Culture centre dream

Dear Editor,

Last year at the Pontiac Archives, we planned several talks about local history, especially for Shawville’s 150th anniversary. We are continuing the presentations this year. As a result, more people are bringing their historical documents to us and we are running out of space. We would like to be able to display framed historical pictures and maps.

The Pontiac Museum has similar space problems.

Last April, the Pontiac MRC, with the help of Sabrina Ayres, organized a meeting at Café 349 to see if we needed a Culture Centre. This would solve our problems and would also benefit many other cultural activities such as music, dancing, art and theatre.

I can visualize a music room with music lessons: guitar, ukelele etc.,

• an art room: weaving, quilting, a spinning wheel,
• a room where retiring artists can store their paintings, either for sale, rent or display,
• a storage room for theatrical costumes and props,
• a room for dance classes: square dancing, line dancing, ballroom dancing – waltz, swing, salsa, polka.

To make these dreams a reality, we need a person or organization to take on the project, a building, and finances to pay for the building, its maintenance and staff.

Sabrina Ayres has informed me that Stephanie Hebert, the MRC Economic Development Officer will be taking over Culture. A meeting could be planned to discuss the possibilities. Watch for a future announcement and help make this dream happen.

Venetia Crawford, Shawville

Fire extinguisher blanket

Dear Editor,

Here’s a thing I recently discovered: the fire blanket. It’s a fibreglass blanket folded into a sturdy pouch. In case of a small fire, one can pull the tabs and the blanket unfolds. Drape it over the fire and the flames are quickly smothered by being starved of air. This may douse the fire entirely, or could buy you time to locate and employ a spray fire extinguisher which, in turn, can buy time to locate a phone and call the fire department. Many fires start in the kitchen, and some of those could be halted by such a blanket, if it’s right there handy.

I have no relationship with the company that makes and sells them, and I don’t know if someone else makes them, or if they are available locally, or just online. I ordered a few of them, kept one and gave away the rest to promote the idea. The first time someone uses a fire blanket to stop a fire, or just to slow it down before exiting the building, it will have been worth what I paid for all of them. I’ve been in a burning building a couple of times, and I don’t relish doing it again, so this simple inexpensive ($40US for single, less for multiple purchase) item will make me feel more comfortably safe in my home. I recommend that you all look into buying one or more of these, and be better prepared, in case a friendly fire gets out of control.

Robert Wills, Thorne and Shawville