The exterior of Saint John City Hall is pictured in this file photo. (Staff photo)
A memorial plaque will be unveiled Monday to honour the 21 men who died in what is known as the Saint John jail fire.
It was on this day 44 years ago that flames broke out at the old Saint John police lock-up, which was located in City Hall.
“I’m very pleased to see it happening after 44 years. It’s been a long time coming,” said Mary MacDonald, who has been spearheading efforts for the memorial plaque.
MacDonald, who grew up in Saint John but now lives in Antigonish, N.S., was only eight years old when the tragedy struck on June 21, 1977.
While MacDonald did not lose a family member in the fire, her neighbours — who were lifelong friends of her family — lost their son.
“I watched his mom and dad have to live with that loss and how much it changed them, his mother in particular. She taught me to swim as a teenager and taught me how to crochet. I spent a lot of good times with them,” said MacDonald.
Mary MacDonald has been spearheading efforts for a memorial plaque to honour the victims of the Saint John police lock-up fire in 1977. (Image submitted)
“I’m just worried that what happened to Timmy and the rest of the men in that fire were kind of being lost to history.”
Not wanting the tragedy to be forgotten, MacDonald reached out to then-mayor Don Darling in Jan. 2020 to inquire about a memorial plaque.
“He told me what to do and then I wrote a proposal, which he brought to the Saint John Board of Police Commissioners. They voted to adopt it and make it happen,” she said.
The memorial plaque will be unveiled during a special ceremony at the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre on Monday morning. Following the unveiling, the plaque will be installed on the second floor of City Hall outside council chambers.
MacDonald said most of the victim’s families she has been able to speak with are happy to finally see this happening.
“When I first started, lots of people were asking questions like do you work for the city, what’s your motivation. They were really hopeful but there’s been a couple of instances and times when it kind of fell apart, so it was very guarded,” she said.
“I think it’s just such an important thing to have happen.”
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