25 Years Ago – May 6, 1998
Community remembers dedicated chief, volunteer: They say you can judge a man’s wealth by the number of people at his funeral. In that respect, Bill Black was a rich man.
Hundreds of people packed the Shawville United Church Friday to remember their tireless volunteer and dedicated fire chief during a full fire department honours funeral.
The man everyone was honouring died doing what the loved best, fighting a fire. The Shawville-Clarendon fire chief died of a heart attack while coordinating firefighters at the scene of a bush fire at the Clarendon dump. He was 51.
Flags at the fire hall and town hall were lowered to half mast. Shawville’s council meeting was cancelled.
Longtime friend Ron Richardson was Bill’s Scout Master and later worked with him as an ambulance attendant.
“He was dedicated to everything he did,” Richardson says. “The fire department was his life.”
Cataract surgery now performed at hospital: In this age of restructuring and cut-backs, the future of Pontiac Community Hospital has often been in doubt. Those fears were laid to rest Friday when it was announced the hospital is now performing cataract surgery.
“Today is a good sign that hospital is here and here to stay,” says Charlotte L’Ecuyer, director-general of Pontiac’s Health Services.
Ophthalmologist Dr. Brian Patenaude began performing cataract surgery at PCH last week. Patenaude, who can see as many as six patients in a day, will be in Shawville two days a month. Later this month, a second ophthalmologist, Dr. Claude Ménard will also begin performing surgery at Pontiac.
50 Years Ago – May 9, 1973
CGIT and Explorer graduation: A large congregation at the Shawville United Church last Sunday morning, witnessed the CGIT and Explorer Graduation ceremonies.
The service was conducted by the Minister Rev. A.J. Macintosh and assisted by two of the graduates Jo-Anne McDowell who read the scripture lesson and Marilyn Quast as valedictorian.
This was preceded by the Explorer ceremonies conducted by Mrs. Helen Smart who was assisted by Miss Anne Hodgins.
Bryson RA first banquet and installation: Centennials are always good times for celebrating the old and initiating the new. In Bryson, Friday night, the recreation association held its first annual installation of officers banquet.
Some one hundred people sat down to a hot chicken dinner after grace and the singing of O Canada, which was a very good turnout for a Friday night and a first banquet.
Introductions followed the dinner prior to the guest speaker. The new executive is as follows: President, Lloyd Newberry, Vice President John Cahill, Treasurer Gordon Brennan, Secretary, Charles Young, Directors Leo Piche, Ed Gutoskie, Leonard Rodgers, Herb Steves, Ken Griffin and David Wall.
75 Years Ago – May 27, 1948
Local news: There was a large attendance at the Variety Concert by Renfrew talent at the Theatre Hall on Wednesday evening of last week and those present were well pleased with the program presented. The concert was sponsored by the Ladies Aid of Litchfield United Church in aid of the cemetery fund.
Word has been received by Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Brownlee of the fifth concession of Clarendon, that the remains of their son, Flight Sergeant Irwin Gordon Thomas Brownlee, missing since August 13, 1944, have been found in a cemetery in Germany and transferred to a Canadian cemetery in France.
The United Church Mission Band met on Friday afternoon with an attendance of 45. After a sing-song led by Mrs. Alwyn Dale at the piano, devotions were conducted b y the president, Beverley Campbell. A very interesting dramatization of a missionary story was given by a group led by Barbara Smith. Plans were made for a closing program in June when parents are to be invited to the meeting.
Cyprien Renaud, head truck driver and motor mechanic of the J.M. Argue lumber firm received severe injuries to his head when repairing a truck tire at the Shawville Milling garage on Monday afternoon.
The exact cause of the accident is not yet known but it is believed Renaud took the tire into the garage and threw it onto the floor to knock off the mud when it blew out, driving the lock rim directly into his face, breaking the bridge of his nose and inflicting deep cuts around his eyes and forehead.
He was alone when the accident occurred but was discovered a few minutes later when Arthur Lalonde, scaler at the mill heard the blow-out and went into the garage. He found Reneau and after administering first-aid he had the injured man rushed tot he Community Hospital. His condition was considered so serious that Dr. Mount, an Ottawa specialist visited him Tuesday evening.
All the mineral explorations carried out across Canada for the past 100 years will be more than matched in territory covered this summer by airborne prospectors using two new instruments. One of the instruments is the magnetometer, modified and refined by the National Research Council to better detect mineral interesting ore bodies and the other is a secret device.
100 Years Ago – May 10, 1923
Local news: The Musical Eckardts bell ringers and variety entertainers are billed to appear at Wilson’s Hall on Wednesday evening, May 16. The musical family has been before the public for over a quarter of a century.
T. Eckardt, daddy of the organization and a veteran in the entertainment business, is still personally in charge of the company and although an old man, takes an active part in the performance.
The annual Stallion Show under the auspices of C.P.A.S. held last Friday was rather a disappointment, only some four or five horses being on exhibition and nobody to address the comparatively small crowd of horsemen present, as expected.
It is stated that because of the low prices which horses are bringing these days, that farmers are not breeding to nearly the extent of former years and have somewhat lost interest in that line of agricultural effort.
Some of the Campbell’s Bay citizens have been roasting the town fathers through the medium of the Advance over their tardiness of action in dealing with the fire protection problem and other matters connected with the civic administration.
Renfrew Victoria Hospital is extending an opportunity for a three year course of training to young ladies desiring to take up nursing. All applicants must have at least one year’s high school training.
Political parties in Ontario are getting ready for the provincial election which comes off shortly.
Henry Ford, the automobile king is now rated as the richest man in the world. Wall Street financiers estimate the wealth of Ford and his son at between six hundred and seven hundred and fifty million dollars.
The twelfth annual report on Labour organization in Canada shows that a marked decline is going on in Trades union membership.
Large numbers of old country (British) settlers are arriving in Canada this spring.
125 Years Ago – May 12, 1898
Local news: Bush fires have been prevalent during the past ten days, owing to the unusually dry weather. Much of the brulé country in the back townships on which there was considerable dead and lying timber has been re-visited by the devouring element and pretty thoroughly cleaned up, leaving little else than the bare rocks.
Messrs. Wilson and Argue’s drive of ties and pulpwood was delivered at the mouth of Quyon River last week.
A very successful phonograph concert was held in the Orange Hall, Upper Eardly on Saturday evening.
The farmers around Morehead are busy with their crops at present.
The P.P.J. tie train was out on Monday loading ties.
A party composed of Dr. Lyon, John Dolan, H.S. Barnett, Jas. McArthur, W.A. Hodgins, J.A. Cowan and T.A. Wainman of this village; E. Graham and Hiram Richards of Elmside and Wm S. Clarke of Morehead, spent a few days last week trout fishing at Rang Lake, Cawood. Although their catch was not fully up to prior expectations, this discrepancy was in a measure compensated for by the amount of fun associated with the expedition, especially that portion contributed by two members of the party, which in itself was simply indescribable.
The farmers in Waltham are all busily engaged plowing and sowing in that locality, some of them are about half finished but there is very little prospect of growth as it has been very dry all spring.
Deer are getting very frequent again and moose passed through Robert Campbell’s yard about 8 o’clock one morning and two red deer crossed a neighbour’s farm in the evening about an acre from where a man was rolling.
A young man named Guerin from Westmeath was drowned off J.R. Booth’s drive below the Culbute on Black River on Saturday.
Elizabeth Matthews, adopted daughter of James Adams, who has lately found her father and relatives, is going to reside with them in the future.
