Dec. 3,1997
25 Years Ago
Canadian Tire store begins anew: To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports in July of the death of the Canadian Tire store were greatly exaggerated. Exaggerated only because the Canadian Tire Corporation under-estimated the dedication and persistence some people will apply towards a goal.
In the age of “super” or “big box” stores, the 2,500 square foot store on Main Street was declared outside the new vision of Canadian Tire Corporation.
Thanks to a committee of local community leaders, headed by Carson Hodgins, Royce Richardson and Albert Armstrong and Renfrew Canadian Tire store owner Bill Kenopic, the Shawville outlet was saved by setting it up as a satellite of the Renfrew store.
The new store has about 9,000 square feet of retail space. There is also a three-bay service garage, a warehouse . . .
and space for an expanded garden centre next spring.
At the ribbon cutting of Shawville’s new store were Carson Hodgins, Shawville Mayor Albert Armstrong, Clarendon Mayor Jack Lang, store manager Brent Belsher, owner Bill Kenopic, Ann Kenopic and Darlene Judd.
Denault hosts video release party: Although Nancy Denault’s video has been playing on the Country Music Network at least twice a day for the past month, many of her friends and fans had never seen it.
That was, until last Friday when the Fort Coulonge native hosted a video release party for West of Everything.
Because CMT isn’t available in Fort Coulonge, many of Denault’s friends and family saw the video for the first time. About 250 people filled St. Peter’s Parish Hall in Fort Coulonge to see the video which was shot in Vancouver last August.
Dec. 13, 1972
50 Years Ago
B of M staff wins Hilton Mine award in Shawville parade: The Santa Claus parade in Shawville brought out twenty one entries last Saturday. The HIlton Mine Trophy went to the staff of the Bank of Montreal Shawville Branch for their excellent portrayal of an old fashioned Christmas, perfect in every detail of furnishings and dress.
Cash prizes were paid by the Shawville Municipal Council to the J.R. Shop for their Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs float and to Pontiac Community Hospital and St. Paul’s Study Group who each entered a nativity scene.
After the parade, a Christmas party at the arena included Santa Claus for the kiddies, candies for all children sponsored by Shawville council, the United Steelworkers Local 5656 and the Shawville Lions Club; and free skating on the rink during the afternoon.
Every snowmobile club in Pontiac – phone in now!: Bill Burke of Quyon has been appointed by Pontiac County Council to make arrangements through the government for grants to snowmobile clubs wishing to improve and maintain their trails this winter.
He must have a list of all county clubs immediately. The information is absolutely essential to the furtherance of the proposed project.
Dec. 18, 1947
75 Years Ago
Missing from our files
Dec. 7,1922
100 Years Ago
Local news: In furtherance of the proposition outlined in the notice of motion given by Councillor J.L. Hodgins at the November meeting of the village council, in regard to procuring a water supply for the corporation, Mr. J.D. McCrea, hydraulic engineer of Ottawa on the invitation of council came up and looked over the situation on Thursday last and gave it as his opinion that the Shaw’s Lake scheme was preferable to the alternative of taking water from Mill Creek where the danger of contamination was greater, provided of course, the lake would be equal to the drain which would be made upon it. In order to ascertain this he advised that a test be made by installing a pump and operating it for a given time, and carefully noting the extent for the shrinkage in the water thus resulting.
Ad: For Christmas gifts: collar and cuff sets, children’s woolen goods, hand embroidered dresses, fancy handkerchiefs, fancy hand bags, fancy aprons, embroidered goods, camisoles and boudoir caps, etc. Mrs. L. Kelley, Centre Street.
New blacksmith shop at Bristol: Messrs. Lorne Lester and Percy Armitage wish to inform the people of Bristol that they have opened up a blacksmith shop in Bristol Corners and are prepared to do all kinds of blacksmithing and horse shoeing.
Dec. 16,1897
125 Years Ago
Local news: An estimate of the lumber cut in the Ottawa Valley during the season puts it at about seven hundred and twenty-four million feet, which is somewhat more than last year, the increase being due to heavier cuts by the St. Anthony Lumber Company and several other manufacturers.
The amount of milk received at the Elmside cheese factory during the season was 714,927 pounds.
Those who had stored away their summer conveyances thinking, no doubt, they had seen the last of the old brown earth for some months to come, awoke on Saturday morning to find they had been seriously mistaken in their calculations, as the very generous mantle of snow, which covered the hills and dales 24 hours previously, and which made sleighing comparatively good and business boom for a few days, had entirely disappeared and in its stead, mud, dirty, sloppy mud, everywhere prevailed.
The Department of Marine and Fisheries is making arrangements for having the noon gun at Ottawa fired directly from Montreal after the first of January. Instead of a ball being dropped and then the gun fired by a man, as is done at present, shortly before noon each day a fuse will be placed in the gun and electrically connected with McGill College, where a button will be pressed at noon and the gun in Ottawa will “go bang”, as the children say.
The revivals at Knox’s settlement closed on Monday morning. Mr. Coleman has gone to Lake Dore; Misses Ostrom and Thomson to Calumet Island. Miss Perron, we have been told, is going to assist Rev. Mr. Knox in the meetings at Radford.
The windows of some of our mercantile establishments present a very tasty and attractive appearance these days, adorned with a variety of seasonable Christmas novelties and furnishing a fair index to the abundance of choice goods to be found within.
Alphonse Cyr, Ottawa, who was taken to the Water Street Hospital on Monday of last week, succumbed to lockjaw on Friday. Deceased was employed in J.R. Booth’s mill. It was while working there that he had a nail run into his foot. He leaves a widow and six children.
Mr. P.C. Dumais, civil engineer of Hull, has returned from Baie des Peres. He reports trade very brisk in the Temiscamingue district. Shanties are in full operation and the prospects are very good for first class winter trade in the various centres of the district. Mr. Lacouture, ex-M.P. for Richelieu, has brought 15 families from Sorel to settle in the district. He intends bringing fifty more in the spring. Colonization is also progressing very well.
Waltham reports quite a fall of snow Saturday, making good sleighing which was badly needed. It was reported that two young ladies who went to Westmeath on a visit to friends, were disappointed on returning to the ferry to find the Ottawa River frozen sufficiently to prevent it from crossing. Nevertheless, not easily discouraged, and wishing to meet friends at Coulonge according to appointment, returned by Lapasse, arriving home Monday night in good spirits, having enjoyed themselves to their hearts content.
A very strong deputation waited on the Ontario government last week to urge the necessity of enacting legislation that would prevent the exportation of logs from Canada, with a view to off-setting the heavy duties imposed by the United States on Canadian manufactured lumber.
Ad: Your Christmas dinner is no doubt interesting you. Read our list of delicacies required to make it palatable: raisins, currants, peels, flavourings, apples, oranges, candies, nuts, cheese, figs, dates, prunes, unfermented wines, marmalades, Jamieson’s choice fruit cake in one and two pound packages. G.F. Hodgins.
