Aug. 16, 1995
25 Years Ago
Three times the turnout for second Rivers Festival: Organizers estimate the second annual Pontiac Rivers Festival attracted three times the participation of last year’s event.
The two-day festival is sponsored by The Friends of the Pontiac’s Rivers, a local organization formed to promote and protect the county’s rivers.
From a central camp next to the Highway 148 bridge in Mansfield, this year’s activities took place on . . .
both the Coulonge and Black Rivers.
Rally participant Bob Terhusne bought a cottage on the Black River system 15 years ago because of the excellent canoeing to be found there.
“The pointer boat races were a real attention-getter,” said Festival Coordinator Lynn Lavery.
A spaghetti supper at nearby Bower’s Restaurant and a dance at the Parish hall in Fort Coulonge wrapped up the festivities.
Quyon Ferry edges Wedgies in first reverse tournament: “All the teams knew,” said tournament organizer Stephanie McColgan.
But it was still quite confusing when the batter stepped up to the plate, hit a pitch and started running for first base when they should have been hoofing it over to third base in the first Quyon Reverse Fun Ball Tournament to raise funds for the Quyon Recreation Association.
That’s reverse ball, third is first base in this game, second is second and old first base is third and most of base runners made a few steps toward the old first base before realizing that they were going the wrong way.
In all, ten teams took to the pair of ball diamonds at the Quyon Fairgrounds for the day-long event.
Aug. 19, 1970
50 Years Ago
It’s all over after 117 years of service: Mail first came to Wyman 117 years ago. It was called Woburn then, named by its founder, Joseph Wyman after the place from whence he came, Woburn, Mass. and he was the man who brought it on horseback.
He had come to Hull with his father and family to join his uncle, Phileman Wright.
They soon moved up the valley, settling midway between Aylmer and Portage du Fort, and up those rugged trails he carried the mail.
Since 1879 mail has arrived twice a day, first by horse, then in 1886 by rail and the last four years, by truck.
Wyman is not and never was a village, rather a community of roughly about 20 or 30 square miles whose inhabitants claimed it as their address. The post office may be closed, but there are hundreds of people who will still tell you Wyman is their home.
Nursing course to commence at PCH and PHS: Pontiac Community Hospital becomes a teaching hospital as of Sept. 28, 1970 with the institution here of a course for Registered Nursing Assistants.
The lecture portion of the course will be held in the Pontiac Protestant High School and the practical clinical portion will be held at Pontiac Community Hospital.
The nursing instructors will be co-ordinated by Mrs. Dorothy Fulford. Among those who will be teaching are Mrs. M. Marks, Mrs. Joyce Hodgins, Mrs. Moira McTiernan, Mrs. Betty Sparling, Mrs. Melba Glenn and Mrs. Sandra Beaupré.
Aug. 23, 1945
75 Years Ago
Local News: A number of Shawville citizens responded to a call on Monday evening to help fight fire at Pine Lodge, Bristol.
The fire was in a third floor bedroom at the southeast corner of the main lodge and it is believed to have started from a cigarette butt in a waste paper basket in the room.
The blaze was quickly subdued by the firefighting apparatus of the lodge and fast work on the part of employees and guests. Considerable damage was caused by water and one partition in the room had to be knocked out to get at the fire.
The latest arrival from overseas during the past week was L.A.C. Lindsay (Red) Dale, son of Mrs. R. A. Dale, King Street.
Shawville is becoming aware of an epidemic of tire thefts that has struck the village. Two weeks ago, tires were taken from trailers owned by J. Tanner and Robt. Carswell, local taxi-man, those guilty carrying along the wheels as well.
The terrific effects of the atomic bomb were described by Dr. Donald Leet, a professor of geophysics at Harvard, who witnessed the test on July 16 in New Mexico desert.
“It beggars description,” he said. “I was 50 miles from the explosion awaiting a message. There were thunderstorms on the horizon and I was afraid I could not see the flash. At 5:30 a.m. H-hour, it let go. It lit up 180 degrees of the horizon, not like one but a dozen brilliant suns. It stayed lit up and made the chills run up by back because I knew what might happen if it were uncontrolled. It was followed by a brilliant red wall of flame. Fifty miles away it was like an earthquake. It created a crater a half-mile across and a quarter of a mile long.”
Japanese city ‘blown to atoms’: The atomic bomb, which the United States has unleashed against the Japanese, marks the end of an era, an age, a civilization says the Christian Science Monitor. For destruction and devastation, it surpasses two-thousandfold anything yet developed. That this force from which the sun draws its very power, has been harnessed for destructive purposes is the consequence of this tragic world-engulfing conflict.
Aug. 12, 1920
100 Years Ago
Local News: Last Wednesday’s celebration at the Exhibition Grounds held under the auspices of the local G.W.V.A., brought out the largest crowd of people whoever assembled together within that enclosure; that seems to be the general opinion of all who have been in the habit of attending exhibitions and other gatherings held in Shawville for years past.
The veterans hit upon a particular streak of extra good luck in fixing their big event for the 4th because the weather, the main consideration upon which depends the success or otherwise of all outdoor entertainments was all that the most exacting could wish for, a little warm perhaps but not insufferably so for the time of year.
With a clear sky from early morn till mid-day, and the interval between haying and harvest timed to a nicety, no obstacles stood in the way of the majority of the rural population of the district taking a holiday and they certainly took full advantage of the respite thus afforded.
Our friend W.J. Ringrose of the Advance was in town Monday circulating petitions with regard to the extension of the Pembroke Electric Light Company’s service from Waltham through the county via Coulonge and Campbell’s Bay to Shawville.
James McLellan, who keeps a restaurant and barber shop at Quyon and W.H. Blair, an Ottawa merchant who was having some ice cream at the time, were badly burned Saturday evening by the explosion of a gasoline lamp.
After receiving attention from the local physicians, the victims of the accident were placed on one of the U.O.I Co. tug boats and taken to Aylmer where they were met by an ambulance and taken to the city hospital.
Aug. 15, 1895
125 Years Ago
Local News: The Hawkesbury lumber Co. have closed down four of their sawmills at Hawkesbury on account of low water, leaving only one running.
Mr. Francis Murtagh of Campbell’s Bay has returned safe and sound from his trip to the Emerald Isle. Accompanying him, we learn, is a party of five persons, three men and two women who have come out to find a home in Canada.
A large gang of men passed up the line on Tuesday evening’s train on their way to the woods. They were in charge of Mr. Thos. Lunam.
During the thunderstorm on Tuesday evening, the English church at March Corners was struck by lightning. A new barn owned by Mr. G.W. Mon, ex M.P.P. was also struck with lightning the same evening.
On Thursday evening fire broke out in the McIntyre and Pilatzkie planing mill at Eganville and spreading rapidly, taking the Bridge block, owned by John Bridge of Renfrew and occupied by J. Rennick as a bakery and confectionery and J. Stringer as a barber shop. It also spread to the store and residence of John Casey.
The buildings were all totally destroyed. Fire again broke out about four o’clock this morning at the bridge, doing quite a lot of damage. Several buildings were in great danger bu the fire was got under control.
The C.P.R. is quoting a reduced rate to allow Manitoba hay to be shipped to the drought stricken districts in Ontario.
