July 19, 1995
25 Years Ago
Deal struck with CP Rail: The old Canadian Pacific railroad may soon be returned to adjacent landowners in the Municipality of Pontiac.
According to the president of the CP Rail Neighbours Association, the group which has been negotiating with CP, the two sides have agreed upon a price.
Urged by a petition with more than 300 names, the municipality agreed to . . .
begin negotiations with CP to purchase the corridor and turn it into a public recreation trail.
Pontiac Pride beats rain: Saturday night’s huge crowds saved the Pontiac Pride this year.
Rains all day Sunday kept many people away from he 6th annual Jamboree. Despite the weather, Pontiac Pride chairman Laurie MacKechnie said early estimates indicate total attendance was up.
Virginia Schwartz, 17, of Quyon, kept the toes tapping with some old time fiddle music during the Pontiac Pride.
July 22, 1970
50 Years Ago
Missing from our files
July 26, 1945
75 Years Ago
Local News: Outbuildings on two farms destroyed by fire: on Friday afternoon, barns, house and cow stable were burned on the farm of Mr. Gilbert Telford, Murrell’s section and on Saturday afternoon a large frame barn, three small log buildings and a machine shed and silo were destroyed by fire at the farm of Harry McCleary one mile west of Shawville.
The fire at the Telford farm is thought to have started from a friction spark when a hay fork rope jumped a pulley.
Origin of the fire at the McCleary farm is unknown, Mr. McCleary was away from home at the time and the blaze was first noticed by Mrs. McCleary in the gable end of the frame barn, which contained about 15 loads of this season’s hay.
Neighbours reached the scene in time to release a number of pigs in one building but a pure bred calf in another building perished in the blaze.
At the Telford farm, all animals and machinery were saved. The barns contained a quantity of last year’s hay and a few loads of this seasons’ crop. The loss is partially covered by insurance.
Flt. Lieut. Ken Smyth and Cpl. Walter A. Smith have returned home from overseas.
Once the pride of the German merchant fleet, the 52,000 ton liner Europa is moved for the first time in five years into dry dock at Bremerhaven. The ship, which once held the trans-Atlantic speed record for passenger vessels, will be repaired and refitted for troop-carrying activity. American soldiers in the ETO will be transported to the U.S. aboard the vessel, which is expected to make two round trips a month.
Two marines on Okinawa who dived into a fox hole in a night air raid had the company of a sow which would not budge. The two soldiers stayed with the sow that night and the next morning found she had six reasons for not moving, six little pigs.
July 15, 1920
100 Years Ago
Local News: It is not often that a postponed gathering turns out as successfully as that held on the exhibition grounds on Friday last under the auspices of the society. In the morning prospects were scarcely what would be called reassuring.
The ‘feel’ of the atmosphere and appearances overhead indicated rain and as a matter of fact towards evening it did rain but happily the storm passed well to the south and Shawville and its numerous pleasure-seeking visitors were spared from a soaking.
The number who came by trains from either east or west was comparatively small but by two o’clock, the hour at which the sports were billed to commence, a fair-sized crowd had assembled on the grounds and within the next hour the influx had appreciably increased, whereat the society directors and sports committee began to show they had pretty well dispelled the care-worn expression of anxiety that was manifest a few hours earlier.
The rapid assembling of the crowd was due very largely to the number of autos that are now in the country and without the cars it is doubtful if more than half of the people who came out would have been present, certainly not those from any distance.
After the track performance got off to a good start, the exhibition ring in front of the grand stand became the centre of attraction for those more interested in saddle horses.
The evening entertainment in the exhibtion hall consisted of the presentation of the drama “A Girl in a Thousand” by members of the Young Girls H.M. Club.
Dominion Day passed very quietly in Shawville, that is after the bustle of the Sunday school children, their teachers and relatives getting off to Green Lake to their annual picnic had subsided. The s. schools of the village were augmented at Green Lake by other S.S. children from Radford and Yarm and when all got together it is needless to say, there was a busy time. The delights of bathing in the bright green-hued water were indulged in to the full by grown-ups as well as youngsters. Sundry athletic sports were participated in by the boys and all passed off pleasantly, the weather being most favourable for the event.
July 18, 1895
125 Years Ago
Local News: A gang of men are at work raising the hull of the steamer Perley which was burned on Chats Lake a few weeks ago. It is thought that a large portion of the machinery will be found in very fair condition.
There is considerable activity in the building line here this week. All our carpenters are busy. Messrs. R.G. Elliott, George Smith and A.J. Horner are employed putting in the necessary frame work of Hodgins’ new block as the brick work progresses and during the past week have erected a little building for Mr. C. Caldwell on the west side of the old hotel building, fronting on Main Street.
Mr. J. Caldwell has submitted the interior of the barber shop to sundry improvement and Mr. R.D. Finnngan and Son are at work on a two-story out-house in rear of Mr. J.H. Shaw’s new store.
Bryson and Portage du Fort lacrosse teams played their first match on Thursday afternoon last. The latter won by a score of three goals to one.
The following is a list of those who met death in the terrible accident which befell the pilgrim train at Craig’s Road on Tuesday last: Fireman Perkins, Miss Varin, from St. Joseph’s of St. Ives; Charles Bedard, mail conductor and brother of Mr. Bedard, M.P.P. for Richmond; the Rev. Mr. Mercier; two unknown ladies from Iley, Shefford County; Miss Phaneuf, St. Ives; Mde. Coyer, Danville; and the bodies of three young women, unidentified; Engineer McLeod, the Rev. Father Dignan, Windsor Mills; the Rev. Father Carney, Magog. Several of the wounded of who there were many, have succumbed to their injuries.
The exact cause of the accident will probably never be known as the two men principally responsible, the engineer and the fireman, are among the dead.
About 100 men have been started to work to build a section of the Gatineau Valley Railway from Pickanock to Mouchette Township, a distance of some ten miles.
A former Pembrokeite, now in Seattle, Wash. writes that the times are terribly hard there. Droves of men are going along the streets, unable to get work.
The Wabash Railway is now acknowledged by travelers to be the shortest, quickest and best line from Canada to Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, old Mexico, California and all western points.
