Mar. 18,1998 25 Years Ago
CLD holds first general assembly: McCrank elected president, Landriault vice-president. They are the future of economic development in Pontiac MRC. The first general assembly of the Local Development Centre of Pontiac was held at the MRC building in Litchfield March 11.
Pontiac is the first MRC in the Outaouais to reach this stage in setting up its CLD. The CLD will replace the MRC’s Economic Development Corporation (CDE) and the Young Entrepreneurs Assistance Services, among other agencies. The mandate of the non-profit CLD is to set up and manage a multi-service outlet for economic development. Services provided will include help in creating business plans, finding funding and expanding industrial and commercial sectors.
Fire destroys Vinton home: A Vinton woman was forced to flee her burning home Friday but not before she used the new 911 service to call the fire department.
“I heard about 9:30 or 10:00 pm, a thump-like noise, like something falling. I looked at the dog to see if he had dropped something, but he was under the table,” says Alma McCoshen. “When the second one (noise) came, I looked outside for a car. The third noise sounded like something rolling. I went upstairs and saw the fire around the chimney. I went downstairs, got my bearings straight and phoned 911,” she said.
The fire department were there in 15 minutes.
McCoshen’s son, Brian McCoshen was not at home at the time.
“The upstairs is completely wrecked,” she says “The insurance adjusters came and took the fridge, stove, washer and dryer to check for damages.”
A benefit night is planned for the McCoshens. McCoshen says she will either rebuild or buy a trailer, saying “I will never leave Vinton.”
Mar. 21, 1973 50 Years Ago
Fashion show at United Church: The Shawville United Church ladies, Unit 5, held their annual pot-luck supper last Thursday in the Church hall. The supper was combined with an entertaining fashion show of costumes of the past. Centennial gowns were worn by Mabel Horner, June Hodgins, Evelyn Laframboise, Merle Thomson and Lillis Armitage.
Wedding belles still able to wear their gowns of not-so-long ago were Emily McDowell, Edith Howie and Iva Armstrong, three of the models at the UCW fashion show. Eva and Diana Andai modelled old fashioned costumes of their native Hungary to bring an international flair to the UCW fashion show.
Union gift to hospital commemorates two centennials: Official presentation of a heart monitor to the Pontiac Community Hospital by the United Steelworkers Union 5656 took place last week. Hospital Board Vice President William MacLachlan received the valuable addition to hospital equipment from Terry Mulligan, president of Local 5656.
Dr. Margo Morrisette explained the use of the new heart monitor to Hospital Administrator Jack Russell and Nursing Supervisor Margaret Marks.
Apr. 1, 1948 75 Years Ago
Local news: There was a fairly large attendance at the season’s first band concert at the Shawville Theatre Hall on Thursday night last, despite the fact that two bus loads of the town’s young people were in Ottawa to see the Renfrew-Sydney hockey game.
Near capacity congregations attended the Easter services morning and evening Sunday in the United Church. The congregation enjoyed the service of worship through Easter carols and hymns.
In the morning, two anthems were sung by the choir of 30 voices with Mrs. Edgar Hodgins at the console of the electric organ.
Shawville curling season formally closed on Wednesday night when a joint banquet of the ladies and mens clubs was held at the Masonic banquet hall. The enjoyable function was presided over by C.H. MacLean, retiring president of the men’s club.
After the dinner, which had been arranged and provided by the ladies, prizes were awarded for the various contests, the presentations being made by the donors.
Three young Polish orphans were among 779 persons brought to Canada on the first voyage of the Canadian Pacific’s new immigrant ship Beaverbrae.
The children, cared for by older passengers during the voyage, were disembarked shortly after landing at Halifax on their way to join relatives in Winnipeg. The 9,000 ton Beaverbrae, formerly the German vessel Husscaran was obtained by Canada as part reparations and will bring new settlers to the Dominion approximately every five weeks. Eastbound she carries Canadian food and other cargo to the United Kingdom.
