May 14,1997
25 Years Ago
Musical performance in St. Pierre’s Church: The music of Franz Schubert resonated in the chapel of St. Pierre’s Church, Fort Coulonge in celebration of the musician’s 200th birthday on Friday evening.
The Singers Storybook, an ensemble of vocal chamber musicians, created a delicate blend of . . .
narration and music to reveal the composer’s life.
The ensemble was made up of five vocalists with lengthy credentials in music. They were Ruth Barrie, contralto, Dillon Parmer, tenor, Denis Lawlor, baritone, Heather Dufault and Paul Quick, sopranos.
Mud plentiful for ATVers: Showers Friday and Saturday ensured that the Pontiac Trail Riders’ ATV Mud Run indeed had mud.
Over 60 ATVers participated in the 4th annual mud run held between Otter Lake and Campbell’s Bay. Leaving the Nature Bar north of Otter Lake at 9 a.m., riders rode cross-country, lunching in the bush and returning in the afternoon for a well earned meal and beverage again at the Nature Bar.
Organizers Roy Pilon and John Morin were pleased with the event’s participation with drivers coming from as far away as Carleton Place.
May 17, 1972
50 Years Ago
Four local OFY projects accepted: Sixteen Opportunities for Youth projects have been accepted for the West Quebec area, including four in Pontiac County.
Social improvement and study projects include a survey of employment prospects, an anti-pollution campaign, both in the Outaouais region which includes the five counties of Pontiac, Papineau, Labelle, Hull and Gatineau, a centre for youth activities and information on drugs at Maniwaki and a project in Shawville to collect and classify historic documents for the local history section in the town library.
Also included are recreational and cultural projects as well as projects of a touristic value.
Fort Coulonge under “civil protection” with help of QPF: Everyone and his mother visited Fort Coulonge on Mother’s Day weekend to see all the excitement brought on by the flooding of Coulonge River. But to the townspeople there, it wasn’t all that exciting. In fact the hardships, personal losses and inconveniences became serious as waters rose and still rise as of today.
The Quebec government Department of Natural Resources engineers who visited Fort Coulonge by helicopter, have been examining the situation and word has come that ice and snow a hundred miles up the river is largely to blame for the situation. Logs above the dams are causing water to spill over the dam tops and the breaking of a boom at the chute has caused a tremendous jam of logs right at Fort Coulonge village.
May 29, 1947
75 Years Ago
Local news: A Girl Guide rally of the Ottawa Valley Division was held at the exhibition grounds where the companies were brought to order for inspection by the Divisional Commissioner, Mrs. C. Randell.
Following the ceremonies, the afternoon was spent in demonstrations, games and sing-songs. At 5 p.m. in the Masonic Hall, a delicious supper was served by the local association and mothers of the Shawville Guides.
A program of choral speaking, rhythm band, vocal and instrumental numbers was given by pupils of Shawville High School at the May meeting of the Home and School Association in the United Church Hall on Wednesday evening.
Pontiac Lodge, A.F. and A.M. No. 40, Shawville, observed the 75th anniversary of its inception with a banquet in the spacious dining room of Pine Lodge, Bristol with a crowd of three hundred in attendance.
St. Stephens annual church and cemetery bee took place on Saturday with perfect weather yet a smaller attendance than of last year. Wood which had been felled at an earlier date, was piled in the shed for winter use. This wood was taken from the grove at the back of the church which required thinning. Other tasks were done and refreshments were served at noon.
Ad: We wish to announce that our Ice Cream Parlour in connection with our grocery, is now open. Try our service for ice cream, cool drinks, tobaccos and cigarettes.
Heatless summer: A new government order went into effect in Britain banning the use of gas or electricity for heating residential quarters until Sept. 30 and the use of any kind of fuel to heat non-residential premises until Oct. 31.
Ad: a glue strong enough to hold a 100,000 pound locomotive has been invented. We hope no one ever sits down on any.
May 11,1922
100 Years Ago
Local news: Dr. Dan Smith of Ottawa came up by Sunday’s train to perform an operation on Miss Marcella Hodgins, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Hodgins of Yarm, who is ill with pleuro-pneumonia.
