Halifax commemorates Titanic 100 years after it sank

A funeral carriage pulled by two draught horses led a procession from Halifax’s waterfront through downtown streets Saturday night as the city remembered the sinking of the Titanic 100 years ago.

The skirl of bagpipes filled the air as a line of hundreds of people, some of whom were carrying candles and wearing period costumes, followed the hearse.

Thomas Hodgson said he travelled from Sydney, Australia, because he wanted to take part in an event that has touched the lives of people around the globe.

“You only really have to be here to realize how tragic and terrible it was,” said Hodgson, a lawyer.

“It affects the whole world like 9-11 affects the whole world.”

The procession made its way to the Grand Parade, a public square in front of Halifax City Hall, where music from the era played and actor Gordon Pinsent told the ill-fated ship’s story.

“People marvelled, not just on hearing of the Titanic’s sheer size, but on learning of her grand opulence,” said Pinsent, who wore a white scarf and black tuxedo.

“She was a sight to behold — massive and majestic, shiny and sleek — everyone wanted to be part of her maiden voyage to America.”

Some 1,500 passengers and crew members died on April 15, 1912, when the Titanic collided with an iceberg and sank south of the Grand Banks. There were just over 700 survivors.

Since then, Halifax has become a pilgrimage site for history buffs, romantics and those whose ancestors died on the ship, the largest ocean liner of its time.

The city is the final resting place for 150 of the Titanic’s victims.

Carol Dobson, a 54-year-old tour guide, said the Titanic has long captivated her imagination and she felt compelled to pay her respects to those who went down with the ship.

“We no longer have anyone alive who was on board the Titanic but there are family members, and it’s a chance for them to learn about their family and what they went through,” she said.

“The story of the Titanic has always fascinated me.”

At 12:27 a.m. Sunday, a moment of silence will mark the time when the last messages from the Titanic were heard. Church bells will ring and flares will be set off to symbolize the ship’s call for help.

More events are planned for Sunday, including a spiritual ceremony at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, where 121 Titanic victims are buried.

Later in the day, J.A. Snow Funeral Home, which prepared bodies for burial in the disaster’s aftermath, will unveil a permanent memorial to the passengers and crew who died.

The Halifax commemoration was one of several events held around the world and at sea to mark the grim anniversary.

In Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the Titanic was built, thousands attended a choral requiem at the Anglican St. Anne’s Cathedral.

At the ship’s departure’s point of Southampton, England, an orchestra played composer Gavin Bryars’ work “The Sinking of the Titanic.”

At the site where the Titanic sank, two cruise ships carrying about 1,750 passengers were set to host prayers and toss floral wreaths at sea.