02/08/2026
50 years ago,
This RJ Bremner journal entry recounts the events of February 2, 1976, when the devastating “Groundhog day storm” struck Digby, Nova Scotia, resulting in the destruction of the family homestead.
He reflects on memories of growing up in the house, which had been in the family for years, and describes the sequence of events leading to the fire that consumed their childhood home in Bay View.
“The Day He Lost His House”
February 2nd, 1976 - 7:56 PM, Monday
I can remember sitting at a table upstairs writing in a book as I listened to the boys’ talking downstairs.
The television would be on, and Dad would be watching that.
I remember cutting wood on cold winter days and lugging it into the house.
I remember watching movie matinees with Dad. I spent many hours in that old house up to Lovett’s.
I was born in that house.
One by one all got married and moved away. Lovett got the house after Dad passed away in 1970. Lovett's lived there off and on ever since.
This morning Lovett got up to go to work. It rained hard during the night, and the wind blew very hard from the South.
Shortly after 11:00 AM, he came home for dinner. He opened the door on the front of the house and it blew right off its hinges.
He told me this afternoon that he had said I would hate to have a fire today.
Gail was on her way to town early this afternoon and she had forgotten her purse. The door was locked so Tammy went in through the bathroom window.
Gail heard her yelling Mommy! Mommy! the house is on fire!
Gail fought to get the door opened and when she did, she got Tammy out.
The kitchen a mass of flames.
Someone called the Fire Department and soon arrived. By this time the whole house was a mass of flames.
I had just arrived home from town less than an hour earlier. I saw the shingles on Lovett’s roof had nearly all blown off.
Then, not too long before 2:00 PM, I saw Steve Dunphy stop here. He came in banging on the door. “The old homestead is on fire” he told me. For a minute I didn't know what he was talking about. Then Valerie said Lovett’s? Yes, he said.
The power was off at the time and I was heating my teapot with my propane torch here in the kitchen. I put out the torch and ran for my coat.
I was only a few minutes getting up to Lovett’s. By this time the roof of his house was completely gone and the inside was a wall of flames.
The wind was blowing very hard about 80 mph or so. There was no way the fire men could even slow down the fire.
I left my van up on top of the hill and walked across through the woods and down through the field to the house.
As I got closer, I took photographs with my instamatic 608 camera. I guess I got 7 photos altogether.
Lovett hadn't arrived yet. He was in Bear River at this time. Someone got word to him and he rushed right home not knowing if the children or Gail were safe.
I was still there when he arrived. By this time the house was burned completely to the ground.
The first thing he asked was if the kids were alright. Later, he said to me I lost my old gun. The gun that once belonged to dad.
The cars were backed up all the way to Wi***es. The little school bus had to turn around at Lee’s and come the Shore Rd.
Gail was standing against Lee's truck with Carman and Joanne, and I heard her say that they had lost everything.
Charlie, Frank, Lee, Tony, Willie, and Larry came later, and many other people were there. I took Lovett ‘s car (1968 Dodge) over to Aunt Fannie’s for him.
When I went into the house, I saw Beatrice in the living room crying. Gail was also crying. I sat down and talked to Charlie and Lovett a few minutes.
Steve Dunphy had come down to the house to take me back to the van. Lovett was going back over so I let Steve go and I went back with Lovett.
We went up to the ruins and in the ashes, we saw his toolbox and the gun barrel of his old 22 cal. I saw one of the kids’ trikes.
Later, I came home and after I ate and Matthew got up, we went back up so Valerie could see.
Lovett was there alone looking the place over. I went up and talked to him.
He said he had about $400 of meat in his freezer. It was full. He had just bought nearly $100 worth of groceries a few days ago.
Gail had painted the kitchen wall just this morning. They were getting ready for a Tupperware party to be held next week. Lovett was to bring paint home at supper time.
His oil barrel blew up. The whole end blew out of it.
You know it's really ironic, today Dad would have been 76 years old had he lived.
Lovett and Family are staying in town tonight with Gail’s sister.
I heard the fire report on the radio this afternoon. They mentioned Lovett’s name and said that he had two little girls and that they lost everything.
It's so hard to believe. The old homestead is gone. When I lived home, I always worried about the old house burning down.
This was a day of disaster not only for Lovett but a lot of other people.
This morning, we got heavy rain and winds up to 95 mph!
There are hydro poles down everywhere and all over Digby and on the Lighthouse Road and everywhere else there are dozens of trees down.
Down at the Seawall down the neck, the boats were washed right up on the highway, and some went across the road and up into the woods.
Two fishing boats in town sank. And at Westport, Raymond’s store fell into the sea! Many fish huts collapsed down there also. Mobile homes were twisted off their foundations, and one was lying upside down on its roof.
One trailer-home in Saint John went out into the Bay of Fundy.
New Brunswick is in a mess. This has been the worst storm we've had in many years.
The roof on Wilsons Hardware in Digby and the roof at McDonald Motors blue off, and
car windows were smashed by flying debris.
Well, what more can I say.
Lovett is without a home tonight. He only saved a few tools.
Groundhog not only saw his shadow.
RJ Bremner - Feb 2, 1976
