08/15/2026
๐ฆ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ - ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ญ๐ต๐ด๐ฐโฃ
๐๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฐ๐จ๐ณ๐ข๐ฑ๐ฉ๐บ ๐ฃ๐บ ๐๐ช๐ญ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ต ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฎ๐ด โฃ
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These two photos have been hanging at our camp for as long as I can remember. They were taken during the May 1984 forest fires at Shebandowan, 42 years ago.โฃ
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My grandfather took them shortly before evacuating our camp and driving back to Thunder Bay, using a wet washcloth over his mouth to help with the smoke. He told my parents that he expected our camp would be gone by morning. The fire eventually burned through the forest behind our property and stopped just before Highway 11. Sometime around midnight, the winds changed direction and our camp was spared.โฃ
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The first photo shows the smoke beginning to close in, taken from our west window (toward 586). The second faces northeast toward the microwave tower, Crescent Point Road and Swamp River. I was always told there was confusion over which direction people should evacuate, with some initially being sent toward the fire rather than toward Thunder Bay. Looking at these photos, I can understand how terrifying and disorienting that situation must have been.โฃ
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