Making Progress – the Writing of a Memoir About the Halifax Explosion

Joseph Landry (1889-1994)

The stories are coming together and it's looking like a book.

With the help of my editor, Sylvia Clark, I’ve been busy working on edits and revisions of a memoir about my grandfather, Joseph Landry’s family and their experiences, before, during, and after the Halifax Explosion.   Our main focus is to have a completed draft of their story called, “A Picture on the Wall” done as soon as possible.  Since the beginning of this year, an Introduction and four chapters have undergone multiple edits with upcoming chapters in various stages.  We’ve set an editing schedule of every two weeks.  The hardest chapters are in progress.  There are several missing pieces that would be beneficial to have. Below are two of them that concern the Burke Family.

For example:
Harry Burke, son of Pauline and Joseph Burke was at the City Home due to mental defect before the explosion occurred.  If you know anything about Harry and/or you have any idea where I could look to find out more about his situation, please share below or on Facebook.  "Landry, Burke, and Myatt Family Chart."

With the help of Paul C. Landry, we have the names of the family members of Mrs. Myatt, oldest daughter of Pauline and Joseph Burke.  Yet we haven't been able to find the Halifax Relief Commission record for this family at the Nova Scotia Archives.  There was a card showing that a record was kept, but unable to find the corresponding documents.  If you have any ideas or information to help us uncover more about what happened to them, we'd appreciate your sharing it with us.  "Do You Know the Simon and Hilda Myatt Family - Dartmouth NS - Halifax Explosion?"