Eric Davidson

Who was Eric Davidson?

John "Eric" Davidson was one of the last survivors of the Halifax Explosion. He was 2 and 1/2 years old when he was blinded by the Halifax Explosion on December 6, 1917. At the time of his death in 2009, Davidson was the penultimate living survivor with permanent injuries from the Halifax Explosion, which killed more than 1,600 people.

Davidson was born to parents Georgina and John William Davidson. He was blinded by shattered glass in the explosion, which occurred due to the collision between the SS Mont-Blanc and the SS Imo. At the time of the accident, Davidson was in his family's living room with his mother and sister. He was playing with his toy train on the window sill. The family was alerted to the collision by smoke rising from the harbour. Davidson was facing the glass windows when the blast occurred. The force of the explosion shattered the glass, completely blinding him.

Davidson and his family moved to Halifax Commons, a makeshift camp set up for survivors of the Explosion. He attended the Halifax School for the Blind, where he studied music. However, Davidson preferred to pursue a career in auto mechanics, following his interests in cars. His brothers would read him auto repair manuals and he would practise on old cars in his family's backyard, using his sense of touch and memory. He later took an apprenticeship with a car dealership in Halifax and earned his auto mechanic’s licence.