“I always said, if the International Plowing Match ever came close, I was going to plow,” Mr. Stafford said last week while putting the final touches on his antique plow.

Stafford is no stranger to plowing, having 40 years of plowing experience, it has earned him numerous trophies at local plowing matches.

From horses to modern tractors, the 64-year-old farm hand has plowed with them all but he said he prefers to plow with the antique.

Highway 301 under construction: Work on the northern part of Highway 301 has begun again after a one-year shut down.

Crews began working on the road south of Otter Lake on Sept. 14, said Ministry of Transport spokesperson Denis Carrier.

The 4.3 km. stretch will be under construction from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday.

At times the road will be reduced to one lane while the highway is being completely rebuilt.

This includes making the curves less sharp to ensure greater road safety.

Crews are working around the clock to get as much done before the frost comes, Mr. Carrier says.

Sept. 24, 1969

50 Years Ago

Last waybills: Read the origanal text below.

Pontiac rejects regional government wishes to remain intact as county: At the quarterly meeting of the council of the county of Pontiac, it was moved by Shawville Mayor Orla Young and seconded by Onslow South Mayor Kenneth Bronson, that this county does not favour regional government and that we wish to remain intact as a county. Motion carried unanimously by the the twenty mayors present.

The draft of the Outaouais Regional Community Act No. 201 was discussed and it was discovered that none of the municipalities of Pontiac county wished to become part of the present proposal.

Mayor Elsie Gibbons of Portage du Fort moved that the next meeting to hear explanations of the Act.

Sept. 28, 1944

75 Years Ago

Local news: Tornado causes extensive damage in Shawville and district north of village: outbuildings of Lendon Workman and Herman Emmerson in path of twister. Extensive damage was caused in Shawville and the district north of Charteris section in Clarendon township at 2:30 Thursday afternoon of last week, when a tornado of terrific violence roared out of the southwest following an electric storm.

Following along Centre St. south, it caused damage to the residences of C.N. Woodley, James Connolly, Langford Strutt, Elwood Sharpe, Mrs. E. Wall, Elwood Cameron and Mrs. Andrew Hodgins. In this area, windows were smashed, chimneys and sheds blown down.

The full fury of the twister centred on Victoria Ave. where tall Carolina poplar trees line the roadway on both sides. Most of these were uprooted breaking large sections out of the cement sidewalk in several places.

The tornado cut a swath through a maple bush purchased a few years ago by J.M. Argue from the Jas. L. Shaw Estate, to the 7th line of Clarendon, where a high steel transmission tower of the Gatineau Power Co. was turned over and twisted beyond repair.

In the high school, windows were broken and all the trees in front of the building were uprooted. One tree fell across the car of Mervyn Thompson of Zion, with which his son, Neil had driven to school. The body of the car was crushed down to the seat cushions but the car moved on its own power after the street had been cleared.

The twister cut into the buildings of Lendon Workman and wrecked every one of them except his residence and a small frame granary which was very badly twisted.

In the Charteris section all the buildings on the farm of Herman Emmerson were wrecked except his home.

Gangs worked all Thursday night to clear the streets and to open up traffic to the hospital, aided by bulldozers. Other gangs of electric and telephone workers are trying to restore normal conditions on their lines.

Fortunately no injuries have been reported although there were a number of narrow escapes.

Sept. 18, 1919

100 Years Ago

Local news: Winnifred Hamilton, second daughter of Mr. R.J. Hamilton, was taken to the hospital on Thursday morning last to undergo an operation for appendicitis. The operation, we are pleased to report, was successful.

Mr. John M. Alexander, expert “movie” photographer was in town on Friday night last and spent an hour or so in adjusting the local picture machine with good results. John is now employed by the government at a lucrative salary, in taking views of which are used in advertising the natural resources of the country.

Ad: We have just received a large shipment of Victor records and needles. Be sure and see our exhibit at the Shawville Fair.

Mr. Harry Millar who returned a short time ago from his annual fishing trip with a small party who visit some lakes lying somewhat north of Baskatong, reports that this year the party did not see a single moose, something very unusual, as other years the sight of several daily was not uncommon. Mr. Millar later got an explanation from a friend which no doubt accounts for the disappearance of the “King of the Forest” from his customary haunts in the particular section of the provincial domain. The explanation was that someone up in that country had during the year slaughtered 18 moose and had taken only the hides, leaving the carcasses to rot in the woods and this chap was not the only offender.

The fact that the moose were not to be seen is pretty good evidence that they do not exist in that region, and the fact that those responsible have escaped punishment is also a good indication that no attempt is made to see that the game law are respected.

Large quantities of Canadian and American bacon sent to England on the order of the British food controller is reported to have gone to waste on the docks, owing to the terribly congested.

Sept. 20, 1894

125 Years Ago

Local News: Mr. A.G. Cameron of Fort Coulonge, superintendent of fire district No. 1 on the Upper Ottawa has just returned from a trip over his district in the course of which he and an Indian travelled over 100 miles in a canoe. He says not one fire occurred in his district this season.

Messrs. Wm. and J.J. Hodgins have sold their 12 horse power threshing mill to Messrs. Wm. Corrigan and A. Elliott.

The seventh annual fair of the Central Canada Exhibition Association which opens this week promises to be the most successful in the history of the association.

The Chapeau Bridge Repairing Company Committee takes this means of publicly tendering its thanks to Mr. W.J. Poupore, Esq. for having procured from the Quebec government the sum of $600 towards the Chapeau bridge.

Ad: Tea, I have just received a lot of new teas. First garden pickings of the season’s crop. Bought before the war commenced. Get a sample. J.H. Shaw.

All of the boys around here are preparing for the shanty, some of them are gone.

During the past week this dreaded scourge has made itself alarmingly and painfully felt within the premises of the village. In the form of membranous croup invaded the home of Mr. G. F. Hodgins and carried off his only remaining child, a little boy about 15 months old on Friday night.

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