The Beautiful Miramichi

I come from a place originally called Newcastle but after amalgamation with some surrounding communities is now called "Miramichi". This name is actually the name of the river that runs through the town and is renown as one of the world's premier salmon fishing rivers.

My ancestors settled this area and the river has been a big part of our family's life for generations. To learn about some of the areas' history check here. These are excerpts from a book called "Miramichi Tales Tall and True" by Doug Underhill. Doug is a former high school English teacher (mine in fact!) and quite a fisherman in his own right. You can check him out here.

This area is steeped in history and tradition. The Miramichi Folksong Festival is a venue for traditional folksingers and storytellers from the Miramichi area and is held every year in August. The songs are unique to the area and have been passed down verbally from generation to generation. They talk of the lumbermen, the fishermen, the guides and life on the river. You'll hear tunes like "Memories of Dungarvon", "Blackville Bell", "Chemin de Fer", "The Fire of '25", "The Tobique Valley Line", "Rose of the Miramichi", "“Banks of the Gaspereaux"”, "“Jam on Gerry'’s Rock", "“Gallant Brigantine"”, "“Jeannie Ferguson"”, "“Lighthouse Keeper'’s Wife"”, "“The Stowaway", "“Napan Heroes"”, "“James McGee"”, "“Banks of the Little Eau Plaine", "“Dungarvon Whooper", "“Messenger Song", "“Pride of Glencoe" and "Dark Eyed Sailor".

I visited my mother this past weekend who still lives there. I don't get there as often as I should but it's always good to spend some time reconnecting with family, friends and the river. There's an area called French Fort Cove that now has a great hiking trail. We spent a good part of the morning checking out the area taking in some wonderful scenery. You can find out more about it here. You have to read about the Headless Nun!