The Years of Living (Not So) Dangerously (Part One)

Fifteen and counting in Miramichi.

As I write this, it is snowing outside, with fine little flakes descending in a straight line, and no wind to be seen. Miramichi does look good in snow¹ although I’ve shovelled and blown enough for now, thank you.

It was in an Atlantic snowstorm 15 years ago that we first glimpsed what would, in a few weeks become our forever home. I wondered what we were thinking at the time, white knuckles gripping the steering wheel of our rental car, following the tail lights (and the tire tracks) of a tractor-trailer in front of us driving up Highway 11. “Thank goodness the highway is basically a straight line from Moncton to Miramichi,” I mused to myself as Diane was frozen in terror (not her typical mien).

It felt good to leave Ontario behind us and Toronto in particular. It was a childhood dream to live there as I was a Toronto Maple Leaf fan at the time² and I had an aunt and uncle who lived there whom we would try and visit every Thanksgiving. They had no children, so it was perfect as I wasn’t expected to interact with anyone my age. I always took along a toy, or later a book. I would read the Toronto Star and watch the TV channels we didn’t have in Kingston.

Back to my tale.

Having had enough of my job in Toronto, I started to look elsewhere in a desperate attempt to improve my mental health and my growing dependence on alcohol as a coping mechanism³. I was sure of one thing: I no longer wanted to be part of this sprawling, soul-destroying city. The city can make you mean, forgetting to display empathy for patients who had no time or tolerance for diagnostic tests. Rents were becoming unreasonable and forget owning a home on our income. Why not look elsewhere, outside of the province even?

To cut to the chase, we “discovered” Miramichi, not only by hearing radio advertisements about “Retirement Miramichi” but by finding a job listing at the small⁴ hospital here. A phone interview led to an expenses-paid trip to Miramichi for a full interview and we squeezed in some visits to homes on the market here. Very affordable, as before the exodus east, which the pandemic initiated and prices unreasonably skyrocketed.

So it’s been 15 years, and my wife and I are both enjoying life here. We have a nice house (see above), lots of greenspaces out back, visits from deer, rabbits, and even moose at one time, clean air, and a 15-min commute. And birds.

Not idyllic, but then every place has its downside. What I didn’t realize at the time was how much further north Miramichi was from Toronto, skewing my perceptions of seasons as I knew them.⁵ The summers here are July and August, full stop. Back to school is the official start of Fall (which, in addition to being my favourite season, appears to be the longest here, next to Winter), and Spring starts well into May, specifically the May long weekend.

More to come. Time to shovel.

1. I’m reminded here of the song “Ventura Highway” by America where it says “this town don’t look good in snow.”

2. This was when there were only six teams in the NHL. You were either a Montreal or a Toronto fan. American teams? Pfft.

3. I am now in my seventh year of sobriety.

4. By Toronto standards.

5. Miramichi lies at 47° latitude and Toronto at 43°.