hops were opening at eight; the means of transportation was horse and wagon, as the city had very few cars, so the city was clear of traffic jams. The Business buildings did not open until nine; most people were up and reading the newspaper, which contained information on the way, and the children were finished breakfast and were on their way to school. Another key role which assisted the war in Europe was Richmond Station, located near pier nine. On this morning, trains were starting to pull in. The station contained freight yards of the Canadian Government railway. The night express train from Saint-John, New Brunswick was carrying passengers and mail set to arrive around nine, but was running a little late. The Royal College of Canada was located near by; the naval cadets were preparing themselves for their daily duties. Many of the cadets were preparing for their year end evaluations. Meanwhile, at the Halifax Armories and at the Wellington Barracks, soldiers were getting ready for the morning inspection parades. The alive, supportive city was now awake and busy.
             Dozens of transport freighters and merchant ships were anchored in the Bedford Basin, awaiting to form a convoy, scheduled to leave the next day to Europe. In the main harbour, boats were found unloading supplies of war, busily; as efforts were increasingly important.
             Docked in the Bedford Basin was a neutral Belgian relief ship called the SS IMO; the vessel was preparing to leave for New York in order to obtain relief supplies, then to transport the supplies to Belgium. The words "Belgian Relief had been painted on the side to protect it from German Submarines. The IMO had been scheduled to sail the night before; however, it had been delayed waiting for forty-five tons of coal for fuel.
             A ship just entering the Harbour was the Mount Blanc; it was a small 2,830 tone French freighter. It had been anchored outside the harbour the night before, awaiting per...