Donald
Teuma-Castelletti
SHAWVILLE
June 29, July 1, 2018
Soap box races, an annual flea market, meals and a parade helped mark Shawville’s Canada Day fun, as many parts of the community worked hard to make sure everything came together.
Events started on Friday, with young racers employing gravity as their engines in the annual soap box derby. Organized by the Shawville-Clarendon Fire Department, the race saw children let loose from the back of a flatbed truck, competing in drag races down the incline of avenue Victoria.
Divided amongst three age categories – four to six, seven to nine, and 10 to 12 – the racers donned their helmets and took off in close competitions.
Much delight came to the crowd when the youngest racers often neglected the use of their brakes, forcing the firefighters playing guard at the end to stop them forcefully. With a few close calls, the drivers could all be proud to say there were no accidents as they kept themselves mostly on the road.

Each age bracket had two divisions, and four winners. For the youngest, Brendan Maloney placed first and Campbell Johnston second in the A division, and Max Barber was first while Graham Vereyken took second in the B. For the middle age bracket, A division saw Pierce Rusenstrom in second and Chloe Trudeau in first, with Gabrielle Keller second and Mason Vereyken first in the B division. The oldest crowd saw William O’Malley take second in the A, with Cassidy Dresselt in first, and Bennett Rusenstrom in second for the B and Nathan Draper taking first.
Helping make the event affordable to local families, Greg Hayes provided all the trophies for the winners, while Frank Stafford paid for all the children’s entry fees.
Shawville continued their patriotic party on Sunday, when the Lions Hall played host to a community breakfast. The Shawville Lions Club, with the assistance of the local Lionettes, served up pancakes, eggs, ham and beans, attracting a crowd of folks sporting their best red and white ensembles.
With John Carmichael and Denzil Yach organizing the breakfast, guests knew they were in for a hearty start to their day of festivities.
“They take care of everything here, they make sure it all works out,” said Lion Paul Shields.
Downstairs, the annual Canada Flea Market filled the arena for the 10th year running, continuing to raise money for the Shawville Hospital Fund. This year, despite being down in the number of vendors, the initial crowd was their biggest yet, before the rest of the day quieted down as it grew hotter.
“We usually have a huge, steady crowd from nine o’clock when we open till two or so,” said organizer Chris Beimers. “This year with the heat, by noon hour it was pretty quiet, but we were busier than usual right off the start. I think everybody was trying to beat the heat so they came here right away.”
Despite this, Beimers was proud to share that their total fundraising has continued to grow upon the previous year’s total. After an initial count, their fundraising was just over $4,600 between their silent auction, 50/50 and other fundraising efforts.
A notable area of the market was dedicated in memorial of one long-time vendor, who had been with it since the beginning – Fred Desabrais. Beimers and his wife, co-organizer Melanie Duchesne, decided it was only right to reserve his three spots at the market, complete with a table and some decorations to signify it.
“He always rented three spots off us and at the end of every Canada Day, he reserved for the next year right off the bat because he always did well here,” said Beimers. “He was well-known, so before we opened, with all the vendors, we had a moment of silence to recognize him.”
While the flea market ran through till 4 p.m., a crowd was already formed along Main Street an hour before that, in anticipation of the parade. With so much red and white along the sidewalks, it’s a surprise there were many left to fill the parade, but nonetheless, floats, walkers and vehicles of all sorts made their way through town.
While Simon Clarke entertained in front of the library, he switched chords to signify the coming parade, warming up their pride with a rendition of “O Canada.” Kids raced for candy and ice pops tossed to them, while everyone sought out friends aboard the floats rolling by.
Another event organized by the Shawville Lions Club, President James Howard said he’s always impressed with the community’s dedication to the event.
“They work tremendously hard, it takes a lot of organization, but it seems to come off,” he said.
Finally, another community meal took place at the Shawville Fairgrounds, where Big Red Barbeque were roasting skewers of pork. While they served beef sandwiches all through the afternoon, Kyle Miller and his crew endured the extreme heat all day in preparation for the hungry crowds.
Meanwhile, the 4H Club held their own barbeque, offering simpler options like hot dogs and ice cream from their booth.
Of course, what kind of Canada Day party would it be without fireworks? Shawville wrapped up the hot day with a cool evening, and a nighttime show lighting up the sky.