I’m in Escuminac, New Brunswick, before a monument called
Les Pêcheurs —The Fishermen on June 20, 2025,
the 66th anniversary of the Escuminac Disaster
The fateful day
On June 19-20, 1959, the remnants of a hurricane hit the Escuminac fishing boats working the mouth of the mighty Miramichi River and into the Northumberland Strait beyond.
It generated 121km/h winds, which produced 15m waves and destroyed 22 fishing boats. Thirty-five people died that night, leaving 24 widows and 83 fatherless children, which affected Escuminac and surrounding communities for generations to come.
The Escuminac Disaster, as it came to be known, was the deadliest work-related disaster in New Brunswick history.
The statue
In 1962, artist Claude Roussel created a wood sculpture in memory of the storm victims.
Later, area residents raised money to turn the work into the stone monument you see behind me, which was dedicated on June 19, 1969, the 10th anniversary of the Escuminac Disaster. It includes all the names of the deceased on a bronze plaque.
In 2001, the Government of New Brunswick declared the Escuminac Disaster Monument a provincial historic site.
May we never forget that fateful day.
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