It was an absolutely beautiful day on Saturday for the annual Quyon Lionettes Car Rally. Fifty-eight teams departed from Gavan’s Hotel with booklets of questions all on the theme of Canada 150. Big thanks to last year’s winning team including Meghan Morris, Holly Richardson, Sara Dorrington, Stacey Tanguay, Leigh Dolan, Ashley Baker, Mandy Renaud and Katie Robinson for organizing this year’s route and questions.
It was a great rally. The big winners this year were The A-Team, consisting of Monique, Leslie, Virginia, Penny and Anne Lavigne and I’m also proud to say my team (Sara Beer, Graham Dowe, Stacy Johnston, Ricky Belland and I) came in second place. The best dressed team was Canadian Presence made up of Therese Demell, Nancy Villeneuve, Glenda Nitschke, and Malinda Provost. The best decorated car was won by Best Buds, which included Jon Taylor, Rylie MacGregor, Nathan Graham, and Josh Lloyd. The 50/50 was won by Doug Kennedy.
The Lionettes served a delicious ham and bean supper at Gavan’s after the rally and many door prizes donated by various local businesses were handed out. It is always one of my favourite days of the year and this year did not disappoint.
The Town Pants celebrated their 20th anniversary with a tour in Ireland last week and they brought a huge group of their family and fans along with them. Virginia Schwartz joined her former bandmates for the tour and their group also included her husband Jeff Freeborn, her parents Doug and Isabel Schwartz as well as friends Donna and Marie-Eve Provost and Ida-Mae Tracey, along with many others from across Canada and the United States. I heard they had a fabulous time and also survived Hurricane Ophelia along the way. I’m sure it was an amazing trip with many memories made.
It was a bittersweet day last week when the old Quyon Lions hall, also fondly known as the Beach Barn finally came down. It was a day that was many years in the making and while we all treasure our memories made there it is exciting to look forward to a beautiful new community centre which is coming soon. A big thank you goes out to all involved in making this dream a reality for our community.
Congratulations to Mary-Theresa Murdock who worked her last day for Canada Post delivering mail in the Quyon area last week after many years of service. We wish her all the best in her retirement.
I’d also like to congratulate Laura Stewart who received a gift for 25 years of service at the Ottawa Hospital last week. Way to go Doc!
Birthday wishes are going out to Rilen Richardson on Oct. 26, to Paisley Thomson Oct. 28 and to Brady Trudeau on Oct. 29. Happy days to everyone celebrating this week.
Even though we all knew the day was coming it was with heavy hearts that we learned of the passing of Gord Downie last week. The Tragically Hip has been one of my favourite bands since my early teen years and I’m so grateful I got to see them in Ottawa last summer in what was their farewell tour in the wake of Gord’s brain cancer diagnosis. He was a truly gifted man, our country’s unofficial poet laureate and his efforts to unite this country, doing all he could to help the First Nations in his final days was admirable. Rest peacefully, Gord. You will be missed.
The end of October is drawing near and so I’m sure all of the children are getting excited for Halloween. Don’t forget that Gavan’s Hotel will be hosting their annual costume party on Saturday night with prizes for the best costumes. Wishing everyone a Happy Halloween.
