Benches dedicated to golfers Ron Soucie and Dave Hunter
Charles Dickson
Litchfield July 22, 2023
Family, friends and fellow-golfers gathered at Mickey Creek Golf Club in Litchfield on Saturday afternoon for the dedication of benches to the memory of two long-standing members who have passed away.
Jeanne McTiernan, president of the Mickey Creek Golf Committee, unveiled the benches and said a few words about the two men for whom the benches were being dedicated.
“Today we have two bench dedications,” she told THE EQUITY before the ceremony.
“One is for Ron Soucie, he had Soucie Enterprises, the one who provided the golf carts for tournaments, and not only here but all over the Pontiac, right up to Pembroke. He was a member here and was such a big part of helping out at the golf course.
“The other dedication is for Dave Hunter, who was marshal here forever, and one of the originals. Dave was a marshal when the original owner Wayne Narlock was here, and that was at least 15 years ago,” she said.
Chris Sauriol of Vinton, who plays darts at the club in the winter months, made the benches, first by welding together a metal structure and then attaching live-edge pine planks.
“And we had the plaques made up and we put them on the benches,” said McTiernan.
McTiernan heads up the committee of five club members that includes Pat Mahoney, Lucienne LaSalle, Shane Presley and Rick Gutoskie, along with owners Rod Quinn and Robin Fequet, and club manager Mandy Demers.
“What we really want is for this to be a community golf club. We usually have about three tournaments in the summer, they are fundraisers for the golf course. Whatever we make, we put back in the golf course,” said McTiernan.
“The way we see it as a committee, and I think all the members see it the same way, if you don’t support your local, you’ll lose it. They’re open because of the members, and the members come here because they are there. It’s almost like a church, if you don’t have a membership, then you’re not going to have a golf club. That’s how we look at it,” she explained.
“It’s very community-oriented because a lot of the members, they’re from all over – Calumet Island, Campbell’s Bay, Vinton, Otter Lake, Fort Coulonge – you know, they all gather here. Most of them are avid golfers, they golf probably three times a week together in different leagues,” she said.
McTiernan said the new owners were very happy to learn there was a committee working with the club, and took a moment to talk about fellow committee member Pat Mahoney as an example of what the committee does.
“Pat is here seven days a week. He cuts the grass and fixes anything that needs fixing. It’s all volunteer. It’s all from the heart,” she said.
“So, you see how this is community? We all feel like we have a little part of this.”
“They’re super supportive. We’re really lucky to have them,” said Robin Fequet who, with husband Rod Quinn, took over the golf course just over a year ago.
“We didn’t know that there was a committee when we first got into it, but absolutely, one hundred per cent, we’re lucky that they’re there, helping it run, helping it do well,” she said.
There’s a creek runs through it and it’s called Mickey
Fequet and Quinn met in the village of Mistissini in northern Quebec in 2005. She was working with the Cree school board and continues as a consultant to the board from here. He had a company that provided lodging and food services for people traveling up north, whether for hunting or mining.
Quinn also has a local connection. His mother is a Hearty from Vinton. The couple moved to the Pontiac in 2019 with their son who attends high school in Shawville.
Asked where the golf course got its name, Jeanne McTiernan replies, “There’s a creek that runs through it and it’s called ‘Mickey’,” and someone else chimes in that the creek was named after Mickey Hearty.
