From a doomed church, a 136-year-old story of vaccine mandates and resistance – CBC

Piece of newsprint found in N.B. church tells a familiar story of unrest during a smallpox outbreak in 1885

Feb 02, 2022

A 136-year-old piece of newsprint discovered under unusual circumstances highlights public health challenges that have been renewed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The clipping details a push to get Montreal school children vaccinated against smallpox at a time when vaccine mandates were sparking violent riots, despite the disease killing thousands in Quebec.

The page from the now-defunct Montreal Herald is believed to have been printed in August 1885. It was found while crews were demolishing the St. Clement’s Catholic Church in the southwestern New Brunswick village of McAdam last December, said Dave Essensa, who worked as project manager on the demolition.

The single sheet of newsprint was discoloured with age and burnt around the edges when it was found on the wet, slushy ground.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/newspaper-smallpox-1885-vaccine-1.6335345