Mr. Jas. Judd of Yarm section, went to Ottawa on Saturday to accompany his daughter home from hospital where she had undergone an operation for appendicitis some weeks ago. Her case was a serious one and relatives and friends feel thankful that she has so far recovered as to be enabled to return home.
Ad: House-cleaning time is painting time…let us make a few suggestions in the paint and varnish line. J.D. Caldwell.
Plans are being formulated to bring out a number of Dutch farmers this summer to relieve the labour shortage which is a drawback to harvesting operations in the West nearly every season and which has resulted in many thousands of dollars worth of grain being destroyed.
Several qualified Protestant teachers wanted for the school municipality of Clarendon.
The abnormal high water in the Coulonge River this year was responsible for the breaking away of the dam and part of the slide at High Falls and the escape of between 75,000 and 100,000 logs which were carried into the Ottawa River and will now be milled at Ottawa. About half of the Davidson cut of logs for the season was included in this bunch, which means that their mill at Coulonge will only be able to run about three months this year.
May 13,1897
125 Years Ago
Local News: Owing to the tremendous storm of wind on Lake Deschene several days ago, the boom holding the logs of Klock Bros. was broken and 4,500 logs that were to have been sawed at Aylmer went down the river. The waves were from four to five feet high.
A little Scotch boy of seven or eight years, who had traveled alone from Scotland arrived at Eganville by the C.P.R. train on Tuesday evening of last week. He had a ticket fastened around his neck giving his destination and the conductors on the trains kindly took care of the little lad and when there were changes, handed him on to the conductor of the next car until he arrived in Eganville where he was handed over to Mr. Foy, of Mink Lake, Wilberforce, to whom he had been sent.
Twelve and a half cents a piece for making jackets is what the T. Eaton Company are paying sewing girls. Eight of the latter struck a few days ago, claiming they could not live on such starvation prices. We wonder if some of the local ladies of this community, who send to the big departmental store for their garments in order to save money ever think of the unfortunate lot of those who produce them.
Of the new ferry boat which has been put on to perform the service between Pembroke and Allumette Island, The Observer says: The D.B. Mulligan, the new ferry steamer, has been running across the lake all week.
She is a fine boat with graceful lines, strong machinery, a musical whistle and is well calculated for a rushing business. She is full of passengers and freight these days. All the passengers express themselves as delighted with the new boat and the accommodation afforded by her; while the genial owners and managers, Messrs. A. Cassidy and Jas. Higgins, have already won the confidence and admiration of the public.
The returns of the provincial elections so far received before going to press on Tuesday night indicate that the administration of Hon. Mr. Flynn has been defeated. The figures received at 7:45 p.m. show the election of 35 Liberals and 13 Conservatives.
Mr. John Charlton was in Washington last week, complaining of the U.S. tariff towards Canada notwithstanding the friendly attitude of the Liberal party of this country towards the big republic.
The tariff measure lately introduced by Hon. Mr. Fielding, as has already been pointed out, provides for a reduction of 3 cents a bushel in the import duty on wheat and abolishes the duty altogether on corn. These reductions are in the interest of the American and against that of the Canadian farmer.
Mr. Allan Mason of Ottawa recently received an interesting message from the Prince of Wales. Mason was foreman for G.W. Usborne and Co. of Quebec, who was lumbering on the Ottawa River. In 1860 when the Prince of Wales visited Canada, he was taken up the river and at the Chats, Mr. Mason presented an address to His Royal Highness on behalf of the 20,000 lumberers and raftsmen of the Ottawa Valley.
A few week’s ago Mason, thinking that in view of the Queen’s Jubilee it would be a nice thing to remind the Prince of the incident, wrote and included a copy of the address presented at the Chats.
Mr. Mason has received a reply form the Prince’s secretary: “His Highness”, the letter says, “perfectly remembers the incident to which you refer. His Royal Highness greatly appreciates and thanks you for your kind and loyal sentiments and he will not fail to make them known to the Queen.”
