Firsthand account of Port Colborne's Maple Leaf Mill fire, by survivor Neil Baarda
Dublin Core
Title
Firsthand account of Port Colborne's Maple Leaf Mill fire, by survivor Neil Baarda
Subject
Maple Leaf Mill fire
Description
Handwritten firsthand account of Port Colborne's Maple Leaf Mill fire, by survivor Neil Baarda.
The fire occurred at the mill on October 7, 1960. The transcribed text of Neil's note is as follows:
"Neil Baarda 23, Born 1940 January 12.
It happened on Friday October 7 (?). Maple Leaf Milling Co. fire. It was an awful experience for me for I finished working going for my lunch when it afired (?) it happened so quick that in one moment the whole room was lifted up with fire from one machine. The fire rolled upward like mushroom there was one man working on it he was right in the middle of it. I didn't know what really happened at first for I was laying flat on the floor. I think I was knocked down and was unconscious for a few (?). I stood up hearing others scream then I seen him in the middle of that fire. I ran up to him but he got out before I could reach him. Hollering and screaming from all side scared me. Then I got my head and started to try to get over the (?) to the feed plant. But the fire was too heavy so we could not get make it (?) so there I decided to go down the stairs it was hard for there were many holes where the flour bags go downstairs. But I knew the place well so I got some man following me. But there were some they went back to the shower room. The two of us reached the door I was kinda (?) scared to open the door for in case of fire to be on the other side but it was clear. It took us only a few seconds to get downstairs from the fourth floor. This fellow that I took down was well upset. He telling me 'Neil I am going to die.' The other went to the hospital and got looked after and could go home, the other six where serious, two were real bad. They were sent to Toronto Hospital. One of the two died there three days after the fire. It was an awful sight which I would never like to experience again. I will probably never forget that Friday evening of the Maple Leaf Fire."
Also included in the files:
The front page article from the October 8, 1960 edition of the Welland Tribune.
An article from the October 13, 1960 edition of the Welland Tribune showing 5 survivors being treated in hospital.
A clearer scan of Neil Baarda from the previous article.
Neil Baarda's obituary from the Dunnville Chronicle. Neil died October 14, 1963, only 3 years after the disaster. He must have written these memories in 1963 as well as he gives his age of 23 years old at the top of the note.
There were eight individuals who were injured or killed in the fire, listed below:
Luigi (Louis) Bernava
(b. 1935/36 – d. 1960)
Address in 1960: 367 Clarence St., Port Colborne
Gravesite: Italy
*Only person to die in immediate aftermath of incident
(Cornelis) Neil Baarda
(b. 1940 – d. 1963)
Address in 1960: RR5 Dunnville
Gravesite: https://canadianheadstones.ca/wp/headstone-vendor/?wpda_search_column_idperson=33169
Rheal Seguin
(b.? – d. 1993)
Address in 1960: 252 Chippawa Rd., Port Colborne
Louis Rogers
(b. 1939 – d. 2012)
Address in 1960: RR2 Wainfleet
Gravesite: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/186346645/louis-a.-rodgers
Rudolph (Rodolfo) John Palma
(b. 1935/36 – d. 2013-2024)
Address in 1960: 17 Knoll St., Port Colborne.
Gravesite: May have moved back to Italy when he was older, likely passed between 2013-2024
Martinho (Martenko) Di Sao Jose
(b. 1932/33 – d. ?)
Address in 1960: 189 Fares St., Port Colborne (same as Manuel P. Rodrigues)
Manuel P. Rodrigues
Address in 1960: 189 Fares St., Port Colborne (same as Martinho (Martenko) Di Sao Jose)
Gerard Marchand
(b. 1937)
Address in 1960: 92 James St., Port Colborne
The fire occurred at the mill on October 7, 1960. The transcribed text of Neil's note is as follows:
"Neil Baarda 23, Born 1940 January 12.
