After mass a commemorative oak tree was planted on the church grounds in honour of the Sisters of St. Joseph who have been in Chapeau 75 years, assisting the parish and teaching school.

Rivers Festival raises profile of Pontiac’s tourism potential: Organizers counted 470 people at the beach on Sunday of the third annual Pontiac Rivers Festival.

The event put on by the Friends of the Pontiac’s Rivers is intended not only to raise interest in the organization but to raise awareness in the rivers of the area.

“We have some of the best whitewater in the entire world right here in our back yard,” Jim Coffey, head of the Esprit Rafting Company of Davidson told the festival crowd.

A variety of races were run on the Coulonge River during the day, including the favourite pointer boat races.

Aug. 25,1971

50 Years Ago

Two and a half million for Pontiac roads: Jean Guy Lariviere has announced that the government of Quebec has budgeted to spend two and a half million dollars on roads in Pontiac county during the year from March 1971 to March 1972.

The list of road work which has been completed is now in progress and is still to be done under the two and a half million dollar budget includes the following:

Continuation of the Payette construction contract on Route 8 which bypasses Quyon.

Resurfacing six miles of Number 8 around Bryson and Vinton.

Widening of the highway at the entrance to Fort Coulonge and other road projects.

Bryson Mosquitos in provincial quarter finals: On Saturday the Bryson Mosquitos team left at 6 a.m. with twenty fans for Lorrainville some 250 miles away.

Pontiac Bus Line arranged for a bus and since the rate was on a per mile basis, offered a maximum price based on 220 miles.

The Bryson Lions Club then offered to pay the remaining price of the bus after spectator fares and donations had been calculated costing them about $180.

Kerry Davis was the winning pitcher with fifteen strike outs. The other plays were made with a tag-out at third and forced out at home and first base. One comment coming back was that the boys were “up” for the game and that Lorrainville just couldn’t quell their enthusiasm.

Aug. 22,1946

75 Years Ago

Local News: Dr. and Mrs. C.F.C. Powles entertained the members of the Pontiac Medical Association at their cottage Friday evening.

Hospital report for the month of July, a new record high for the total hospital days, being 755, thus making a daily average of 24.35.

There were 22 patients in residence July1, 84 patients admitted, thus 106 patients treated in the month of July. 80 patients discharged. Number of patients remaining in residence Aug. 1 were 26. There were 2,850 meals served. 10 major operations, 31 minor operations, 6 outdoor cases, 22 maternity.

The 65 scholars enrolled in the Vacation Bible School held in Starks Corners Hall for two weeks completed their course on Friday with 55 receiving diplomas for attendance and excellent work done.

Spectators have been on hand in Greermount to view the progress made by a 10-ton bulldozer engaged by Clif Atkinson in making a one mile stretch of road through his bush lot to enable him to truck several hundred logs now on skids. Road repair will be done by this same “dozer” on a mile or more of main road starting at the “Shop Hill” and leading south.

Automobile clubs in the United States have been engaged in a most praiseworthy campaign to impress upon motorists the value of courtesy in “dipping their lights,” with very satisfactory results, says the Guelph Mercury. Here in Canada it is a courtesy that is seldom extended. This is not required by law, but is believed that if the appeal is properly presented to Canadian motorists, it will not require a law to make it a general practice.

Shawville Fair dates, Sept. 19, 20, 21 does not clash dates with Renfrew or other Ottawa Valley Fairs this year, although there are ten valley fairs in the three weeks before, during and after our fair.

Membership tickets which are $2 each will admit one person and a car or other vehicle at the gate day and evening, both days.

Aug. 11,1921

100 Years Ago

Local News: Eight of the St. Paul’s Tuxis boys spent eight happy and memorable days at Norway Bay recently. The rector was spending his holiday at this resort which enabled him to give personal oversight to the Tuxis camp which was composed of three nicely arranged tents under picturesque shady pines.

Slight frosts were reported in different parts of this district on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings last week. No damage that we have heard of.

Camp meetings under the auspices of the Standard Church of America to be held in Mr. Hodgins’ grove (north of the railroad track) commencing from Sunday to Sunday Aug. 21. Bishop Horner will be in charge.

Dr. Schachter, dentist, has removed his place of residence from Norway Bay to Shawville and commencing Saturday, his office will be found in the Pontiac House where suitable rooms have been procured.

Two men paid the extreme penalty for the murder of Leonard Cecil Sabine. All efforts to secure executive clemency failed. Both men went to the gallows with sealed lips, and thus, which of the two who fired thee fatal shot that killed Sabine remains a mystery.

Mr. Louis Schroeder who some time ago disposed of his farm in Thorne and intends leaving for Saskatchewan next week, gave a farewell dance to his numerous friends at the Thorne Centre school house last Friday evening and the response to the invitations given out was remarkable, people coming from all quarters of the surrounding neighbourhood, also from Otter Lake, Ross, Shawville, Quyon and even from Ottawa.

The school house, a fairly large building, was much too small to accommodate the crowd but as the night was exceptionally fine, no discomfiture was felt by the overflow who assembled in groups outside till opportunity presented itself to join in the busy mazes of the festive dance.

Aug. 20,1896

125 Years Ago

Local News: The completion of the new tug-boat at Quyon has been delayed owing to late arrival of the machinery. It will be the end of the month before it will be ready to begin work.

On Saturday afternoon an emery wheel in the P.P.J. Railway workshops at Aylmer, revolving 150 revolutions a minute, broke and flew in to a score of pieces. One of the pieces struck William Pothier who was standing in the door of the shop, fearfully lacerating his arm below the elbow.

The Bishop of Montreal will be present at both services at St. Paul’s church on Sunday next.

Gillies Bros. are sending gangs of men to their Bear Creek and Kippewa limits this week. From what we can learn the firm have not yet decided to carry on any lumbering on Coulonge next winter.

Last week, Mr. F. Cote established telephonic communication between Quyon station and the village, a distance of one mile. The connection is made over a line of first class poles strung with copper wire.

Mr. Thomas Lunam, agent for Gillies Bros. met with an accident on the Temiscamingue Railway near Gordon Creek on Tuesday afternoon which culminated in his death on Wednesday morning. No particulars of the accident have been received as we go to press further than that both Mr. Lunam’s legs were taken off by the train and that he was immediately brought back to Mattawa for treatment at the hospital where he expired as above recorded.

A very destructive fire occurred at Deschene village on Wednesday last whereby eleven houses were destroyed and 56 people left homeless.

The average speed of a carrier pigeon in calm weather, is 1,210 yards a minute. With a strong wind in the direction of flight, some pigeons have made 1,980 yards a minute.

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