Fire at Shook Mills
On April 19, 1950, a small fire in the backyard of a home soon consumed the Shook Mills lumberyard. High winds and a lack of functioning fire hydrants caused the blaze to burn for hours as the massive supply of lumber fuelled the fire. It took Pembroke's fire department, fire fighters and volunteers from surrounding towns, and soldiers from Camp Petawawa to control the fire. Fires were not rare for Pembroke. As a lumbering town, Pembroke's industries were specifically susceptible to fire. Below is Big Bertha, Pembroke's oldest fire truck now housed at the Champlain Trails Museum. It was recently restored and can still be driven.
1950