Escuminac is a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 rural community in Northumberland County

Northumberland County, New Brunswick

Northumberland County , having the largest area of any county in the province, is located in northeastern New Brunswick, Canada.-Geography:Northumberland County is covered by thick forests, whose products stimulate the economy...

, New Brunswick

New Brunswick

New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...

.

Located on the south shore of Miramichi Bay

Miramichi Bay

Miramichi Bay is an estuary located on the west coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in New Brunswick, at the mouth of the Miramichi River. Miramichi Bay is separated into the "inner bay" and the "outer bay", with the division being a line of uninhabited barrier islands which are continually reshaped...

, the community is several kilometres west of Point Escuminac, the southeastern limit of the bay. Canada's largest inshore fishing vessel harbour is home to the local fishing fleet. Industries include two fish processing & freezing plants and a boat building facility.

Escuminac was originally an Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 and English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 settlement, but outward emigration and the prevalence of French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 speakers in the immediate area has changed its composition somewhat. A small two-room English school was closed in 1979.

Escuminac and surrounding fishing villages, especially Baie Ste. Anne

Baie-Sainte-Anne, New Brunswick

Baie-Sainte-Anne is a Canadian rural community in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.It is located on the southern shore of Miramichi Bay near its opening into the Gulf of St...

, Hardwicke

Hardwicke, New Brunswick

Hardwicke is a Canadian parish in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.Its population in the 2006 Census was 2,484.-Delineation:Hardwicke Parish is defined in the Territorial Division Act as:-Communities:...

 and Bay du Vin

Bay du Vin, New Brunswick

Bay du Vin is a small but picturesque unincorporated community located on the south shore of Miramichi Bay, 24 km east of the former town of Chatham , New Brunswick, Canada...

 were the site of a tragedy

Tragedy (event)

A tragedy is an event in which one or more losses, usually of human life, occurs that is viewed as mournful. Such an event is said to be tragic....

 on June 19 and June 20, 1959, when a sudden storm caused a loss of 35 fishermen of the area. It is called the Escuminac Disaster. A monument by Claude Rousselle stands at the head of the harbour to commemorate the event, and as a memorial to those who died.