A temporary exhibit highlighting stories of Moncton’s former Volunteer Fire Department is going on display at Resurgo Place.
Heritage Development Officer Sophie Auffrey says Moncton previously depended solely on volunteer fire brigades..
“Started as a volunteer brigade in 1867 but then it was only in 1875 that it became the official Moncton Volunteer Fire department. The volunteers kept helping out until 2015, even though a full time department was created in 1949.”
The idea for the “Not For the Glory: Moncton Volunteers Firefighters” exhibit came from Allan McNutt, a member of the Moncton Firefighters Historical Society and also a retired firefighter.
One of the memories was an apartment fire in the 1990’s on a cold February night.
Auffrey says, “Many said they knew some of the people who lived in the building. They fought the fire through the night. After the fire, they still had work to do. They needed to attend to the equipment. They had to lay out and hang out all of the hoses to make sure they dried properly. So they ended up seeing the early morning before it was all over.”
As a part of the exhibit, several of the former volunteer firefighters did interviews, speaking of their experiences.
“When we were asking the volunteers why they would want to do such brave work, most said the camaraderie , the friendships that they had with each other. So that’s another thing that always kept them going,” Auffrey says.
The exhibit features videos sharing stories of the past, along with photos and artifacts that were used by the volunteers.
The “Not for the Glory: Moncton Volunteer Firefighters” exhibit will be on display at the Union Centre Gallery at Resurgo Place from March 14 to April 26, 2020.
