Aug. 7, 1996
25 Years Ago
First Pontiac Cry takes in $26,700: By Sunday afternoon, Sharon Presley was very pleased with the success of the first annual Pontiac Cry Country Jamboree.
“It’s overwhelming,” said the jamboree chairperson.
Two winners of a talent contest were each awarded $1,000 scholarships for their college education.
After a round of eliminations, Cody Presley of Otter Lake won in the six-to-nine-year-old category, and Jenna Arsenault of Stittsville won for the nine-to-12-year-olds.
A non-stop lineup of musicians and dancers kept the crowds entertained from Friday evening until Sunday evening.
Other performers included Howard Hayes and his band, Raccoons on Ice, Kyla and the Whispers, John Henry, Texas Winds, Irvin McCann, Lorne Daley and Country Pride, Red Bennett, A Certain Class, Cindy Sidock, Mario Desormeaux, Yvon Ladoucur and Extreme Heat, Lise Roy, Elvis impersonator Randy Collins and the John Langford Canadian Dancers.
Chutes open house an ‘amazing’ success: “We’re amazed,” said Joan Bertrand, president of the Coulonge Chutes Foundation at the end of Sunday’s open house.
“People were arriving before we could get all set up this morning.”
Close to 900 people came through the gates Sunday from as nearby as Pembroke and as far away as Vermont and even the Netherlands. Cars filled the new expanded parking area and were backed up past the gate.
In addition to the usual guided tours, there were information sessions on the he local biology given by instructors from Environment Quebec and children’s activities including clowns, colouring contests, face painting and arts and crafts.
Aug. 18,1971
50 Years Ago
Shawville Lions beef barbecue: Shawville Lions President Bill MacLachlan and Barbecue Lion Grant Rogers sliced the first of 38 ten-pound roasts to be removed from their ten hour baking in the hot coals under beach sand at Green Lake last Sunday. About six hundred people turned out to enjoy the barbecue, the first even to this kind ever to take place in Pontiac County.
Everyone in the Lions Club turned out in aid of the project which was an unqualified success.
Lions Barry Murray, Bill Orr and Carson Hodgins looked after the baking of foil wrapped potatoes to eat with the beef.
Speedway race results: Ray Rabishaw, the leading driver at the Allumette Speedway was held to a second and third place finish last Sunday in a Civic holiday weekend programme. Rabishaw still has a commanding 95 point lead over runner-up Paul Videto in point standings, following 12 weeks of racing (Rabishaw has 406 points, while Videto has 311).
Other drivers among the top six in the “A” division are Bob Bulmer, Fred Blohm, Denny Howarth and Hayden McLaughlin.
Fred Blohm captured the 20 lap feature race for “A” drivers on Sunday with Bob Bulmer on his heels. Bulmer won two of the regular heats while Freddy Blohm made it to the winners circle and second time.
Aug. 8,1946
75 Years Ago
Missing from our files
Aug. 4,1921
100 Years Ago
Local News: The prohibition by-law which has been in force in West Templeton for ten years, was rescinded on Thursday last by a vote of 106 to 28.
Owing to engine difficulties, Mr. John Tuck’s ditching machine has been temporarily put out of commission bu the expects to have it in running order again in the course of a few days.
The best sample of timothy hay we have seen this season comes from Mr. W.J. Hayes of Upper Litchfield.
After some hitches and delays and the voicing of several complaints, Mr. Leclair was relived of the construction of the concrete side walk on King Street and the contract for the work handed to Mr. Ed. Finnigan who with the aid of Sheppard and Hodgins’ new mixed, and a few competent cement layers, made goo progress with the work last week after a start was made and the walk is now complete.
Mr. Bazil Allan, locomotive engineer on the C.P.R., an old Bryson boy, has been visiting his cousins, the Robitaille family at Murrells.
Aug. 12,1896
125 Years Ago
Local News: At 6 o’clock on Monday evening the mercury registered 90 degrees at the door of the Pontiac House, the coolest outdoor spot in town. At other places it stood at 95 in the shade. This affords a fair sample of what Shawvillians have been enduring for several days past.
The Ross Point and Braeside ferry encountered a sea serpent a few days ago, according to the testimony of the ferryman. Something was met which raised the boat almost out of the water and those on the craft think it was nothing short of a whale. Those not on the craft wink the other eye and wonder why the navigators persist in running upon sunken sawlogs.
Norway Bay is gaining prominence as a summer resort.
A few days ago, one of the men employed in James Ferrier’s gang of men who “sweep” the Ottawa River between Calumet and Portage du Fort picked up, while crossing Beaman’s Island, an old sword which had evidently belonged to one of the early explorers of the Ottawa country. The hilt of the weapon is made of brass and the blade is broken, indicating that it had done service. An axe and other relics had previously been found on the same island.
Mr. James Mackey of Arnprior walked out of a third story window of the Butler House, Ottawa. Mr. Mackey had just returned from Quebec where he had delivered one of William Mackey’s rafts of square timber. His injuries were such that he died at eight o’clock while being removed to the hospital in the ambulance. The deceased gentleman, it seems was a somnambulist and is believed to have walked out of the window while asleep.
Farmers throughout the county are in the thick of the harvest this week.
The O.A. and P.S. Railway have dismissed a number of men as nearly all the masonry on the line is completed.
The Haley’s Station Methodist picnic was a success in all respects, the total receipts being $155.44.
A total eclipse of the sun took place on Sunday. It was not visible in this section and owing to cloudy weather was not seen in other parts of the world where important scientific observations were expected to be made.
Last week while traveling along the Thorne road leading from Hodgins Bros mill to Otter Lake, our reporter noted with pleasure that a very necessary expenditure of colonization money was being made from Greermount parsonage to the church at Thorne West. About 20 men, residents of the neighbourhood, were engaged in the work and it must be stated to their credit that they were making a very good job of what had hitherto been a very bad road.
The hill at Greermount which had been exceptionally bad, is now in good condition, the large stones having been all removed and earth supplied where necessary to make the hill a uniform grade.
The army worm is said to have made its appearance on Calumet Island and caused much havoc to grain fields in some places.
Messrs. H. Derenzy, Fred Mohr and several other Arnprior boys who are at present camping at the Schneaux boom, lost a fine new Peterborough canoe last week.
It was hauled up on shore and a bush fire which was in the near vicinity swept over and consumed it during their absence.
