Donald
Teuma-Castelletti
SHEENBORO Sept. 23, 2017
The community of Sheenboro gathered together Saturday evening to celebrate the town’s beginnings, and dedicate a monument to the area’s early settlers.
Holding a mass at St. Paul the Hermit Church, followed by the monument unveiling, dance and dinner, over 200 people came out to take part in the Canada 150 celebration.
“We were going to do it on Canada Day,” said event organizer Lorna Agnesi. “But we decided to wait for a quiet time.”
Since the area is further out, she explained, by holding off they could have another reason to gather a bunch of people together. Evidently, this plan worked great.
After the mass was concluded, folks gathered around the monument next door for the official unveiling. After some brief speeches, the blanket was removed to exposed a stone carving depicting two early settlement photos and a dedication, in both English and French, that read, “Dedicated to the early settlers and lumbermen who toiled the land in Sheenboro and area. May their spirits live on forever.”
The monument also features the MRC Pontiac, Canada 150 and Canada logos.
One of the men called upon to help reveal the monument was Cecil Morris, a bush worker who started working in the area in the ‘50s.
“I was a bush worker but they called me a lumberjack,” said Morris. “[The other lumberjacks] said if you can snore and fart, we can call you a lumberjack.”
Holding deep roots in the area – his great-grandfather cleared property in the area and moved there from Ireland in the early 1800s – Morris was proud to reveal the monument alongside Raymond Morris, Robert McRae and Dr. Wilbert Keon.
An oral history of Sheenboro was provided by Joann McCann at the end of the mass, before everyone gathered at the monument. Sharing loads of interesting tidbits, McCann provided the importance for honouring their early settlers.
“Sheenboro’s local economy was inextricably linked to lumbering,” said McCann, in her speech. “The municipality’s development took place at the crossroads of the lumber and fur trade route of the Upper Ottawa Valley as the white pine was coveted for square timber.”
She highlighted the importance of kin migration (when families immigrated to the same locations in a country) in the area, the dangers and schedule of working as a lumberman or bush worker, their daily diets, and gender roles within the traditional households.
“In the past 150 years, over time, both lumbering and farming changed [with] both industries continuing here in Sheenboro,” said McCann, towards the end of her speech. “Although the industries shaped the early settlement, the spirit of the early settlers have indelibly left their marks on this community, its history [and] culture, leaving their descendants with a strong sense of pride.”
After the unveiling, the meal was catered by Cheryl Smith, while local musicians entertained. Brian Crook and Cindy Wheeler played for all those gathered, before opening the stage to Louis Schryer and the Schryer step dancers, Kaitlyn and Chelsey. More entertainment continued with live music and dancing into the night.
“They created this community, often gathering here in this village to purchase or sell goods, attend mass and later for a community dance,” said McCann. “Tonight, we commemorate their spirit, hard work and resilience through our prayers, songs, stories, our lumber camp meal, step dancing and fiddle tunes.”