The Town of Harbour Breton will be marking the 50th anniversary of a landslide which claimed the lives of four children and changed the town forever.

On August 1, 1973 following several weeks of heavy rain, a torrent of debris roared down from a gully above the community at 3:00 in the morning. Four houses were swept into the harbour and four children—Pauline, Edward, Timothy and Julia Hickey, ages eight, seven, five and four—were killed. All were from the family of Jack and Olive Hickey.

There were 14 survivors.

The youngest Hickey child—Cavell, who was 21 months old—was trapped when the water and mud forced her crib into the attic of the house. Rescuers heard her cries and reached her by cutting a hole in the roof.

Following the disaster, several other homes were relocated, and a ban on development in the landslide area was implemented.

A monument was erected near the Hickey house on the landslide site in 1997.