June 11,1997
25 Years Ago
Soft Landing: Workers from Montreal flying company made plans to remove their plane from the bush after it crashed about 9 pm Friday night.
While spraying for spruce budworm, the plane’s engine blew, covering the windshield with oil. Flying blind, the pilot guided the plane through a maze of hydro wires, landing it gently in the trees less than 100 metres from two houses and walked away without a scratch. The incident occurred at the corner of Pine and Trout Roads in Leslie Township about 2.5 km east of Highway 303.
Bush work halted: Forests in Pontiac have been declared off-limits for woodcutters because of the danger of forest fire, says the Société de protection des forèts contre le feu (SOPFEU) says that all activities in the bush involving motorized equipment have been suspended until further notice.
At the present time, there are six forest fires burning in Pontiac: two on Allumettes Island and four others along the banks of the Ottawa River between Portage du Fort and Sheenboro.
June 14, 1972
50 Years Ago
Rotarians honour past presidents . . .
Christie, named first presidents: Members of the Rotary Club, their wives and guests as well as many visiting Rotarians from the Hull Club, Eganville and Pembroke, joined together at Pine Lodge to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the club in Shawville.
Head table guests were Rotary President Weldon Hobbs and Mrs. Hobbs, only remaining Charter Member Orval Smart and Mrs. Smart, District Governor Jack MacIntyre and President Elect René Latreille and Mrs. Latreille.
A dance followed to the music of Ted Lydall’s Orchestra. The special committee that organized the evening included Rotarians Dave Mackenzie, Charles O’Connor, Alex MacDonald with Rotary president Weldon Hobbs.
Shawville O’Keefes win in Renfrew: The Shawville O’Keefe’s have had some bad luck this season in this league as they have played six games and have only won one until they met the Renfrew Club in Renfrew.
They came home with an easy win over Renfrew under the strong pitching of Carson Ryan. The score of this game was 5 and Renfrew 2.
Our fellows played real strong defense and when it came time to do some hitting, out came our power hitters. They hit them all over the field including a grand slam home run by Bill Murray.
June 26, 1947
75 Years Ago
Local news: Mr. Melgund Bouchard, manager of the Bell Telephone Company in Hull and a member of the Ottawa Rotary Club entertained the members of the Shawville Rotary Club at their Friday luncheon last week with the showing of six excellent films from the Bell Telephone library. Rotarian Heman Elliott thanked Mr. Bouchard on behalf of the members.
Members and friends of Clarendon Women’s Institute were entertained by Mrs. Clarence Brownlee at her home for their June meeting with Mrs. Vincent Hodgins, assistant hostess. Eleven members and seven visitors were present.
Correspondence read included a letter from Mrs. Smallman asking each Institute to contact war brides in its locality wishing to send messages to relatives in England when she visits there this summer on her trip as a delegate to International Conference in Amsterdam.
The Daily Vacation Bible School for Shawville district being held in the Sunday school room of the United Church will begin on Thursday and will continue each morning until Friday, except for Saturday and Sunday.
Return of the high-stepping RCMP mounts is announced. It is certain to win popular acclaim. With the force resorting more and more to the use of fast patrol cars and planes in tracking down the west’s “bad men”, it had been feared that the highly-trained police horse was on its way out. In the minds of people most everywhere, the mounted redcoat is a symbol of law and order.
June 8,1922
100 Years Ago
Local news: Howard’s Garage on Main Street (formerly Moyle’s) was purchased this week by Mr. James Wilson, owner of the Campbell’s Bay power plant.
Shawville now boasts of some 70 odd automobiles and trucks to about 1 to every 12 residents of the village. This means a nice little revenue for the government and it would interest citizens to know how much of it will come back to improve our streets.
The geodetic survey of this section of the country, embracing parts of Renfrew, Pontiac and Wright Counties, has been commenced by W.F. McGraw, surveyor of Quebec, who at present is locating the sites of the several towers which are necessary for this class of work. These towers are placed at a distance of 25 miles apart, and have to be located at points where the vision from one to another is not obstructed.
