April 24,1996
25 Years Ago
Protest fails to save St. Joseph’s: Despite opposition from local residents and employees, the Regie regionale de la sante et des services sociaux unanimously accepted a . . .
cost-cutting plan from Pontiac’s Health and Social Services Board.
The plan, which is expected save Pontiac’s health care industry $2 million, will see St. Joseph’s Manor and the long-term care unit of Pontiac Community Hospital close within three years.
About 45 concerned citizens and employees attended the Regie’s April 18 meeting in Hull after the local unions of PCH and St. Joseph’s Manor organized a protest.
“We don’t feel our aging people are going to receive proper care in the future,” said Campbell’s Bay resident Richard Bowie who attended the meeting.
Campbell’s Bay youth centre open: While the Fort Coulonge youth centre opened to immediate success, teenagers in Campbell’s Bay have been slow to take advantage of their new youth centre.
The Coulonge centre, which has been open for more than a month now, has been averaging 30 teens a day. Only four young people came to the Campbell’s Bay youth centre, located in the former Front Street Sears building on its opening day.
Edith LaSalle, director of the two centres says “I knew there was a need but I didn’t think it would be that great.”
In its first week, Campbell’s Bay youth centre hasn’t enjoyed the same success as Fort Coulonge but LaSalle is optimistic.
April 28,1971
50 Years Ago
Children’s club conducts anti-pollution contest: A small group of the Dr. S.E. McDowell Elementary School has formed an interesting club which they call the KEEP Club. The initials K.E.E.P. stand for ‘kids enjoying environmental protection’ and though they are very young children, they know the meaning of those words.
Their first club project was a poster contest to increase awareness of responsibility for one’s environment among their fellow students.
The winner of the contest was nine-year-old Helen Soucy.
Public opinion poll reveals 97 per cent want Pontiac out of Quebec: An unofficial ballot for public opinion was published in THE EQUITY and extra copies of the ballot were made available to people who wished to express their opinions but who did not have the paper.
In sorting the returned ballots of those which were not signed were thrown out.
1,232 people in all wished to get Pontiac out of Quebec or Quebec out of Pontiac.
Of these, 231 wanted a province of Pontiac, 391 wanted to become part of a federal district, 603 wanted to become part of Ontario and 7 had other ideas.
April 25,1946
75 Years Ago
Local News: Congregations that filled the church attended the Easter services in Shawville United Church morning and evening. The pastor, Rev. A.F. Fokes spoke in the morning on “Christ the first fruits of those who sleep” and in the evening on “The burial of Moses and of Jesus”. A large choir of over 30 voices led in the singing of Easter hymns and gave two anthems at each service.
On a farewell visit to the Netherlands before relinquishing his post as Canada’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Rt. Hon. Vincent Massey discussed the current situation with Hon. Pierre Dupuy, Canadian minister to the Netherlands at The Hague.
The Canadian parliament voted last week to change the name of the national holiday from “Dominion Day” to “Canada Day”.
Mr. G.A. Howard, Inspector of Game Wardens for Pontiac County announces that fishing licenses can be procured at the following places: Pontiac Hotel, G.A. Howard’s office, Quyon Hardware store, Hotel Ladysmith; Johnston’s Store, Otter Lake; Percy Smith’s Store, Campbell’s Bay; Game Warden Leo Bertrand, Fort Coulonge.
April 21,1921
100 Years Ago
Local News: Mr. Clarence Caldwell made an emergency trip with his car to the city on Thursday night last to enable Mr. and Mrs. Jos. Gilpin to get their little boy who was injured through an accident, down to the hospital.
The winter of 1920-21 will be remembered in this district by the fact that it came in with a heavy snow storm early in November and winding up with another beauty on the 16th of April after the grass began to shoot and everyone had settled down to the belief that spring was actually here. “Lingering in the lap of Spring” may describe the situation poetically, but seated down in a good, old disturb-me-not fashion, seems to more accurately fit the case as this item is being written. A heavy snow storm this late in the year is regarded as a good sign for the approaching season’s crops.
The split-long drag was used last week with good effect on certain portions of our streets that are not macadamized. If this crude implement was used more extensively on our country roads at the proper time, there would be fewer bills to pay for repairs to broken rigs. Every three or four farmers should jointly own one of these drags and spend an hour or two occasionally in smoothing down the roads opposite their farms and thereby perform a good service to themselves and the public at a trifling cost of labour and time.
The refusal at the last moment of the railway and transport workers to go out on sympathetic strike with the coal miners owing to some differences arising between the miners themselves, somewhat lightened the gloom of the desperate situation which faced the British people.
April 22,1896
125 Years Ago
Local News: The steamer J.L. Murphy, Capt. J. Ricard, is expected to make her trail trip on he 27th or 28th inst.
On Thursday last a most excessive heat prevailed, before which the snow disappeared at a marvellous rate. It was succeeded in the evening by a violet thunder storm, accompanied by a heavy shower.
The spring flood last week caused serious damage to the mill dam at the Shawville Roller Mills and the Pontiac Woolen Mills, large portions of the earth embankment at each place having been carried away. The damages at both places are being repaired as rapidly as possible.
The patrons of Green Lake cheese factory met on Wednesday last at No. 10 school house. Considering the bad state of the roads there was a fair attendance.
Accident at Workman’s Mill: A break occurred in the dam at Workman’s Mill, Bristol, on Tuesday of last week, the result of which caused rather serious injury to Mr. L. Dumas who it appears was standing on the edge of the breach when his footing gave way and he was precipitated into the raging water, amongst a tumbling mass of ice and timber that was being carried onward by the flood. He was fortunately rescued at the bridge which crosses the road some distance below the mill, when it was found that he had received several severe bruises about the head, one ear being badly lacerated.
At a meeting of Calumet Island electors held at O’Hare’s Corners school house on the 15th inst. at which a goodly number were present, a local committee was formed in the interest of Mr. W.J. Poupore of which Mr. George Carswell was elected president and Mr. Thos. Heaphy, secretary.
The member of St. Paul’s Church Parochial Temperance Society held a very pleasant and well attended anniversary meeting on Wednesday evening last.
Mr. F.A. Coté of the Pontiac Telephone line is about to commence a thorough repair of the line in the way of a proper adjustment of the poles and other defects which now exist.
There are now one thousand men at work on the O.A. and P.S. Railway construction and crowds of people are flocking in every day and all are given employment.
A new phase has been added to the political situation in this county by the announcement made by that gentleman himself that Mr. Phillip O’Reilly, merchant of Ottawa, has placed himself before the electors of Pontiac as a candidate for the House of Commons.
The Conservative Central Committee have secured Mr. Robt. Hobbs’ new store building for their rooms during the campaign.
One of the handsomest sleeping cars that had ever been turned out of the factory is now running from Toronto to New York without change via the popular west shore route. It is a buffet car and refreshments can be obtained en route, if desired. This car leaves Union Station, Toronto every day at 4.55 p.m. except Sunday reaching New York next morning at 10.10 a.m.
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