Allison O.
Doaktown, New Brunswick
New Brunswick Provincial Heritage Fair
The Great Miramichi Fire
The Miramichi Fire was a very large forest fire that destroyed around one fifth of New Brunswick. It destroyed many peoples homes and left them hungry and homeless. The fire started on October 7th, 1825.
What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?
The most interesting thing I learned was probably that ashes from the fire landed as far away as Bermuda. This really struck me as incredible because Bermuda is such a very long distance from New Brunswick.
What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?
I learned that I should be thankful for everything I have. That it could be taken away in just a few seconds. This project taught me a lot about how the people around the world, and even just here in the Miramichi area, can really reach out and help people in need.
How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?
Life back in the 1800's was very different then it is today. If a fire struck today then we would be able to detect it early before it spread too far. Today there would be quickly available fire fighting equipment. Back in the 1800's people probably wouldn't be able to detect it very early, and they wouldn't have any helicopters or any other machines to help extinguish the fire.