Aug. 31, 1994
25 Years Ago
Quyon BBQ raises cash for firefighters: Quyon’s fifth annual BBQ to raise money for the volunteer firefighters was a success thanks to sponsors Freshmart, Shorewalk Vacation Villas, Weston Bread and Laflamme-Filion Pharmacy.
Sunny weather enticed about 200 hungry . . .
people to take in the even held in conjunction with Freshmart’s anniversary. $630 was raised for the firefighters.
Terry Fraser was the lucky winner of a one week stay for four at the Shorewalk Vacation Villas in Florida donated by Bob David of Shorewalk and Rick Poirier of Freshmart. Those who helped out during the day were Lucille Ladouceur, volunteer firefighters Roger Miljour, Guy Marcotte, Lorne Dagenais, Roger Dubois, Leo Ladouceur, fire chief and Rick Poirier.
Whitewater rodeo excitement: At the second annual Whitewater Rodeo, paddlers from across North America were hailing the Ottawa River rapids as one of the most impressive sections of whitewater in eastern North America.
The rodeo, hosted by Equinox Adventures of Calumet Island last weekend, drew some of the best paddlers in the world to McCoy’s Hole, the first rapid on the river.
Spectators watched canoes standing up in the air, kayaks flipping end over end and squirt boats, ultra light small kayaks, performing underwater acrobatics.
Sept. 3, 1969
50 Years Ago
Fire destroys home and store at Wyman on Sunday: Mail at the Wyman post office not picked up by last Saturday night and mail which was mailed there Saturday night has most likely disappeared forever.
Sunday evening, the small community of Wyman experienced the worst fire in its history when the residence and general store of E.C. Dods and family was completely destroyed.
The premises also served as a post office for the area.
Willing neighbours were able to remove some furniture, appliances and dishes from the lower part of the residence but little was saved from upstairs and nothing at all from the heavily stocked store.
However, a hole was cut in the south wall of the office and the large safe and most of the post office records were removed to safety.
Adult education in agriculture: Two courses in agriculture are planned for Pontiac County this fall.
One will be held in the Pontiac County Protestant High School in Shawville. This will be for interested farmers in this area and will be under the direction of Chris Judd.
The second course will be held at Harrington Hall in Chapeau and Mr. Barry Stitt of Fort Coulonge will be the instructor.
Sept. 7, 1944
75 Years Ago
Local news: Shawville Fair which falls on Sept. 21, 22, 23 gives promise to being the best on record.
While fishing in the Quyon river on Saturday evening, Chas. Jay of Quyon landed a catfish which tipped the scales at 18 pounds.
Shawville and district shivered and shook in the quake of early Tuesday morning but no damage was recorded.
Hundreds of citizens were awakened in a frightened state and got out of bed. A few bricks fell from a chimney on the residence of Mr. Jon J. Caldwell and in some homes dishes fell from panty and cupboard shelves.
The only injury and that was very slight, happened when the Rev. A.F. Fokes got out of bed and bumped into a door before turning on a light, receiving a slight gash on his forehead.
Steve Mackay in the thick of fighting: “We had some fun at a factory near Caen where the Germans used to give us quite a party each day with mortar fire.” So wrote Tpr. Steve Mackay from France to his sister, Mrs. William Kinmond of Toronto.
“There is an island near this factory and one night we went out on patrol on he island with only 11 men nd an officer. I was a trifle scared afterward when I discovered that more than 300 German prisoners were taken on the island.”
“A definite and complete and decisive victory – end of war in sight”, General Montgomery declared in a characteristic burst of enthusiasm. Prime Minister Churchill more cautiously refuses to predict an early end of the war but will not guarantee against in ending sooner than we had allowed ourselves to hope.
Aug. 28, 1919
100 Years Ago
Local news: The Farmers Club of Clarendon through their officials have called a meeting of all the farmers of the township to be held at No. 5 school hall to orange for the purpose of putting up a farmers candidate for Pontiac in the next Federal election.
THE EQUITY learns non-officially that a couple of propositions have been laid before the council lately with a view to supplying the town with electric power for lighting and other purposes.
One of these involves the harnessing up of the water power at High Falls on the Quyon river.
The other scheme is the development of a power on Bernard Creek at the foot of Long Lake in Upper Litchfield.
It is expected the provincial elections in Ontario and the referendum on the liquor question will come off early in October.
Polish troops are reported to have administered a crushing defeat to Bolsheviki forces who are retreating to disorder.
His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, after being received with much eclat at Government House and also at the Parliament buildings in Toronto, on Monday then proceeded to the exhibition grounds and formally opened the Canadian National Exhibition.
Aug. 30, 1894
125 Years Ago
Local News: The C.P.R. will lay steel rails from Stittsville to Smith’s Falls and will employ 100 men for that purpose.
On Sunday the Janet Craig conveyed a party of Arnpriorites to Bristol and returned leaving here at 10 a.m. and getting back about 7 p.m.
Wiarton, Ont. is not a big place but evidently a brave one, its council having tackled the evil of high hats on women. Wiarton must have a theatre.
The air so filled with smoke last week as to make it oppressive at times, was the result of forest fires on the line of the C.P.R. between Smith’s Falls and Peterboro.
A party of engineers are at work surveying and taking soundings in Chats Lake. Rumour says they are making preliminary survey for the Ottawa Ship Canal Route.
Errick Sullivan, aged 7 years of age of Pembroke, last week while holding a horse by the halter, got the rope tangled about his feet and the horse taking fright at the same moment, the boy was dragged at a furious rate through a large field several times.
When the horse was stopped, the boy was a bruised and mangled corpse.
The Walker Plumbago Company of Ottawa, Ont. whose works are at Buckingham expect by next spring to be making lead pencils at their Buckingham works. They claim their pencils will be quite equal to the best average.
On Thursday last, Mr. W.E. Rowan of Arnprior, placed a piano in the Pontiac House. It was manufactured by the Evans Bros. Piano Co. of Ingersoll, on. and is a fine instrument in every particular.
An interesting sight was witnessed in Montreal on Thursday last, when Admiral Hopkins commanding the five warships now in that port, put the men of the squadron through their land drill on the Camp de Mars.
