Mar. 25,1998 25 Years Ago
Litchfield mill logging progress: Barring unforeseen delays, the new Produit Forestier Coulonge mill in Litchfield is on schedule to open in April, says mill manager, Nelson Bérubé.
“We’re on schedule as far as the machinery goes,” he says. “We should be ready to go in mid-April.”
The Litchfield mill is being equipped to produce nearly double the output of the old mill, with the majority of lumber being hardwood, he says. The old mill sawed about 12 million board feet of hardwood lumber and four to six million board feet of soft wood lumber mostly white pine, each year.
Since fire destroyed the old mill in Mansfield in January, most of the more than 60 mill workers have been unemployed. The more than 60 plus bush workers have continued to cut and haul logs to the new site, stockpiling them in the large mill yard on Romain Road.
Program keeps teens in school: Just months ago, Gabrielle Lacroix, 14 was ready to drop out of John Paul II High School.
“I find it more interesting going to woodworking than French class,” Lacroix says. “and now, I’m starting to put a resumé together.”
For the first time this year, the Jardin Educatif expanded its program into the fall and winter. Students showed off their woodworking skills during the program’s open house at John Paul II last Friday.
The Jardin is well known for its educational garden on Hwy. 148 just outside Fort Coulonge that is home to troubled teenagers during the summer.
Mar. 28, 1973 50 Years Ago
Pay as you curl working well: Action at the Curling Club has been fast and furious in the last few weeks, with bonspiels and other social activities. The pay as you curl has generated so much enthusiasm and support that two nights, Tuesdays and Thursdays are fully booked. It is an excellent tonic to see so many people enjoying the facilities of the club and hope to welcome many of them back next season, possibly as full members.
A mixed bonspiel was held on March 17 at the club with twelve rinks entered. High team of the day was Andy Michaud with his rink of Marg Michaud, Gordon McCredie and Mary Dale. Cobden were second and a team from Montreal third.
Skating party unqualified success: The adult skating party at the Community Centre Sunday evening was such an unqualified success that one must conclude that its too bad that there had not been more such events during the past season. It was a most refreshing sight to observe the several dozens of skaters circling the rink in ones and twos, some of course much more “adult” than others.
Seen gliding around the glossy surface, displaying varying degrees of agility were, Dr. and Mrs. Frank Cowley, Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay Dale, Mrs. Paddy O’Donnell, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Rowat, Mr. and Mrs. Dale Thomson, Mr. and Mrs. Darwin Elliott, Dr. Rogers, Gerald Hodgins, and Mr. and Mrs. Keith Horner who seemed to be in charge of the event and did an excellent job of organizing it.
Also noticed were such youngsters as Arthur Kilgour who vowed he had not been on skates for eight years, but judging by his dexterity on the blades, one is led to seriously question his veracity on that score. Wyman MacKechnie contended he was the oldest person skating and so far, we haven’t heard any of the ladies disputing that claim. All in all, it was a great evening.
Apr. 8, 1948 75 Years Ago
Local news: The Clarendon United churches are receiving as their new minister on Wednesday of this week, Mr. J.A. Bryson, formerly of Fort Stewart, Ont.
In a recent broadcast over C.F.R.A. Mrs. Hillis Graham of Wyman, Que. was heard asking pertinent questions on the “How’s and Why’s” of Cooperative Medical Services of the president, Mrs. V. Kellough, Secretary of the Lanark Co-operative Medical Services in Ontario.
The April meeting of the Women’s Association of Shawville United Church was held in the Sunday School room on Thursday evening with forty-one members present. The president, Mrs. R.P. Eades presided. Rev. A.F. Fokes offered prayer. Mrs. J. Dean read the scripture lesson.
Ad: Watch out for our sale: during the month of April we will make a specially high allowance on trade-in tires and batteries. Nearly everything except gas and oil will be greatly reduced in price. Scrap batteries will be purchased from you now, with or without trade-in. Smyth’s Service Station: phone 128, Shawville.
