Queen Street Hotel fire takes three locals

The greatest tragedy in the history of Halifax since the Halifax explosion occurred March 2, 1939, when flames, raging with unchecked fury, leveled the historic Queen Street Hotel on Hollis Street, taking the lives of at least 28 people.

Conveniently located for those travelling by ship or rail, this beautifully-designed hotel, with its grand accommodations, boasted a reputation for the best in personal service. The Queen Street Hotel was enjoyed by visitors arriving in Halifax from all over the world, and the ledgers indicate her popularity especially among guests from the United States.

Among those names entered in the Queen Street Hotel’s final ledger were well-known Annapolis Valley residents R.T. Caldwell, former MLA for Kings County and Berwick native; A.DeWitt Foster, former Member of Parliament for Kings County; and John Johnson, hockey legend and referee of the famous Berwick Bruins championship season of 1936-37.

In an ironic twist of fate, Johnson had only registered at the hotel one hour prior to the outbreak of the fire. With plans to take the next day’s train from Halifax and arrive in time to officiate a hockey game in Sydney Friday night, Johnson and his teammates had just returned from a game in Annapolis. Johnson retired immediately to his hotel room upon arrival, but his teammates decided to stay out and wait for the Dartmouth ferry, thus escaping the tragic event.

Likewise, fate dealt unkindly with Foster, who, for some reason, chose to change his room location for that evening. Had he remained in his previous room, he undoubtedly would have been among the many survivors in that section of the hotel who had access to escape.

Caldwell, employed as a member of the Nova Scotia Board of Censors, was a permanent guest at the Queen Street Hotel. He had only just returned to Halifax a few days previous, following a two-week stay at his home in Kentville.

Closely connected with Nova Scotia’s political arena for nearly a quarter of a century, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Rupert Caldwell of Berwick received his elementary education at the Berwick School. Influenced by his father’s participation in building hockey teams and organizing sports in Berwick, R.T. earned the reputation as an excellent athlete, excelling in both basketball and hockey. As a young man, he became a resident of Kentville, where he conducted a grocery business and, moving into politics, was twice a member for Kings County in the Nova Scotia Legislature.

The Queen Street Hotel tragedy was not only a terrible shock to Halifax, but to the entire nation. It was a dismal and sorrowful time for the communities of Kings County, as hundreds of mourners expressed their deep sadness and regret for the loss of three well-known and widely-respected men who had died in this one tragic event.