Fervent Freshets
Acetone and Oil Monoprint 1-9,
8.5” x 14” Print
Scars follows those affected by the dramatic flooding that took place in New Brunswick in 2018 and 2019—the individuals, families, and entities standing resilient as they don high cut rubber boots and fishing waders, load everything into a boat, and set off across a once dry land. In the Scars prints, imagery from flood coverage shot by CBC, CTV, Global, and other news sources is struck with harsh gashes of red. The intentionally discordant mono-printed marks refer to the shade of red often mobilized by government sources and media outlets to indicate potential hazard areas during New Brunswick’s spring floods. Records of such swamping date back as far back as 1696 when a late spring freshet hampered a small French settlement at Jemseg. Seasonal flooding along the Saint John River or Wolastoq—as it was originally designated by the Wolastoqiyik Peoples—, have likely occurred for a time incalculable. The same can be said for the Kennebecasis, Miramichi, and Restigouche rivers, but never have these watersheds consecutively slogged communities with the kind of rapid flooding endured in recent years as a result of climate change. Fredericton and her neighbors have seen their fair share of overflows, but the years of 2018 and 2019 out-scaled even the highest predictions. Rothesay’s pumping and sewage stations were swallowed by the Kennebecasis while Hampton saw many homes and cottages dismantled into heaps of sodden wood— structures that had narrowly survived the temperamental floods of 2008. Even the meager Trout Creek of Sussex swelled beyond belief in 2019, spurring evacuations. All of this amounts to a staggering economic toll, roughly $80 million in damages in 2018 alone, a price that an already scant province cannot expect to bare—certainly not year after year. And the human impact is equally significant. Places like Maugerville are shrinking and property developments in Southern New Brunswick have slowed dramatically while many residents take to higher ground leaving behind a myriad of broken real-estate, unlikely to be reclaimed. It is clear that the turbulent swelling of these waterways will continue to be an annual hardship, destinedonly to grow in scale, until adequate action is taken toward their protection and care
- Shorelines, 2021
Shorelines: Climate Concern & Creativity is a collaborative project that promotes an ongoing dialogue between environmental action and artistic practice in New Brunswick. The publication was conceived and realized by two non-profit organizations, the community-based environmental organization, ACAP Saint John, and Third Space Gallery, Saint John’s artist-run centre for contemporary art.
Presented by Third Space Galley, published by Goose Lane Editions
Contributors: Patrick Allaby, Amy Ash, Jack Bishop, Bailey Brogan, Katie Buckley, Nathan Cann, Chris Donovan, Sara Griffin, Hailey Guzik, Sarah Jones, Jericho Knopp, Jamylynn McDonald, Christiana Myers, Ben Peterson, Bethany Reinhart, Graeme Stewart-Robertson, Kate Wallace, Laura Watson, and KC Wilcox.
1 Flood Details - 1696-01-01 - 1696-12-31, Government of New Brunswick, 2012, www.elgegl.gnb.ca/0001/en/Flood/Details/3.
2 Fraser , Elizabeth. “Flood Recovery Costs Could Hit $80M, Minister Says | CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 18 May 2018, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/flood-new-brunswick-2018-1.4668529.