The first of the schedule in Lower Pontiac League was featured at Campbell’s Bay exhibition grounds on Friday afternoon last, before a good-sized crowd. The contending teams were Shawville and Campbell’s Bay.
The question of forest fires has just been approached from a new angle. The trapper is the latest individual to add his testimony to the damage forest fires do to the great fur industry. The fact is forest fires injure every Canadian interest and benefit not one. Such being the case, and as 90 per cent of all forest fires are started by human agency, is it not foolish and criminal that we allow fires to ravage our forests?
The Carp Review tells of a young married couple who left their three little children with a neighbour under the pretext that they were going to Stittsville to buy some furniture and did not return. The children have since been taken to a home in Ottawa.
June 24,1897
125 Years Ago
Local News: Mr. Pat Lawn has opened a general store in Mr. Cahill’s house in Campbell’s Bay.
The jubilee festivities on Tuesday accounts for the delay in issuing THE EQUITY this week.
Shawville was well represented at the capital on Tuesday, a very respectably sized contingent going down by morning train to swell the largest crowd that ever thronged the streets of Ottawa. A number of others attended picnics at Norway Bay and Calumet Slides.
Special jubliee services were held in St. Paul’s church here on Sunday, the occasion being the 61st anniversary of the coronation of our beloved sovereign. Appropriate sermons by Ven. Archdeacon Naylor marked the event for which also the sacred edifice was becomingly decorated.
Our annual street labour commenced on Tuesday. A main feature of the work this year is the construction of a drain from the corner of Main Street southward along Pickanock Street till it intersects a watercourse near the 6th concession line. This drain is intended to carry off the spring flood which is a source of much annoyance to some of the residents of Main Street.
Mr. Havey’s livery stables and Mr. Sullivan’s grocery store on John Street, Arnprior were destroyed by fire on Tuesday of last week.
The Portage du Fort and Bristol (projected) railway scheme may not after all be the dead duck which doubtless many have regarded it. Mr. Poupore, it seems has been interesting himself considerably in the project and has succeeded in inducing the Minister of Railways to grant the road a subsidy for a distance not exceeding 15 miles. This will admit of a branch being constructed from point at or near this town.
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World is now touring in this direction and will appear in Ottawa on June 28 and 29.
Ad: mouth organs, Tin Fifes, Piccolos, good and cheap at McGuire’s.
Ad: Knitting machines..old and reliable. This is for you, clothe your family from head to foot with our money maker. Prices only $15, $20, $30. Creelman Bros., Georgetown, Ont.
Ad: Removal back to old stand: The subscriber desires to inform his old customers and the public generally that he has removed his blacksmithing business back to his old stand on Main Street (opposite nobody) where he is now prepared to execute all work with which he may be favoured in a most satisfactory manner.
The Arnprior Chronicle publishes the following account: Portage du Fort villagers were aroused by hearing cries for help but whence the sound came it was difficult to make out until a man was seen on an island opposite the big eddy apparently in great distress. It was then thought that a crib of timber must have been blown out of the channel at Cape Horne and ran into the roaring chutes above the elbow. It was not an easy task to rescue the unfortunate man, but two brave fellows, Will Defoe and John Bolton from the village, started to cross but were unsuccessful. Finally, one of Wm.J. McMay’s boats of the U.O.D. Col volunteered to risk their lives to save one. After several attempts and hard struggling, they managed to gain the island where they were joyfully met by a man who proved to be the clerk of Fraser’s raft no.1. The poor fellow was so benumbed with the cold rain that he could hardly ask for his chums, whom he thought nothing sort of a miracle could save, stating how he jumped off before the crib took the chute. But the kind hand of Providence guided them safely through the foaming waters of the cascades. After partaking of a hearty breakfast at the sweeper’s camp, he felt so much refreshed that he started back to the Calumet, not forgetting to thank the boys for their heroic act and assuring them that he would amply repay them.
