Tantramar Marsh loses another hay barn

People living near the Tantramar Marsh are mourning the loss of a landmark barn.

The Vernacular hay barn on Jolicoeur Road was destroyed by fire earlier this week.

"It was just dusk," said Thaddeus Holownia.

"It was a giant flaming framework silhouetted in the night of a barn. And the barn was basically full-on burning down. Yeah, quite sad."

At one time, 369 barns dotted the Tantramar Marsh.

The 8,000 hectares of pasture and hay fields on the marsh were once called the World's Largest Hay Field and hay was exported across the country and as far away as the West Indies.

Today, 11 hay barns remain.

"There are none, I don't think now that are being used, so who knows now how long they are going to last," said Holownia.

The barns are more than just a part of the landscape for Holownia.

"They were a great inspiration for my photography when I was working on my Dykelands book," said Holownia, who is the head of the fine arts department at Mount Allison University and whose photographic prints and bookworks have been aquired by a number of galleries, including the National Gallery of Canada.

The Vernacular barn's owner said it has been in the family for more generations and was at least 100 years old.