The Pioneer Spirit statue demonstrates the panic and confusion of the residents during the Great Fire of 1922 This Monument commemorates the pioneers that survived the Great Fire by hiding in swamps, lakes, and wells. It has been called one of the ten worst natural disasters in Canadian history.
Haileybury was completely destroyed and practically all of its inhabitants homeless. Bodies lay in the smouldering remains of buildings and lost children wandered the streets seeking their parents.
Ernie Fauvelle (the artist) calls his work “narrative sculpture” and favours portrayals of those who work in mining, logging and the early settlers of the area. His work is in many private and corporate collections around the world.
The summer of 1922 was especially dry in the entire Temiskaming area, and residents were unprepared for the unforeseen consequences. On Wednesday, October 4, 1922, around noon, winds whipped up to about 90 miles an hour. By 2:00 p.m., schools had closed and at 3:15 p.m., the judge had to stay court proceedings. The general alarm sounded to warn that a fire was fast approaching. Families were separated – the men assisted with the emergency while the women and children took cover under blankets soaked in the lake – and the distraught sat on boulders on the shoreline. Soon after, the winds turned to the west and the isolated fires joined forces to create a blazing wildfire. By 4 p.m., it was a complete blazing disaster!
The fire devastated 18 townships and a total of 648 square miles, crossing the lake, even, and heading into Quebec. The worst of the devastation was here, however, which is why it was named “The Great Haileybury Fire of 1922.”
