilding schools

October 31, 1918

Report of the Committee on Finance - Explosion account $9,193.55
Care of partially blind victims of Explosion
St. Patricks’ Boys’ School plans
List of unfinished work

December 4, 1918

Care of the Partially Blind, “the Committee(?) recommends the payment of Explosion accounts amounting to … $4,854.48”

December 9, 1918

Committee on School Sites and Buildings - report on school repairs and building

January 9, 1919

Committee on School Sites and Buildings - report on school repairs and building
Explosion account $1,725.99, Contracts $475.00, Construction accounts $8,437.01

January 30, 1919

Committee on School Sites and Buildings - Explosion accounts $1,931.10, 5 schools $29,095.47, Construction accounts $11,761.48
Options for site of Bloomfield School