It happened on Friday October 7 (?). Maple Leaf Milling Co. fire. It was an awful experience for me for I finished working going for my lunch when it afired (?) it happened so quick that in one moment the whole room was lifted up with fire from one machine. The fire rolled upward like mushroom there was one man working on it he was right in the middle of it. I didn't know what really happened at first for I was laying flat on the floor. I think I was knocked down and was unconscious for a few (?). I stood up hearing others scream then I seen him in the middle of that fire. I ran up to him but he got out before I could reach him. Hollering and screaming from all side scared me. Then I got my head and started to try to get over the (?) to the feed plant. But the fire was too heavy so we could not get make it (?) so there I decided to go down the stairs it was hard for there were many holes where the flour bags go downstairs. But I knew the place well so I got some man following me. But there were some they went back to the shower room. The two of us reached the door I was kinda (?) scared to open the door for in case of fire to be on the other side but it was clear. It took us only a few seconds to get downstairs from the fourth floor. This fellow that I took down was well upset. He telling me 'Neil I am going to die.' The other went to the hospital and got looked after and could go home, the other six where serious, two were real bad. They were sent to Toronto Hospital. One of the two died there three days after the fire. It was an awful sight which I would never like to experience again. I will probably never forget that Friday evening of the Maple Leaf Fire."
Also included in the files:
The front page article from the October 8, 1960 edition of the Welland Tribune.
An article from the October 13, 1960 edition of the Welland Tribune showing 5 survivors being treated in hospital.
A clearer scan of Neil Baarda from the previous article.
Neil Baarda's obituary from the Dunnville Chronicle. Neil died October 14, 1963, only 3 years after the disaster. He must have written these memories in 1963 as well as he gives his age of 23 years old at the top of the note.
There were eight individuals who were injured or killed in the fire, listed below:
Luigi (Louis) Bernava
(b. 1935/36 – d. 1960)
Address in 1960: 367 Clarence St., Port Colborne
Gravesite: Italy
*Only person to die in immediate aftermath of incident
(Cornelis) Neil Baarda
(b. 1940 – d. 1963)
Address in 1960: RR5 Dunnville
Gravesite: https://canadianheadstones.ca/wp/headstone-vendor/?wpda_search_column_idperson=33169
Rheal Seguin
(b.? – d. 1993)
Address in 1960: 252 Chippawa Rd., Port Colborne
Louis Rogers
(b. 1939 – d. 2012)
Address in 1960: RR2 Wainfleet
Gravesite: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/186346645/louis-a.-rodgers
Rudolph (Rodolfo) John Palma
(b. 1935/36 – d. 2013-2024)
Address in 1960: 17 Knoll St., Port Colborne.
Gravesite: May have moved back to Italy when he was older, likely passed between 2013-2024
Martinho (Martenko) Di Sao Jose
(b. 1932/33 – d. ?)
Address in 1960: 189 Fares St., Port Colborne (same as Manuel P. Rodrigues)
Manuel P. Rodrigues
Address in 1960: 189 Fares St., Port Colborne (same as Martinho (Martenko) Di Sao Jose)
Gerard Marchand
(b. 1937)
Address in 1960: 92 James St., Port Colborne
Creator
Neil Baarda, Welland Tribune, Dunnville Chronicle
Source
Welland Public Library Local History Collection
Date
c. 1960
Contributor
Donated by Clarence Baarda
Rights
Access to these items is provided for educational and research purposes only. The user assumes responsibility for obtaining permission from the copyright holder to publish or distribute this content.
Format
Handwritten composition, newspaper articles
Language
English
Type
Text
Identifier
Clippings – Port Colborne Industry – Maple Leaf Mills
Coverage
Port Colborne
Collection
Citation
Neil Baarda, Welland Tribune, Dunnville Chronicle, “Firsthand account of Port Colborne's Maple Leaf Mill fire, by survivor Neil Baarda,” Welland Public Library, accessed April 16, 2026, https://wellandlibrary.omeka.net/items/show/9395.
Embed
Copy the code below into your web page