Jan. 28,1998 – 25 Years Ago
Harris Rink in provincials: The Gary Harris rink has made it to the provincial curling championships. Harris and teammates Dave Draper, Rickey Lee Allen and Steve Allen, who all play out of the Shawville Curling Club, qualified on a wild card draw when they beat out seven other teams during the Challenge Round in Trois Rivières last week.
Harris says his team had a lot of confidence going into the playoffs because they felt they had curled better than the Trois Rivières team. But Harris admits he never imagined his team would be going to the provincials this year.
“We had hopes, but figured it would be tough because (Brier curler) Donnie (Westphal) was in our zone,” said Harris.
But after making it out of the zone, Harris placed third at the regionals in Thurso and then won the wild card draw. Harris has no explanation as to why the team is doing so well.
“It’s just four guys wanting to play, wanting to practice and (who) have a little heart,” he says.
Hundreds participate in Mansfield/Coulonge challenge: A recent study revealed two-thirds of Canadians are inactive. But residents of Fort Coulonge, Mansfield and Bristol are doing what they can to get in shape.
Fort Coulonge/Mansfield participated in the Outaouais Skate Challenge last Sunday. Bristol will take part in it this Sunday. Residents were encouraged to skate, cross-country ski, toboggan or walk for at least 15 minutes.
Caldwell Notes – Hermonie Sharpe: It’s keeping me busy these days keeping the bird feed ahead as well as filling the feeders. We are having a great selection of birds visiting every day and what pleasure we get out of watching them. They say that the increasing amount of yellow feathers on the male goldfinch is supposed to be a sure sign of an early spring, so get your seed catalogues out and start planning.
Jan. 31, 1973 – 50 Years Ago
Bryson centennial beards, babies, banquet: A beard-growing contest in Bryson has been announced to commence on Feb. 24 and will be judged during the home coming week which is August 4 to 11.
The Bryson Centennial Committee is planning proclamation ceremonies for Feb. 24 which will include a number of happenings: a flag-raising ceremony; recognizing the senior citizens of Bryson; a banquet for dignitaries will take place; the Centennial princesses will be introduced at a dance.
$50,100 in grants to Shawville and Coulonge: A grant of $16,648 from the Local Initiatives Program in favour of the municipality of Shawville was announced by Mr. Tom Lefebvre, M.P. for Pontiac county. The operation of this project will create five jobs in Shawville and consist of an outdoor skating rink for children, erection of an information booth, demolition of buildings and redecorations of the fire hall. Persons in charge are Mr. Orla Young, Mayor and Mrs. E.F. Dale, Secretary Treasurer.
A grant of $33,452 from the Local Initiatives Program in favour of “Operation Depart” presented by the CLSC Committee of Fort Coulonge was announced by Mr. Tom Lefebvre, M.P. for Pontiac county. The operation of this project will create 11 jobs in Fort Coulonge and consist in helping the disadvantage persons of the Fort Coulonge and Mansfield area to develop their initiative and teach them how to help themselves. Persons in charge are Rev. Rolland Pilon, St. Pierre Parish and Mr. Edward Audet from Fort Coulonge.
Feb. 12, 1948 – 75 Years Ago
Local news: While divine service was being held, because of the cold weather, in the Anglican Rectory at Portage du Fort on Sunday afternoon by Mr. A.E. Lawrence of Ottawa, smoke was noticed seeping down from the upstairs part of the house. On examination, it was found that the attic was in flames and in spite of the frantic efforts of the congregation and of the villagers called in, the building was completely destroyed. For the winter months, it had been the custom to use the rectory for church services because of the difficulty of heating the large stone church. A fire had been made early in the afternoon to heat the building and it is thought that the blaze in the attic caused by a defective chimney may have been going for half an hour before being discovered. As there is no water near and the village has no fire fighting equipment, the efforts of the congregation, limited to the use of snow, were rather unavailing and they were able to do little to save the building and outbuildings. They concentrated their work largely on saving the contents of the partly furnished house, all of which were successfully removed, and to saving the church close by. The church, which is of stone with metal roof, was saved in spite of the fact that the wind blew sparks toward it but all sheds and outbuildings were burned.
When returning home from shopping in Shawville one evening during the past week, Messrs. Mosie Murphy and Henry Greer of Charteris section, Clarendon, had a rather harrowing experience, which might have had serious consequences. The men were driving along the Pickanock Road with horse and cutter when they smelled smoke and felt an unusual heat at their feet. They both jumped out of the cutter and the wind fanned the fire which had caught in Mr. Greer’s trouser legs and burned them considerably before he managed to beat out the flames with his mitts.
None of Mr. Murphy’s clothing was damaged but he lost most of his groceries and one rubber boot and his horse blanket. The fire is believed to have started when a box of matches ignited in the bottom of the cutter.
Many friends and relatives of the entire Shawville district attended the double funeral of Mrs. Albert Tessier and her four-year-old son, Glenn, victims of carbon monoxide gas poisoning in a car on a mountain road in Vermont State on Thursday afternoon of last week.
Shawville finished play in the main schedule of the Pontiac Senior Hockey League at Fort Coulonge on Monday night when they lost to the home team by a score of 4 to 1.
Shawville accepted the honour of attending the initiation bonspiel at Pembroke on the occasion of the opening of their new artificial ice curling rink. The Pembroke Club were hosts to rinks from Arnprior, Pakenham, Renfrew and Shawville. Dinner was served at the Lennox Café and the official opening of the rink was held at 8. Representing Shawville Club were Dr. S.E. McDowell, A.D. McCredie, G.T. Paul and C.H. MacLean, skip.
Jan. 25,1923 – 100 Years Ago
Local news: Last Wednesday morning, THE EQUITY thermometer registered 20 below zero.
Up to date, this was the lowest of the year.
It is announced that owing to impaired health, His Honour Judge J.M. McDougall has decided to retire from the Bench.
Shawville has developed so many hockey players this winter that a town league, consisting of four teams, was formed last week.
During the program in connection with the Zion Methodist Tea Meeting on Monday evening, Rev. Dr. Lennon will exhibit some lantern slide pictures from the battlefields of Europe taken during his trip to Europe a few months ago.
Mr. Gerald Hodgins, inspector of weights and measures for this district, recently took the long drive to the lumber depots in the Upper Coulonge region and had a very satisfactory trip. He reports that he found the roads in excellent condition.
Feb. 3,1898 – 125 Years Ago
Local news: Mr. Andrew Holland of Ottawa came up the P.P.J. Line as far as Clarke’s Station on Friday evening and returned the next morning. Mr. Holland, it may be stated, is agent for one of the firms manufacturing the new illuminate known as acetylene gas, a plant for supplying which he installed in the P.P.J. Railway coaches last week. The lighting of the cars by this method is said to be highly satisfactory.
There was a pretty fair attendance at the lecture delivered by the Rev. Chas. O. Carson in the Orange Hall on Thursday night last, and those who were present speak in the most appreciative terms.
A solid silver medal, specially designed for the purpose, is offered as a prize for a half mile amateur skating race (open to county only) to be contested at the carnival here in Shawville next Tuesday.
Get yourselves in condition, boys, if you wish to stand a show of winning this handsome prize.
Ontario agriculture statistics show that there has been a great growth in the production of tobacco in the province during the past year or two.
There was quite a snowstorm on Sunday, 23rd. which prevented people from getting to church and which hustled the men out with their horses, sleighs and shovels the next day.
It is reported that gold has been discovered at Mr. John Latham’s in Bristol.
Hope it is true.
