CALEB NICKERSON
July 1, 2019
Shawville
The Canada Day festivities in Shawville kicked off on Friday night with the annual Soapbox Derby, put on by Shawville-Clarendon Fire Department. Dozens of would-be Jeff Gordon’s packed the hill at the top of Victoria Street for their chance to race to the bottom in head-to-head competition.
The rest of the party came at the end of the weekend, with the local Lions Club hosting their annual pancake breakfast at the Hall. There was action for most of the afternoon at the fairgrounds, with a horse-pull competition in the outdoor ring and plenty of food on site. At one p.m. the parade made its way down Main Street between a sizable crowd that lined both sidewalks, all the way to the Fairgrounds.
In the arena, Chris and Melanie Beimers held their 11th annual flea market, packing the rink with everything from books to kitchen utensils. Chris thanked all the volunteer help they had and noted that in years past they have raised more than $24,000 for the Hospital foundation. This year they will be donating to Dr. S.E. McDowell Elementary School.
“Our son just started school this year in kindergarten and we realized that they could use the money,” Chris said. “The budgets keep going down and the costs keep going up so we thought we would spread the wealth to somebody else for a while, help them out.”
Results for the horse pull:
Light
1st – Johnathan Robert
2nd – Brent Gabie
3rd – Yves Robert
Heavy
1st – Kevin Gabie
2nd – Vincent Perrier
3rd – Shawn Gabie
Thorne
Thorne celebrated Canada Day in its own special way, with the official opening of their brand new municipal garage and fire hall. The building will serve double duty, housing three fire trucks on one side and the municipal vehicles and equipment on the other.
Mayor Karen Kelly said the old building was an adapted school bus garage that was getting a little worse for wear. The new structure, which cost roughly $800,000 was dedicated in the memory of Lewis Hodgins, who was a tireless salesman for the local fireman
“He was the best ticket seller that we’ve ever had,” Kelly said. “Everybody here has fantastic memories of Lewis. He was made an honorary fireman. He was a great gentleman, he really was and that’s why we’re dedicating this building to him.”
Over in the TCRA Hall, volunteers had plenty of food and drink for sale, including festive cupcakes with beavers on them.
