Saturday, June 30, 2018

Update on the progress of “A Picture on the Wall"

CSS Acadia at Maritime Museum of Atlantic
-Photo by Cal Shook
To date there are 27 people, who end up in about 16 different locations just before the Mont Blanc explodes around 9:05am in Halifax Harbour.  Since I shared the Landry, Burke, and Myatt Family Chart in last month's blog, I’ve written about the three families who occupy 38 Union Street.  Just prior to the explosion, a young family, the Gibson’s move into the vacant upstairs apartment.  Brothers Joe (my grandfather) and Dan Landry, owners of the home, are thrilled that Joe Gibson wanted to rent the apartment..  On moving day, family members get excited as an accordion,a violin, and then the Gibson’s new piano are brought up the stairs.  Thoughts of foot stomping music bring a sense of joy, a welcome respite from reminders of war sitting in the harbor below.

The morning of the explosion brings chores for the Landry children on the first floor. The Landry family still grieves the loss of mother Charlotte who died in January and a brother Leo who died on the front lines the year before.  Youngest of the boys, Jimmy, does his best to cheer everyone with his fun loving antics.

This coming month, I’ll be finishing up 19 Stairs Street and will continue working my way through  other locations that I’ve started.  Well that’s all for now, better get back to writing.