Jan. 20, 1993

25 Years Ago

Late Senator’s family honours 24 residents: On Jan. 15, the family of the late Senator Tom Lefebvre carried out one of his last official duties, honouring those who strive to improve life in their communities.
Last Friday, 24 Pontiac residents were awarded the Canada 125 Commemorative Medal in recognition of their contributions to fellow citizens and to Canada.
Liberal nominee Bob Bertrand officiated at the decoration of those ‘who have made a significant contribution to Canada, showing individual respect and community effort.
“This is what Canada is built on,” he said to the capacity crowd in attendance at the Fort Coulonge parish hall.
Medal recipient Fernand Alarie of Shawville was given a certificate explaining the meaning of the award, which was presented by the late Senator’s wife Beatrice, his son Jean, his daughter Lisa Lefebvre-Campbell and his grand-daughter Valerie Campbell. Mr. Alarie thanked the Lefebvre family for personally carrying out the ceremony.

Cone retires after 44 years: Lloyd Cone remembers his first fare, a carload of swimmers he took to Green Lake in June, 1949. He remembers their names and he remembers he charged them 15 cents a mile.
Now, 13 cars and 44 years later, he’s rung up his last fare, a “town trip” for a woman visiting her husband at Pontiac Community Hospital. The fare’s gone up in the meantime to a dollar per kilometre.
What made Lloyd Cone such a good taxi driver is that he was “very reliable and obliging,” says Orla Mee, one of his longest customers. She was his teacher in Grade 5 and remembers him as “cooperative and industrious” even then.

Jan. 25, 1968,

50 Years Ago

Kengil gets contracts for homes for the aged: On Jan. 10, the Kengil Construction Co. Ltd. of Quyon signed the contracts for the construction for the St. Joseph’s Manor in Campbell’s Bay and the Sacred Heart Manor in Fort Coulonge at the cost of $310,000 and $317,000 respectively.
These two homes for the aged will be identical. Each home will contain one double apartment, three single apartments, 14 double rooms and six single rooms. This will offer accommodations for 39 senior citizens.
Shawville – Clarendon Library opens at Municipal Hall: On Friday, Jan. 26, the Shawville Council Hall will be the scene of a social event which marks a milestone in the history of this town. The occasion will be the Library Open House.
The library consists of a series of book shelves which when folded together can be padlocked shut but which when opened up reveal a variety of books for children, adolescents and adults, all for free distribution to the people of Clarendon and Shawville.
The books come from the Hull Regional Library travelling service which has been subscribed to by the two municipal councils of Shawville and Clarendon.
The first supply of books arrived before Christmas and the Shawville Council has been making arrangements for their use by the public.

Jan. 21, 1943

75 Years Ago

Local News: Authorities at the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, state the snowfall in December was just twice that of Dec. 1941.
Snow fell to a total depth of 38.8 inches or more than three feet, while in Dec. of 1941 only 19.3 inches fell.
Municipal elections on Wednesday of last week created very little unusual stir in the village or surrounding townships.
In Shawville, Mayor Goldwin G. McDowell and Councillors W.C. Schwartz and Emerson Cote were returned by acclamation and Reuben Smith and Gordon Paul were nominated in place of G.A. Howard who expects to be out of town for several months. Mr. Paul withdrew, avoiding an election.
Clarendon council remains the same as last year with Mayor Barr.
Bristol council remains the same as last year with Mayor J. Nelson McLellan serving for the 10th term.
Wintertime provides many farmers with the opportunity of repairing their equipment and placing it in working order. The motors of farm machinery should be checked carefully and greased. The outside of the engines should be wiped off with a light lubricating oil.
A very important part of a good hospital’s equipment is to have on hand a bank of blood which has been donated for emergency use. Lives can be saved in such cases by blood transfusions that will carry people over times of crisis following operations, maternity cases, etc.
The Women’s Auxiliary of the Pontiac Community Hospital are asking the people of the district to help them by donations of money to secure such equipment which includes a frigidaire and containers, the whole to cost about $250. They are conducting under the leadership of the president, Mrs. R.P. Eades, a canvass to donate generously to the fund when canvassers approach them.
The entire blame for the train wreck at Almonte on Dec. 27 which caused the deaths of 36 persons and injury to more than a hundred others, practically all residents of the Ottawa Valley, was placed on the Canadian Pacific Railway by a coroner’s jury sitting at Almonte.
Speaking officially at the opening of the Canadian Naval War Exhibition in Toronto the other day, the Hon. Angus L. Macdonald, Navy Minister said that Canadian sailors undergo terrible hardships, are beset by dangers from above and below, are fighting the enemy and the weather simultaneously. He termed the sailors of the Empire “as deserving and valiant a breed as ever engaged in a noble task.”
Mud, swamps and thick-grown tropical trees made it tough going for army engineers building “highways” through New Guinea jungles. Roads are needed to speed troops and supplies to the Buna front.

Jan. 24, 1918,

100 Years Ago

Local News: Mr. and Mrs. Alex McDonald formerly of Shawville, have received the news of the marriage of their eldest son, Dvr. S.J. McDonald to Miss Frances Cleal on Nov. 7, 1917 at St. Mark’s church, Surrey, England. They are now residing at Lenham, England where he is first driver of the Lenham Hospital Ambulance.
Farmers’ week program at Macdonald College: The lectures and demonstrations arranged by the Animal and Cereal Husbandry Departments for Farmer’s Week, Feb. 12-15 inclusive have a special bearing on this year’s farm problems in this province.
Bread stuffs and bacon are being called for as never before and special emphasis is being given them.
A marked increase in these products is necessary in 1918. How this can be brought about with the present labour shortage and without too seriously reducing other essential crops will be discussed. Other subjects on the programme include crop rotations, potato growing, stock feeding, horses and horse judging, farm management and many others of equal interest and importance.
British airplanes have been dropping a couple of tons of bombs on the German city of Karlsrhue, a military centre. This action, although somewhat belated, is quite in order and the oftener it is repeated the better and more quickly the people of Germany will come to understand it’s a poor game that two or more cannot play at.

Jan. 19, 1893,

125 Years Ago

Local news: It is probable that a slight change will soon take place in the time table of the P.P.J.R. railway to enable the train going east to more conveniently connect with the C.P.R. from Aylmer.
We deeply sympathize with Mr. and Mrs. John McCorriston in the loss of their youngest son who died on Wednesday the 11th, aged four months. The remains were interred in the burying ground at Norway Bay.
The unfortunate shantyman, Mr. John Burns, who was brought to the Pembroke Hospital in a frozen condition and after being treated was sent on to Ottawa, is still in a precarious condition and some of his frozen limbs will have to be amputated as soon as his system will bear the strain.
There are a great number of teams at work hauling from here to the depots of the lumber firms north of here. Judging from the number of teams we see every day leaving town, it is estimated that the lumber firms must be doing a very large business.
We often wondered what attraction there was for the young fellows at the post office in the evenings but we understand they devote their time to the interesting game of “playing tag”.