“The Snappy Fire Department of the Maritimes”

Sussex had its first major fire in 1887, when 16 buildings were destroyed. There was neither water nor equipment to fight the fire. When the grammar school burned in 1893 this was such a heavy loss that some businessmen called a meeting to arrange for some form of fire protection. Out of this came the Sussex Fire Brigade. Wells were dug and tanks sunk into them and most of the equipment was built by the voluntary firemen. In the 1890s the “Snappy Fire Department of the Maritimes”, as they were called, began agitating for a water supply not only for the fighting of fires but also for domestic purposes. After much opposition and controversy, the water was turned on in Sussex in 1901. The artist: Michael is a multi-talented artist whose skills have been used by some of the most recognised entertainment businesses in the world such as Paramount Pictures. He studied at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design focusing on printmaking and art history, later transferred to the Technical University of Nova Scotia after two years to study architecture. Since 1995, Michael has focused primarily on murals for commercial, institutional and residential clients. http://mjostudio.com/