Mar. 29,1923 100 Years Ago
Local new: Two rinks from Ottawa visited Shawville on Monday evening by way of a return courtesy to the visit paid them a couple of week’s ago by representatives of the local club. After the game, the contending curlers and members of the local club who were spectators of the sport adjourned to the Pontiac House where shortly following the gathering to the number of thirty-odd sat down to a delectable repast which was enjoyed by all. Mr. J.H. Stewart who has been the main moving spirit in having a curling club organized here (the first in the county), acted as chairman to the short after-dinner program which eventuated.
The girls hockey team of the Shawville Academy played a bunch of “Old-Timers” to a tie, 5-5 on Wednesday evening last.
Renfrew’s senior hockey team can take credit to itself for accomplishing what never had been previously done to Shawville’s seniors on local ice, namely to roll up a string of ten goals against them. This happened on Friday night when the visitors won out with a score of 10 to 7. Renfrew had the assistance of Dunfield, the famed goal-getter of the Ottawa St. Pats, who is an old Renfrew boy. Dunfield scored 6 out of the 10 goals in Renfrew’s count, which indicated something of his capabilities. To Shawville’s string of seven goals, Frank Finnigan contributed five, although he was very closely watched and practically covered by two men throughout the game.
The public school commissioners of Bristol met on March 15. Present were Chairman Horner and Commissioners MacLeod, Findlay and Smith.
Council minutes for Shawville: A bill from E.N. Durocher for $49.90 for services in attending to some smallpox cases at Green Lake which bill had been paid by the municipality of Waltham and Bryson was laid before council by Cr. Judd with request for a refund and after discussion the matter was referred back to Waltham and Bryson for adjustment between that municipality and Mansfield et Pontefract on motion of Crs. Dowd and C. McNally on the grounds that the cases of smallpox had been located with the two municipalities mentioned.
Ad: Write for our catalogue of pianos and phonographs. Direct agents for the new Edison and Brunswick Phonographs and Culbransen Player Pianos. We guarantee everything we sell. Robertson, Pingle and Tilley Limited, Ottawa.
Ad: The average Canadian family consists of five persons. The new low price of Ford cars makes it possible to add the sixth member to it. Ford cars are now so low priced that it is possible to give yourself and your family what others have. The sixth member of the Canadian family, the Ford car. The price of the Touring car is $445, freight and government taxes extra. And it can be bought on a monthly payment plan. G.A. Howard, Shawville.
Mar. 31,1898 125 Years Ago
Local news: The ice in the Ottawa River at Bryson went out on Saturday, the earliest date for many years.
Dr. Frank Rimer, second son of Walter Rimer, Esq. of Bryson, started for the Yukon on Monday. His intention is to practice amongst the miners, and incidentally to have his eye open for a good claim. Frank left with good hopes of striking a pretty good thing and we shall be glad to hear anon, that his expectations have been fully realized.
A bad wreck occurred on the C.P.R. near Fort William on Friday last by which two persons were killed and twenty injured. The accident was to a colonist train and was caused by a broken rail.
Ploughing is said to have commenced in Onslow township.
The Rev. Jas. L. Flanagan for the past seven years incumbent of the mission of Thorne, has been appointed by the Lord Bishop of Montreal to the incumbency of St. Andrews Church, Montreal.
A shocking and fatal accident occurred about three miles above Verner recently. It seems that one Demers drove to Cache Bay for a load of lumber, his wife awaiting his return at Verner. When he reached there, he was joined by his young wife, to whom he was but very recently married, and proceeded on their homeward way, little thinking of how soon the hand of death would separate them. They had almost reached their home, when, while descending a hill, the sleigh suddenly lurched to one side, and the unfortunate woman, in an effort to save herself, jumped from the load, but scarcely had she reached the ground when the lumber upset to the same side, completely covering and crushing her to death.
The bill to prohibit the importation of American nursery stock, (passed during the present session of parliament with the view to preventing the “San Jose Scale” from infecting the orchards of Canada) has been sanctioned by the Governor-General and is now in force. American nursery stock of any kind, such as fruit trees, shrubs, vines or ornamental trees cannot now be sold or offered for sale in Canada.
