Aug. 28,1996
25 Years Ago
Kayak rodeo a warm-up for worlds: The Ottawa River was like the Queensway at rush hour last weekend, as the regular fleet of whitewater rafts shared the Calumet channel with 175 competitors in the fourth annual Kayak Rodeo.
But this event was only a warm-up for what’s coming next weekend, the Pre-Worlds of kayaking.
That event, in turn, will serve as a test run for the really big show that will be coming to the area next year, the World Kayak Championships.
McCoy’s Rapids, just up-stream from Rocher Fendu Park is considered one of the best spots in North America for holding this type of competition.
While over a hundred spectators and participants watched from the shoreline.
Competitors entered the rapids one at a time and performed a service of choreographed manoeuvres and stunts.
Twenty people had even flown over from England to gain some experience in preparation for next year’s world championships.
With its abundance of big rapids, its not hard to see why the Ottawa has become one of the hot spots for competition in all of North America.
Crime down again: QPF: Pontiac is becoming a safer place to live,
According to a report just issued by the Quebec Police Force.
Sgt. Michael Cullen, commander of the QPF, released Pontiac’s crime statistics for 1995.
On the highways, the Campbell’s Bay detachment investigated 511 accidents in 1995, including three fatalities and 68 accidents with injuries. This number is down from the 529 accidents in 1994.
The Campbell’s Bay detachment employs 20 patrollers and three detectives.
They using four marked cruisers and three unmarked cars to patrol 1,472 km of roads and serve a population of 15,111.
Sept. 8,1971
50 Years Ago
Ladies bring medical needs to Pontiac County Council: It was ladies first at County Council yesterday as Mrs. Ina Kilgour, County Chairman of Women’s Institutes, and fifteen other ladies presented their brief about the need for more doctors.
The ladies represented every hospital auxiliary and every womens institute in Pontiac County as well as the Shawville Womens Service Club.
Their brief stated that they felt there is an urgent need for more surgeons as well as for more general practitioners in Pontiac County.
Commending the ladies for their initiative in bringing this important matter to public attention were a number of mayors as well as Mr. Jean Guy Larivière, MNA.
Mayor Orla Young went further to say that he would bring the matter before his own municipal council of Shawville.
They could have played all night…and they did: Pontiac’s 7th Annual Fast Ball Tournament at Quyon on the Labour Day weekend will go down in history as one of the longest, continuing contests on record.
The tournament which started at 10 a.m. Saturday running until near midnight, resumed again Sunday at 11 a.m. featured several marathon extra inning contests as well as being held up Sunday afternoon for about four hours as the result of a terrific downpour of rain.
By the time Stittsville emerged as the final winner for the fourth time and the third consecutive year, it was 6 o’clock Monday morning. From the time of resumption after the rain at 7 p.m. Sunday, play was continued without interruption until that time.
One of the observers remarked that the bleachers and sidelines were still packed at 2 a.m. and he was forced to leave as he could no longer stand up.
The Quyon team consisted of Tom Fraser, Ralph Murphy, Emett O’Donnell, Chris McColgan, Harold Murphy, Rick Logie, Gil Fraser, Brian Davis, Doug Brewster, Jack Valiquette, Robert Pilon and Denis Chausser.
Sept. 5,1946
75 Years Ago
Local News: The concert at Pine Lodge in aid of Pontiac Community Hospital fund was well attended and the variety program was much appreciated.
McKinley’s Modern Grocery opened last Saturday. The groceteria in connection with the Community Refrigerator, which was built by William and John McKinley on Main Street, opened on Saturday with a large patronage by citizens of town and district.
The store presents a most pleasing appearance and follows the style of city serve-yourself stores, only on a smaller scale. The construction of the building with 27-foot frontage and 84 feet deep, was under the general supervision of Mr. Percy Belsher; cinder block walls were put up by Patterson Construction Co. of Ottawa.
Sugar continues to be rationed because it is in short supply all over the world. If sugar rationing in Canada were abandoned now it would mean that large areas of the country would get no sugar at all and other parts would have more than their fair share.
Squadron Leader W.A. Waterson, Canadian-born member of the British Royal Air Force, achieved a “true” air speed of 620 miles per hour in a test flight of the second “Sta.” meteor jet plane in England last week. On a similar test flight Aug. 14 Group Capt. Donaldson, commander of the Royal Air Force high speed flight, reached 626 miles per hour.
Aug. 26,1921
100 Years Ago
Local News: The directors of Agr. Soc. No. 1 have recently purchased from Mr. Jas. L. Shaw the parcel of land lying west of the existing boundary of the exhibition grounds and extending to the lane, or roadway leading from Land Street to the Railway track and containing nearly four acres of ground.
Owing to the shortness of time, it is unlikely this additional area can be satisfactorily utilized for the approaching fall fair but through its acquisition material changes and improvements may be looked for by the time another year has run its course.
THE EQUITY had a pleasant call last Wednesday from Mr. William Moore, merchant and trader of Otter Lake and one of the pioneer residents of that section. In the course of a friendly chat, Mr. Moore informed us that there are prospects of a dull winter in his district in consequence of lumbering operations being practically at a standstill on the Pickanock where last year a big quantity of pulpwood and logs was taken out and a large sum of money circulated among the settlers.
Mr. W.J. Hayes’ new building on Centre Street, which is now well advanced towards completion, is the first building in town to be finished in stucco.
The forest fires in Ontario, Quebec, new Brunswick and Nova Scotia this year have been in the great majority of cases, humanly set. Few were caused by malevolence but the effect on the public purse is not made easier to bear because of that. Lightning has caused a number of this year’s forest fires but ninety er cent of the loss is attributable to such classes as settlers, fishermen and campers. Also, the cigarette and match thrown down on the inflammable “floor” of the forest take an enormous annual toll.
Final agreement has been reached between the Manitoba and Ontario governments for a connecting of the two provinces by a national highway.
Sept. 3,1896
125 Years Ago
Local News: There are no prisoners in the county jail at Hull, the first time such has been the case in the history of the county.
A very heavy rainfall occurred on Sunday last. The majority of farmers having finished harvesting, however, the downpour will prove of more benefit than otherwise.
The academy opened on Monday last with the following teachers in charge: Mr. McNaughton, principal; Miss McKechnie, model; Miss Whelen, elementary.
A large number of Pontiac farmers and others went on the excursion to the Central Experimental Farm on Thursday last. The largest number boarded the train at this station. The excursionists on reaching the farm were addressed by Hon. Mr. Fish, Minister of Agriculture, Mr. W.J. Poupore, and others including the officials of the farm. The pleasure of the trip, however, seems to have been marred considerably by the wretchedness of the “chuck” which the new staff of employees endeavoured to pawn off on the visitors under the name of lunch and demand for the same, the modest sum of 25 cents a head.
Baron Russell, Lord Chief Justice of England, now on tour through this continent, is at present visiting the cities of Canada.
General Superintendent Resseman of the Gatineau Valley Railway announces a single fare over that line and the Pontiac Pacific Junction, good for the entire exhibition week. Last year tickets were only good for two days and cars on such occasions were uncomfortably crowded.
The size of the Liberal government’s estimates for the current year makes it certain that, however much the protection in the tariff may be reduced, the people will have to pay as much in the way of customs taxation as ever. The new ministers expect to spend in the first year quite as much money as did the old, and will probably end by spending more.
