I found some information on the victims of the Kay's fire at
this website. Reading this makes it feel much more personal, learning a little about the victims and bringing to light that they were just going about their business with no idea of the tragic events about to unfold.
It also brings to mind how much fire safety has improved over the years, but as you've pointed out, how much further it still needs to go.
Further photos at this twitter post:
https://twitter.com/hfxfirehistory/s...349696?lang=en and this facebook post:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/9655...4609400316469/
When creating the post about the Queen Hotel fire, I was left with the feeling that you can walk down that street and never know the tragedy that happened almost 80 years ago (will be 80 years to the day, a week from Saturday). As you mentioned, it's a little surprising that some small memorial hasn't been placed at the site, though I suppose in a city as old as Halifax, at any given time that you are walking downtown you may be at the site of some previous tragedy, or other significant event. Without the depth of history, one might never know.
I have read a few of Mr. Laffoley's books, including the one on the Poor House fire, and have always been impressed with how well he can translate historical information into a story that is relatable and relevant to this day.
While still on the subject of Kay's, it was one of the stores ransacked during the VE Day riots on May 8, 1945, just a little more than 5 years before the tragic fire.
Here is a photo of it on the day after the riots:
https://novascotia.ca/archives/EastC...es.asp?ID=4443
NS Archives has a whole series of photos from that event at the following link:
https://novascotia.ca/archives/EastC...nguage=English