“Pressure is only something you bring upon yourself,” says the coach who came up through the ranks of Shawville’s minor hockey system. “We treat (the finals) as another time in the season. We try to keep the routine the same so players are very comfortable and there are no frustrations due to changes.”

Meanwhile, back home in Shawville, Murray’s parents, Clarence and Rhoda, are glued to the TV set for every game.

“I’m just glad they’re not playing against each other,” Rhoda says, referring to last year’s playoff series between the Flyers and the Florida Panthers, whose general manager is their eldest son, Bryan Murray.

Full of hot air: We are suspended some 1,000 feet above sea level, high above the lush farmlands of Clarendon. There is no sound, save for the occasional whoosh of propane rushing into the balloon.

I try not to think of the fact that all that is keeping us afloat is 77,500 cubic feet of hot air.

Seven balloonists, including recently licensed Ron Eades, flew above Clarendon Saturday night.

It’s a beautiful sight to see the colourful balloons float across the landscape. It’s even more beautiful to be up in one of those huge balloons.

The balloonists are all part of the National Capital Balloon Club. Saturday night’s trip was to promote good ballooning relations in the Ottawa Valley.

June 7, 1972

50 Years Ago

Ted Christie named first president of Shawville Tennis Club: Monday night at a public meeting in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Brandum, the Shawville Tennis Club was inaugurated.

The excellent turnout at this organizational meeting would indicate a sufficient interest in tennis locally to warrant the establishment here of two courts.

A site has been chosen and a construction committee chairman named. The courts will be placed near to the high school whose staff is making plans to include tennis in the physical education program there.

Second annual Litter Chase: The second annual Litter Chase came off successfully in Shawville on Saturday with the help of a lot of youngsters and many local organizations. Judging of the participants, their equipment and their collections of litter was done by Mayor Orla Young, Rev. Alistair Macintosh, Lottie Bradley and Owen Hill.

The guides, Patty Brandum, Ann Sparling, Lorie Mackenzie, Mia Christie, Sheril Sylvester, Diana Andai, Heather Sylvester and Lise Gregory won the prize for collecting the most unusual garbage.

June 19, 1947

75 Years Ago

Local news: A barn, cow stable, pig house and silo including livestock and machinery were destroyed by fire when lightning struck the barn on the farm of Elwood Cameron in the storm on Wednesday afternoon of last week. One registered Holstein bull, 15 pigs and 4 calves perished in the fire and some farm machinery, including a milker was lost.

Miss Jean Stewart of Maryland was the winner of an engraved silver compact at the graduation exercises at Ottawa Civic Hospital. The prize was presented by Miss Pearl Farmer, president of the O.C.H. Alumnae and donated by the Alumnae Association for the highest graduate standing in nursing theory.

Destined for farms in the Pontiac and Gatineau areas, 40 Polish veterans will arrive in Ottawa Tuesday afternoon, it was announced Saturday by the hull office, National Employment Service.

The Polish workers will be met at St. Johns, Que. by a representative of the Hull office and then brought to Ottawa. From Union Station they will be transported to the Hull employment office where they will be greeted by farmers from the surrounding area. The farm owners then will select their men and they will go directly to the farm where they will be employed.

Thomas Dagg, 52 of Portage du Fort was seriously injured when his team ran away while he was hitching them to a wagon on Friday afternoon. They became frightened, and leaped forward dragging him and the wagon through the yard. The heavy wheels passed over him and he was thrown into a nearby field harrow. He was brought to Pontiac Community Hospital where he is suffering from bruises and a fractured left leg.

June 1,1922

100 Years Ago

Local news: Mrs. Clarence Cameron of Murrell’s section lies in a very critical condition as the result of burns received through her clothing catching fire from a smudge which she had placed behind her to drive away the mosquitoes on Saturday.

Mrs. Cameron’s clothing was well aflame before she became aware of the fact and had it not been for the timely aid of a young foreigner who goes by the name of “Pete”, and who fortunately chanced to be near at hand, the woman would undoubtedly have perished. Pete heroically dashed in and tore the flaming garments from her body as quickly as he could, yet too late to save her from being very seriously inured. In doing this he also had his hands badly burned. Mrs. Cameron’s condition was reported favourable on Tuesday morning and hopes of her recovery are good.

Victoria Day passed off very quietly in Shawville, although the time-honoured anniversary was observed pretty generally as a holiday. Nearly all the business places were closed and quite a number of the citizens went out of town to spend the day.

An orphan boy named Smith, 12 years old, who had been living at W.H. Howard’s, North Clarendon, died in the General Hospital at Ottawa last week, after an operation for appendicitis, which had reached an advanced stage, coupled with the formation of a large abcess, conditions under which chances of recovery were very slim from the outset.

An “army” of unemployed war veterans are hiking it through Ontario on their way to Ottawa to impress their needs upon the government and it is reported their immediate wants are being generously looked after by the people of the towns through which the ex-soldiers are passing.

June 17,1897

125 Years Ago

Local News: The largely increased area of the new exhibition grounds will afford ample accommodation for the large crowd who are expected to attend the Foresters’ celebration here on Dominion day, besides giving ample room for the several athletic contests that are to come off.

Lena, a little girl of seven years, daughter of Mr. Charles Dimmell of Arnprior, ate a quantity of dandelions on Sunday, was taken ill and has since died.

During the thunderstorm of Monday the 7th, Mr. Frank Murtagh had a barn and other buildings at his farm in Upper Litchfield, struck by lightning and burned to the ground.

On Tuesday next, the 22nd, the Diamond Jubilee will be celebrated in all parts of the British empire. Although there will be no public fete to mark the event in Shawville, in consequence of celebrations in Ottawa, Arnprior and other places.

During a trial of speed at Kemptville last week, Mr. McKay’s colt, “Lord Velvo,” made a 2.20 clip which is something phenomenal for a colt 21 months old.

The crops on some of the low lands in Bristol have been seriously retarded by the protracted wet weather.

Gillies Bros. raft from Bear Creek arrived at the head of Calumet Slides last week.

The mills at Ottawa will not be permitted to dump sawdust into the Ottawa River after this year. Parliament discussed the matter and both sides agreed.

The mayor of Litchfield will request the merchants and tradespeople of Campbell’s Bay to observe Dominion Day by closing their respective business places on that date.

Mayor Gaboury seconded by Mayor C. McNally moves that the following memorial be forwarded to the Honourable Minister of public works on behalf of this council: that the inter-provincial bridge across the River Ottawa, at Portage du Fort and the bridge connecting the village of Bryson with the municipality of Calumet Island are assuming a very serious and dangerous condition owing to lack of repairs that lapse of time always necessitates for such structures and if such neglect continues, the ominous word “unsafe’ must in the very near future appear at either end of said bridges.

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