June 15, 1994
25 Years Ago
Eight records broken at McDowell: Track stars at Dr. S.E. McDowell Elementary School in Shawville continued their yearly tradition of breaking their own records in last week’s school meet.
In the junior boys hardball throw, Blair Campeau threw the ball 42.66 metres; for the girls, Melissa Brownlee threw for 23.40 metres.
In the intermediate girls level, Tammy Tanguay threw for 31.78. In the juniors, Christine Tubman threw for 39.25.
In the girls triple jump, the new junior record holder is Logan Drummond at 6.13 metres.
In the senior girls, Kendra Burman jumped 7.57.
Erik Barber ran the intermediate boys’ 400 metre race in 1.11.61.
Residents demand improvements to 366: Residents who live along Highway 366 east of Ladysmith have decided that its time to act.
Nearly 40 people turned out to the June 7 regular meeting of Thorne council to press for improvements to the road. They presented a petition with over 100 names.
The official 70-km-per-hour speed limit is much too fast for such a twisty gravel road. The combination of cottage traffic and heavy trucks causes chronic washboards and intolerable levels of dust and results in many accidents.
Spokesman Armand Soucie said that Highway 366 is a disaster area. “The solution is pavement,” Mr. Soucie told his councillors.
June 18, 1969
50 Years Ago
Record registration for Lions swimming classes: The Lions Club swimming program got off the ground Saturday with a record first day registration of 109 pupils. With late registrations etc., the final pupil count will probably approach the 200 mark.
All swimmers, with the exception of beginners between 6 and 9 years of age are asked to report to Green Lake on July 3 or 4. At this time a pre-test will be conducted in order to classify pupils.
Shawville enters weekend rodeo: Joe Belsher’s long red stock truck was the largest horse drawing vehicle in evidence at the Filly Dale Rodeo to benefit retarded children on Sunday. The management of the rodeo expressed considerable appreciation to the members of the Shawville Pony and Saddle Club who took horses and ponies to the event.
Five or six carloads of spectators from Shawville also added to the success of the day.
The Shawville contingent took part in all parts of the show starting with the Registered Quarter Horse line classes which were entered by Sally and Gary Thompson with a mare and gelding from the Diamond T Ranch. Terry McDougall who claimed a first place with his yearling Classy’s Bubbles.
The Thompsons also showed in the Pleasure Class and Sally took part in all the western games. Allan Bean also entered some of the games on his new paint horse.
June 15, 1944
75 Years Ago
Local news: Combined operation or task force wins battle of the beachheads: The ground soldier may say with some justice, that all the bombs dropped on Germany in the last four years have not shaken the Nazi tyranny as deeply as have the last eight days of hand-to-hand fighting on the soil of France, comments the New York Times. Without the quick tactical support from the air and the intense strategic bombing which has hampered every German effort to bring up reserves, the beaches could never have been taken, much less held.
The Normandy landing represents the “combined operation” or the “task force” idea in its most massive and most convincing form.While the reports have tended to throw the desperate heroism of the infantry and air-borne divisions into the highest relief, it is impossible to read the story without seeing the role of air power in its true proportions. Here at last was the concrete reward won by the men who had died long before in the Lancasters over Berlin or the fortresses over Schweinfurt or Brunswick or in a hundred other air battles. Here is the result of the prolonged strategic pounding of all communications in western France both before D-Day and since. The greatest, most intricate combination of all has been adopted for the greatest single task the Western Allies have attempted.
Among those included in the recent King’s birthday honours list and mentioned in dispatches was acting Engine Room Sricter (4th Class) Joseph Keith Flemming, husband of the former Miss Doris Olmstead of Austin and grandson of Mrs. Jos. Sly of Shawville.
Mr. and Mrs. Clive Smart accompanied by Mrs. Secil Sly and Messrs. Percy Dagg and Lloyd Hodgins motored to Macdonald College on Saturday last to attend the annual assembly of Farm Forums. A good meeting was reported with a record attendance from all sections of the province.
Attention farmers! New bacon contract with Britain assures farmers of a good pork market for the next four years.
June 12, 1919
100 Years Ago
Local news: One of the hottest spells ever experienced in the early part of June was that which marked the weather of the past week. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the maximum thermometer readings here varied from 87 to 92 degrees. People complain that the mosquitoes are larger, more numerous and more vicious than they have been in many years past.
W.F. Drum whose illness from typhoid was mentioned in these columns two weeks ago, was taken to Ottawa on Saturday morning, it being thought that conditions there would be more conducive to his recovery than at his home here where the noise of traffic coupled with the din of the ribald jeers and cheers of the thoughtless element has been very annoying and nerve-racking.
The two mammoth tanks for the Imperial Oil Company who have selected Shawville as a distributing centre for kerosene and gasolene arrived here last week and will shortly be installed. The establishment of this supply depot will no doubt appreciably lower the price of oil and gas and be a great convenience as well as the prospect of the town “running dry” of these commodities will not now be likely.
Pte. Audrey Eades who for some time has been undergoing treatment at the sanitarium at Ste. Agathe, Que., has been spending a few days at home. Besides receiving a rather severe wound in the head, Audry was also a victim of poison gas.
June 14, 1894
125 Years Ago
Local News: We have been having very warm weather for the past week.
Croquet sets, baseballs and bats just received at G. Fred Hodgins.
The citizens of Portage du Fort are offering a list of good prizes for the various sports which are advertised to come off there on July 2.
Mr. John S. Poupore left on Tuesday of this week for the Upper Ottawa to resume his bush ranging.
Mr. James Labelle who has been absent for some time of Coulonge River, returned home but alas his stay amongst us was of a short duration as he has now taken his departure as fire ranger for MacLaren and Edwards.
There was a very fair attendance at the Patron’s Picnic held at Radford on Tuesday. The gathering was addressed by the chairman Mr. Thomas Craig, Mr. David Russell of Bristol and Rev. Mr. Russell, Presbyterian minister of Portage du Fort.
According to the Dominion Railway Act no horses, cattle, sheep or swine are permitted to be at large upon any highway within half a mile of the intersection of such highway with any railway, unless the cattle are in charge of some person to prevent their loitering or stopping on such highway at such intersection. Any cattle found on the highway may be pounded and the company shall not be liable for their value if killed at such intersection.
compiled by Bonnie Chevrier
