June 5,1996
25 Years Ago
Amalgamate or pay the price-QC: The Quebec Ministry of Municipal Affairs confirmed that seven municipalities in Pontiac will be urged to amalgamate.
The government has decided that municipalities of Shawville and Clarendon should . . .
become one. It has made the same recommendation for Mansfield and Fort Coulonge.
At present, Quebec is made up of 1,441 municipalities. 200 of these have populations below 2,000.
In an effort to streamline local government and eliminate duplication, Municipal Affairs picked 416 municipalities that could benefit from amalgamation, 37 of these are in the Outaouais.
Wood sculptor joins Artists’ Studio Tour: “My whole house is like a growing sculpture,” says wood artist Richard Blais.
This makes his home the perfect addition to the Pontiac Artists’ Studio Tour. Blais is the newest member to join the studio tour.
His work ranges from practical items like elaborate mailboxes and bird feeders, to more fanciful items like a wooden suitcase with sculputures inside.
The Pontiac Artists’ Studio Tour invites the public into the home studios of eight artists and writers to see their work displayed in its natural setting.
June 9,1971
50 Years Ago
Bryson walkers earn $1,840: The Bryson Recreation Association Walkathon was a great success. Mr. G. Bujold was the director in charge of the walkathon for the time and effort spent in making it a success. The total receipts of the walkathon were $1,840.60.
There was a very enthusiastic crowd. The “Bryson Buckaroos”, Mrs. J. Sicard on drum, Mrs. J. Proulx on accordion, Mrs. Ed Gutoskie, conductor, and Baby Sicard flag man, encouraged the walkers on their last strides.
End of an Era: After 80 years, the position of sheriff of Pontiac is now a part of history.
In 1891 when the first court house was completed in Bryson, Simon McNally was first appointed to that position. That was in the day when Pontiac extended from Eardley at the Ottawa River and went all the way to James Bay, according to historian James McCuaig.
After McNally came Bernard J. Sloan, known far and wide as Barney Sloan and who was sheriff for seventeen years until he died and his nephew Dominic Sloan took over the job.
Dominic had the job for a total of 27 years, interrupted only by a short term as sherriff by Charles Belec from 1936 to 39.
When Dominic Sloan died in 1961, his son Joseph Sloan became Deptuy Sherriff and was confirmed in office as County Sherriff in 1962. As the last Sherriff of Pontiac, the final representative of a passing era, Sherriff Joe rose to fame in 1967 when he took a covered wagon from Campbell’s Bay to Montreal and Expo. As the last of an illustrious line of horse and buggy sherriffs, Joe completed most of his county work using an automobile but reverted to the more picturesque way of going for his famous centennial trip.
June 6,1946
75 Years Ago
Local News: The members of the Household Science classes of Shawville High School under the leadership of their teacher, Miss Rosmond Smith, were hostesses to between forty and fifty guests at an exhibit and afternoon tea in the school on Friday May 31 from 3 to 5 in the afternoon. Many favourable comments on the sewing displayed were expressed by the mothers present.
Shawville High School held its annual Public speaking Contest for the Student Council Trophy on Monday afternoon in the Theatre. Finalists were Marilyn Hodgins, Iva Robinson, Dorothy Schwartz, Fay McDowell, Hughie Horner, Jimmie Prendergast, Harland Moffat and Alan Young. The winners of the trophy were Dorothy Schwartz and Harland Moffat.
Newspapers in Western Canada and United States face newsprint shortage as 50,000 members of International Woodworkers of America threaten to strike for 12 1/2 cents an hour.
The Canadian government cannot amend the constitution without previous approval by all provinces, Premier Maurice Duplessis of Quebec said in a statement made public Friday at the legislature buildings.
A petition was received at Shawville council from numerous owners of homes asking that they might secure a water supply. This was placed on file to be attended to as soon as the necessary material and labour could be obtained.
Hospital report for May: patients treated in May: 99; number of discharges: 80; number of patients June 1: 19. Total hospital days: 721. Daily average of 23 patients: major operations: 6; minor operations: 9; maternity: 15; outdoor: 7.
Ad: The only remedy for hunger is food! The most efficient way in which we can send increased bulk shipments of wheat, meat, cheese and eggs to needy countries is through the Canadian government food boards. These increased bulk shipments can only be made providing we reduce our own consumption. Here are five important ways by which we can make greater quantites of food available for export:
1) buy and use less bread, flour and other wheat products, meat, cheese and eggs, substitute vegetables, fruit and fish where possible.
2) keep your home stocks low, buy only enough for immediate requirements.
3) avoid all waste.
4) grow a victory garden again this year. Plant more this time if you can.
5) donate any meat coupons you can spare. Inquire at your local ration board.
June 2,1921
100 Years Ago
Local News: Victory Day was pretty generally observed as a holiday in Shawville, business places with a few exceptions being closed; yet there were no evidences of a local celebration but on the contrary the town was particularly quiet, and the reason for this was that the majority of the young people with a liberal sprinkling of the older heads, sought amusement in other places. The customary fishing expeditions planned for this holiday, each succeeding year were carried out as usual and on so extensive a scale that scarcely a trout hole, pool or lake in the back country was honoured with a try-out by an ardent devotee of the rod some time during the day.
Another party, composed of members of the Anglican Young People’s Club, and other friends, enjoyed a motor trip to the Calumet Slides and spent the afternoon viewing the rugged land and waterscape presented at that interesting spot, once the scene of much activity at this season of the year, when the square timber traffic of the Ottawa was at its zenith.
A few of the town young folk attended the opening dance at the Scobie House on the evening of the 24th.
The taking of the sixth decennial census of the Dominion of Canada began on June 1. It is a big undertaking, embracing not only the enumeration of the inhabitants of the country, their origin, religion, etc. but also a record of their industrial activities, whether of the farm, the factory or the shop.
Both in the United States and Canada the prices of butter, cheese, eggs, live stock and its products have taken a decided tumble within the last week or two.
A Perth shoemaker is entitled to the credit of capturing a burglar, who a day or two previously robbed several business places in Almonte. Possibly the Knight of the Last had wax on his fingers, thus enabling him to get a death grip of the criminal as he tried to escape through a window.
June 11,1896
125 Years Ago
Local News: The village of Bryson is all alive just now with politics. It looks very much as if Mr. Poupore is going to be our next member, at any rate he has your correspondent’s best wishes. The wearing of campaign buttons and other election favours is becoming quite common in Canada but our friends should remember that it is an offence against the election law to wear a ribbon, button or other favours representing any candidate within eight days of an election.
The thunderstorm of Saturday afternoon last which swept down the Ottawa River and which was only slightly felt in this neighbourhood was responsible for the death of two young men at Quyon boom. The men who met their fate with such awful suddenness were Nathaniel McNeil of Bristol and Frank Ferrier of Mechanicsville, both aged 17 years.
Nelson Landry of Ottawa had his foot pierced by a rusty nail and died three days afterwards from blood poisoning.
Oats are now down to the low price of 20 cents per bushel in Pontiac and as a consequence, farmers complain that it is hard to make anything out of the soil, considering that they have to pay $18 per month for hired help.
The other day, says the Arnprior Chronicle, a citizen traded horses three times. In the evening he had fifty dollars more than in the morning, a new suit of clothes and a better horse than he had at the outset.
