On June 1, 2025, we had a chance to take a peak back at our history. Cars were lining the streets of Shawville, from the hill at the hospital to halfway into town.
It had been many years since the RCMP musical ride had performed in town. Early attenders were greeted by a lineup of huge 4×4 tractors, an SP field sprayer with a hundred-foot-wide spray boom, a crane that held a proud Canadian flag a hundred feet up in the air, several shiny dump trucks and truck tractors, a loader, and other machines that kids never get a chance to check out closely, including a police car, a street sweeper and a fire truck. Even though it had rained and still looked like more, some of the antique vehicles showed up.
The museum was open and staffed to show and explain the tools and even dress of our early pioneers. The little museum is packed with our historical past, the attic with even more that cannot be displayed, and local residents have hundreds more items and yesterday’s farm equipment at home waiting for more room at the museum. Historical Society members were dressed up in attire that dated back to great-great Grandpa’s day.
On “Canada’s national milk day”, the local 4-H club had stocked up on cold milk, drinks and ice cream, but it was freshly-cooked hot dogs and hamburgers that were sought after on what was a cool, damp day. Talented local musicians, singers, and 4-H square dancers who had planned to perform outside, moved into the “ladies exhibit hall” out of the cool wind and threatening rain.
Music, singing, and dance has been an Ottawa Valley tradition, with roots back to our ancestral countries like France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, and British North America long before either the U.S.A. or Canada were countries. Much of it was perfected in the logging camps after a long, hard day’s work cutting logs with an axe and crosscut saw. The men would get out the fiddle, spoons, mouth organ, and comb and make music and dance ‘til the cook told them to get to bed.
A hundred years ago, every week, neighbours would take turns gathering at someone’s big kitchen for a house party of singing and dancing. Many of our best singers got their start singing in a church choir. An old song, Lord of the Dance, can be found in several church hymn books. Gospel songs are very common in every singer’s repertoire. There have been more than 150 musicians who have played at the local Friday night “Hooley” in Shawville.
Most areas in rural North America pass on their traditional square dances, callers, and music from one generation to the next. Our local 4-H club has square dancing as one of their most popular projects. They have won several awards for best square, best couple, and best caller, in both Quebec and Ontario. Some members begin square dancing at just eight years of age, and just get better. This year there are more than four square dance teams in the Shawville club. There are always more girls than boys who want to learn, but at about 15 years old, boys who have learned how to dance have their pick of hundreds of girls, while boys that don’t become either wall flowers or hang around the bar too much.
On Sunday, the big performance was the RCMP musical ride, when everybody gathered to watch. The RCMP began in 1873 as the North-West Mounted Police. There were no cars back then, so they used horses to get around and although bikes, cars, boats, and airplanes are now included in their modes of transportation, the horse remains a very recognised symbol, and was, in fact, used at Canada’s last train robbery.
Many provinces and territories still rely on the RCMP for policing. Before CISIS was created, a special division of the RCMP looked after intelligence for Canada the world over.
Let’s be very proud of our very rich history, whatever part of the world your family came from!
Chris Judd is a farmer in Clarendon on land that has been in his family for generations.
