Apr. 13, 1994
25 Years Ago
Thorne mourns the loss of its mayor: Mayor Clarence Frederick Pasch passed way peacefully in the Pontiac Community Hospital in Shawville on April 3 after a courageous battle with cancer at the age of 60 years.
Along with his duties as mayor of Thorne, Clarence was a dedicated community worker and an active member of St. John’s Lutheran Church.
In 1985 he was elected mayor and held that office until the time of his death.
PWDC marking the river: The first step in developing the Ottawa River is to make it safe for boaters.
This is the objective of the Pontiac Waterway Development corporation. That’s why PWDC members Sonny Germain and John Brusenbach recently took a drive to Prescott and brought back two Coast Guard-approved buoys. These buoys will be used as prototypes. The plan is to get 48 more manufactured locally and mark the safe channels of the river for boaters.
Made of steel and filled with styrofoam, the buoys are of two shapes and colours.
The ones with a pointed top are painted red and are marked with even numbers. They mark the right side of a safe channel. The flat-topped buoys are painted green and bear odd numbers. They mark the left side of safe water as a pilot heads his boat upstream.
Apr. 16, 1969
50 Years Ago
Effective speaking finals for Lions District A4 in Pontiac for first time: Effective speaking competitions have long been one of the activities of Lions Clubs throughout the world and the new club in Quyon is right in the swing. This Saturday evening, April 19 starting at 7 o’clock the Effective Speaking Finals for the entire district (A-4) will be held in Quyon.
At this event four trophies will be presented to the top speakers in each of four categories: Boys French, Girls French, Boys English and Girls English. There will also be a prize of $20 for each of these four and $10 will be presented to all finalists who enter.
The finals for district A-4 which includes Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec will be held at St. Mary’s School.
Quyon Legion ladies donate euchre proceeds to local Girl Guides: As a part of the Royal Canadian Legion’s program on education, the Ladies Auxiliary of the No. 231 Quyon Branch donated the proceeds of the regular Wednesday evening Euchre to the work of the local Girl Guides.
The Guide movement assists in developing the whole personality, mental, spiritual and physical, of young girls.
Apr. 13, 1944
75 Years Ago
Local news: Mrs. Herbert Strutt of this village, recently received from the Governor General of Canada a silver D.F.M. medal which had been awarded to her son, the late P.O. Gordon Strutt of the R.C.A.F. overseas.
P.O. Strutt, who enlisted during the first months of the war and went overseas as a Sgt. Pilot in May 1941, shared with his crew in the sinking of two submarines in the Atlantic off the west coast of England.
The first vessel was sunk in April and the second in May 1942 and of second sinking excellent pictures were taken and many of them were published in Canadian papers.
Shortly after he received his commission and in August of 1942 his place was reported missing. Nothing has been heard of it since and he now is presumed dead.
The medal came as a well-merited token of respect for his gallantry in bombing operation over Europe and the sinking of the submarines while on patrol duty.
He was born in Shawville where he received his education and was a very popular young man in this village.
At Pontiac Community Hospital, Shawville, born April 3, 1944 to Pte. and Mrs. Golden Kearns (nee Audrey Caldwell) a daughter, Connie Margo. (Daddy overseas.)
The air war over Nazi Europe is still growing in scope and intensity, comments the New York Times. Every passing day establishes new records for the number of Allied planes that roam the Nazi skies for the weight of bombs and incendiaries dropped on Nazi targets for the number of Nazi planes destroyed and for the relentless frequency of the attacks.
One of a shower of German fire bombs which were dropped recently in the grounds of the British Houses of Parliament burned a hole in the roof of Westminster Hall. It landed on the slate roofing of that building, rolled down to the edge where it set the woodwork aflame but was quickly extinguished before doing much damage.
Apr. 10, 1919
100 Years Ago
Local news: A box social and debate will be held at the hall at Bristol Corners. There will be a debate. The subject is: Chivalry is passing away. The debate will be followed by a box social under the auspices of St. Thomas’ Ladies’ Guild. Admission is 25 cents.
Miss Wharry, professional nurse who recently returned from England, arrived home Saturday evening last.
Franklin McDowell, son of Mr. and Mrs. H.T. McDowell who has been an officer in the navy for some time, arrived home last week. He expects to go west shortly.
After going through an operation for a severe case of appendicitis at St. Luke’s Hospital, Ottawa on March 7, Miss Sarah Arvillia Black of Thornby passed away in her 15th year.
She leaves to mourn her loss a sorrowful father and mother, two sisters and five brothers.
It is reported in Monday’s dispatches that the Communist government recently proclaimed in Hungary has been overthrown and its minister of foreign affairs assassinated.
Von Hindenburg is said to have violated the terms of the Armistice by the mobilization of a strong force of German troops in Northern Prussia. This shows that the old war horse regards with contempt the agreement others of his countrymen entered into with the Allies to stop the war and it may be that the latter have more trouble coming to them than they expect.
The Canadian tariff issue according to information received by the Toronto Star may precipitate a general election during the autumn of the present year.
Apr. 19, 1894
125 Years Ago
Local News: The Chats Lake is now clear of ice.
Dr. H. Knox has removed the old wing of his house, preparatory to erecting a more commodious one.
The steamer J.L. Murphy left her moorings at Portage du Fort on Monday morning to commence the season’s towing in Chats Lake, Capt. Ricard says navigation opened earlier this spring than any time during the past 20 years. There are at present 200,000 logs in the Schneaux boom to be towed.
The roads during the latter part of last week were in the opinion of the “oldest inhabitant” better than ever before at this time of year.
A number of farmers commenced plowing last week. Although the ground was exceptionally dry for the season, frost was encountered in most cases.
Heavy draft horses are in demand at present in this section. Mr. George Brownlee is hiring 50 teams to work on the Soulanges canal. The wages are said to be good.
Mr. C. Blondin, jailor at Bryson, lost a fine horse one day last week by drowning. It seems the animal which was hitched to a buggy ran away, taking straight along Main street, over the wharf into the river where the water is pretty deep. The carcass of the horse and buggy were afterwards fished up.
Walsh’s hall, Bryson, has recently undergone elaborate improvements, especially in connection with the paraphernalia of the stage which has been thoroughly refitted and provided with attractive scenery.
A man named George Rose of Calumet Island had his dwelling with all its contents utterly destroyed by fire on Thursday last. Rose was absent at the time on the Coulonge drive and his wife had gone out for a few minutes to a neighbour’s house. A girl in the house noticed the fire only when it was so far advanced that it was impossible to save anything in the building. Parties on the other side of the river saw the blaze but arrived too late to be of any service. The family lost everything except what they had on their backs.
Compiled by Bonnie Chevrier
