Ninth Birthday Party

Blackville High School 1955-56 Grade 3 class Back row: Gail Underhill, Graham Parks, Jack MacDonald, Michael McLaughlin, Johnny Fournier, Gary Gillespie, Gordon Underhill, John Corney, Shirley Dunnett Middle row: Connie Walls, Gertrude Furlotte, Mitzie Delassio, Annie Stewart, Anna Moody, Joyce Morehouse, Sharon Gillespie, Helen Muck, Judy Ross Front row: Patty Fournier, Brian Stephens, Brian Mersereau, Graham Campbell, Walter Frenette, Herman Vickers. Teacher: Miss Marie Burns

In the tenth installment of Pat Fournier’s memoir, Memories of a Boy Growing Up in Blackville, the Fournier family welcomes a baby boy, Leonard, in the winter of 1955 and Pat celebrates his ninth birthday in the Spring of 1956. Written by Pat Fournier December 8, 1955 – eight years old My little brother Leonard…

Read More

The Boy in the Casket

Doctor's Island and the Miramichi River

In this ninth installment of Pat Fournier’s memoir, “Memories of a Boy Growing Up in Blackville”, eight year old Pat struggles with the concept of death after a young boy, Allie Davidson, drowns in the summer of 1955. THE BOY IN THE CASKET Written by Pat Fournier June 1955 – eight years old This is…

Read More

Bless Me Father

A confessional booth similar to the one in St. Raphael’s church

It was the first Friday in May of 1955 and eight year old Pat Fournier was going to confession… but what would he confess to? In this eighth installment of his memoir “Memories of a Boy Growing Up in Blackville”, Pat recalls the story of how the misfortune of another child from his neighbourhood lead…

Read More

The ‘Chocolate Flu’

Album cover for 78 rpm record album of tunes by popular fiddler Ned Landry

On a late-July day in 1954, seven-year-old Pat Fournier and his siblings play a prank, with some unpleasant consequences, on their neighbour Ronald MacKenzie. The Chocolate Flu is the seventh installment of Pat’s memoir “Memories of a Boy Growing Up in Blackville”. THE ‘CHOCOLATE FLU’ Written by Pat Fournier July 1954 – Seven years old…

Read More

School Daze

The date is September 8, 1953 and it’s Pat Fournier’s first day of school. In this next installment of “Memories of a Boy Growing Up in Blackville”, join Pat as he walks the mile and a half trek to school, while sharing memories of the people and places along the way. School Daze Written by…

Read More

A Visit to Dalhousie

In this next installment of Memories of a Boy Growing Up in Blackville, set in the summer of 1953, six year old Pat goes on a bus ride to Dalhousie with his mother and siblings. A Visit to Dalhousie Written by Pat Fournier August 1953 – six years old Mom took Katharine and Marjorie and…

Read More

Coronation Day

It’s June 2, 1953 and the citizens of Blackville are celebrating Coronation Day – the day Princess Elizabeth of England is crowned queen. In this third installment of “Memories of a Boy Growing Up in Blackville”, Pat Fournier recalls the festivities of that day, along with recollections of the milkman Mr. Vickers, Jim MacKenzie’s horse…

Read More

Blackville School Students Recall The Past

Students in Allan Carter’s Writing 110 class at Blackville School recently took part in a local history project in collaboration with Memories of Blackville. Sixteen students were involved in the “Recalling the Past” assignment. Students were given the option to write a biography about an elderly member of their family or someone in the community;…

Read More