Feb. 24, 1993

25 Years Ago

Teacher Appreciation at McDowell: Principal Diane Sanford presented a collage of childhood photos of teachers and staff at Dr. S.E. McDowell Elementary School in Shawville. The photos on display on a bulletin board are part of Teacher Appreciation Week from Feb. 22 through 26.
McDowell students had a lot of fun identifying their teachers and staff from these old photos. Some of the other activities of the week included gifts of candy and flowers, coffee and muffins and apples brought in by members of the School Committee.
S’no problem on 148: How many more weeks of winter? Those travelling from Pontiac to work in the great metropolises of Aylmer, Hull and Ottawa are probably hoping that the groundhogs were wrong this year. A ton of snow has fallen and more to come.
On Monday, THE EQUITY received word that there was a multi-car pile-up at where else? Breckenridge.
As it turns out there may have been a car or two stuck in a drift but the real problem was getting the snow removal equipment through the area.

Highway 148 was closed from about 8 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. simply because the snowplow couldn’t even get through this year’s worst drifts at Breckenridge.

Feb. 29, 1968

50 Years Ago

Quyon Sled Derby: Marcotte, Dolan, McKenny, Campbell were big winners: Sunday afternoon was a very exciting one in Quyon as the Lions rang up a most successful first annual Motor Sled Race. Forty-three entrants left the Quyon beach at one minute intervals in four separate races. As the motor sleds overtook one another through the rough obstacle course, they were sometimes bunched four and five at the finish, despite their staggered start.
The only accident of the day was a double Polaris crash with Phyllis Wilson and Helen Smith, but no injuries were reported.
The four mile course took off down the Ottawa River to the Quyon Boom bush where it circled through the open country and back across Pontiac Road down Knight’s Creek for about a mile and then back onto the river and finished close tot he starting point at Quyon pier where a great crowd of winter sport enthusiasts stood to greet the finishers.
The Quyon Lions had coffee and donuts available on the beach for spectators but no admission was charged except for contestants.
SHS hockey team wins everything: The Shawville High School Senior boys hockey team completed the Western Quebec hockey schedule on Friday with a convincing 7-2 victory over the defending champions from Hull High. This win completed an undefeated league schedule for the local boys and earned them the Frank Finnigan trophy as Western Quebec Champions.
Goal scorers for Shawville were Gary Hill with 2, Charles Taylor collected 2 and Gordon Strutt, Walter Anderson and Hugh Hodgins added singles.

Feb. 25, 1943

75 Years Ago

Local News: In a fast game played at the Shawville Arena on Friday night, Shawville Wildcats defeated the Renfrew Woolen Mill team by a score of 5 to 3. Scorers for Shawville were Lennox, Corrigan, Graham, Hobin and Gibson; while for Renfrew the tallies were marked up by Lance, Hefferty and Quattrache.
James Bruce Findlay, son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Findlay, Bristol, Que., who graduated recently as a Navigator (B) at Paulson, Man. has received his commission as Pilot Officer.
Threat to Australia removed, new disasters facing Hitler. The long and hard-fought battle for the island of Gaudalcanal in the Solomons apparently has ended. Japanese Imperial Headquarters reports that its troops had been withdrawn from the island.
The conquest of this island which safeguards Australia and our lines of communication gives American forces undisputed possession of a base which becomes a threat to Japan’s major bases in he Pacific.
The fall of Kursk, according to the New York Times is one of the great Russian victories of the war. The loss of Kursk may have consequences for the Germans as disastrous as the annihilation of their besieging army at Stalingrad.

Feb. 28, 1918

100 Years Ago

Local News: The secretary of the township of Clarendon informs THE EQUITY that he has received from the Dept. of Roads, Quebec a cheque for the sum of $483 to cover 50 per cent of the cost of the gravelling done in the municipality during the past year.
Several days of the real thing in zero weather, followed by a two-day thaw last week which in some parts of Southern Ontario where the land is low-lying, resulted disastrously for the inhabitants, many of whose houses and outbuildings were inundated to a depth of several feet of water.
A few of the Shawville young ladies served coffee and cake at the rink on Saturday evening in aid of Red Cross work.
Word was received at Fort Coulonge last week that Lt. John Proudfoot of Royal Flying Corps was killed in France on Feb. 6. He is the youngest son of Mr. John Proudfoot.
Portage du Fort will shortly boast of a new flour mill as a building for that purpose is in course of erection on the corner of Main and Mill Streets, opposite T. Richardson’s store. It is said the machinery is to be driven by artificial power, for a time, at all events.
The Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions of New York has received word that three million persons in Turkey, Armenia, Persia and Syria now face death from starvation. The spread of German intrigue in East Russia has become alarming to the Japanese who do not want to see the peace which exists in that corner of the world disturbed.

Feb. 23, 1893

125 Years Ago

Local news: It is purposed to hold a social at the Forest House (Mr. Ritchie’s) on Thursday evening. The proceeds to be devoted towards paying for the new organ in St. James Church, Bryson.
Some of our young men are talking of undertaking the organization of a company of militia in this village.
Mr. A. Menzies, druggist in Arnprior is again established in his old stand having moved in Wednesday night.
The new railroad has crossed the river of Galetta, the bridge having been completed. A few days more and Arnprior will hear the whistle of the Parry Sound locomotive.
James Wright of Cobden, recently cut his foot while at work. He had it dressed and was doing nicely when a change occurred, lock-jaw set in and after two days of painful illness, he died.
The poor “grays” will need an extra feed of oats as the fifth line is in a bad condition for travelling.
Messrs. Jas. Gordon and Robt. Campbell are drawing saw-logs to O’Donnel’s Mill, Quyon.
Miss Mamie Lafleur who has been introduced by her late teacher, Miss Arnold, as being capable of teaching music is at present forming a class.
As we go to press, we learn that the Pontiac, Renfrew and Kingston Junction Railway Company which was organized some time ago and chartered to construct a line of railway from the township of Wright in the county of Ottawa to the village of Renfrew, is to have a meeting in this village tonight (Wednesday).
The project which this company proposes is one of a good deal of importance to the county and especially to this village for which reason, if for no other we are most anxious to see it go on to success. Somehow we think if the parties interested in the proposed line along the front of the county to Portage du Fort would join hands with Shawville, something equally beneficial to both places would result.