Car manufacturers of Britain are finding a market in Canada. The restrictions on American-made machines explains much. Given a partial green light by Ottawa’s dollar watchdogs, British auto manufacturers are getting set to make their first real bid to break into the Canadian market.
Mar. 22,1923 100 Years Ago
Local new: Mr. Gussie Draper of Clarendon Front, sustained a serious accident on Saturday afternoon, while cutting poles in the bush. Just what happened is not known as when the young man was found by the boy who was driving the horses, he was lying unconscious and bleeding profusely from a wound on the head, but it is thought that one of the poles he was cutting down struck him in falling. After the boy had given the alarm, Mr. Andrew Davis was the first neigbour to reach the injured man and when others came they removed him to his home. Dr. Powles was in attendance as soon as possible and rendered such aid as he could, under the circumstances. The young man was reported to be doing nicely on Tuesday morning.
The board visited No. 5 school and with fitting ceremony presented 13 books, prizes from the Strathcona Trust for good work.
Mr. F.S. Cahill, M.P. for Pontiac, caused something of a sensation in the House of Commons last Tuesday when he broke from the confines of that discipline which is supposed to govern the conduct of supporters of the government and launched a bitter attack upon the immigration and colonization policy (or no policy) of the administration while the estimates for that department were under discussion.
Mr. Cahill not only told the minister in charge that his proposals would not accomplish the aims sought, but he condemned the attitude of the government generally for failing to implement its pre-election pledges and promises but putting into effect certain proposed reductions in the tariff, whereby the implements of production would escape customs taxation.
Mar. 24,1898 125 Years Ago
Local news: The robins and blackbirds made their appearance last week, an exceedingly early season of the year for them to return, which is generally regarded as an unmistakable sign of spring.
The concert held at Campbell’s Bay on the evening of the 17th is reported to have been a grand success. There was a large attendance and the programme provided by Prof. Gagnon’s troupe was in every way appreciable.
The floods on the Quyon River last week did considerable damage to Dowd’s Mill dam at the village and wrecked the bridge on the road leading to the station. At Mr. J.P. O’Donnell’s saw mill, located some distance further up stream, a great deal of damage was also done by the ice jam. It will take a month to make the repairs needed before the mill can be started.
St. Patrick’s Day was fittingly celebrated by the citizens of Chapeau who enjoyed a first class concert in the town hall. The programme rendered was a very elaborate one, comprising popular Irish songs, solos, instrumental music, dialogues, comedies, etc. The attendance was large.
It is reported that the Ottawa River is now open in many places so that crossing on the ice is likely a thing of the past for this season.
Cheap excursions to Quyon and return, all customers of the big bankrupt sale of O’Meara and Hodgins’ stock at Quyon purchasing ten dollars’ worth or over, will be refunded the price of their railway fare, both ways to any station between and including Vinton from Quyon.
At a pretty early hour, two men hired a team and conveyance from Mr Caldwell and with Alfred Howard as teamster, drove off in the direction of Portage du Fort. They were bound for the habitation of Charles Toner, which is situated in that part of Clarendon familiarly known as “Stony Batter.” The men sprung out of the rig upon arrival, and immediately entered Toner’s house without the ceremony of knocking. It then dawned upon Alfred that the men were government whiskey detectives and such they proved to be, Detective Edward Floody of Toronto and Dominion Policeman Shore of Ottawa. It seems on entering the house, they induced old man Toner to sell them some whiskey, first a bottle and then bargaining for two gallons at $2.00 a gallon. It was just at the point where the old man was in hopeful expectancy of getting hold of a 4 dollar bill that the hand of the law was laid upon him and he was commanded to “dish up” the rest of the whiskey on hand. Both he and the old man’s son were placed under arrest. The premises were then searched and a quantity of poteen found, together with the still, which was located in a kind of root-house a short distance from the barn.
Armstrong’s hill, at the east end of Main Street, will swallow up a considerable portion of this year’s street labour in order to repair the damage caused by the freshet of water which discharged at that point last week.
