May 5, 1993
25 Years Ago
Inflation rate regulated by amount of hot air: Kerri Richardson helped out Jerry Lang to prepare his hot air balloon for a trip over Shawville on April 27. Fully inflated, the balloon stands nearly six stories high and holds 77,500 cubic feet of air.
The flight over Shawville got the attention of many spectators, many of whom followed the craft to its final destination north of Radford. One person even left home so quickly that she had to stop at a neighbour’s to borrow some shoes.
Soccer season starts in Shawville: Shawville Recreational Soccer resumed again on Saturday. This year four large intermediate teams, four junior teams and two senior teams will be out every Saturday morning and Wednesday evening.
During May, June, September and October, these boys and girls will once again be under the direction of Mr. Richard Valin and his team.
David Holmes, normally recognized as the intermediate umpire was a busy guy on Saturday morning.
Pontiac High School Work Program students under the guidance of teachers Val Vezeau and Joseph Squitti put in many hours to groom, chalk and set the field.
Today organizers are besieged by late registrations and the typical first day type of questions. “Where’s my team? Where’s my t-shirt? Where did my mom go?”
May 9, 1968
50 Years Ago
Conservatives name executive to plan nomination convention: Cliff Dale of Shawville and Paul Dontigny of Cayamant were named co-chairman of the reorganized Pontiac County Progressive Conservative and Union National Association.
Vice presidents of this organization which takes in all of the part of the Pontiac Electoral District within Pontiac County are Mirl Allard of Calumet Island and Carson Hodgins of Shawville. Secretary is Denzil Moodie of Campbell’s Bay.
The election of these officers came at an organizational meeting of the old Pontiac riding held in the new Legion Banquet Hall at Campbell’s Bay May 6 with a large attendance representing the various far corners of this county.
Tom Lefebvre at Quyon: On May 4 a gathering was held in St. Mary’s School auditorium in honour of Tom Lefebvre, Liberal MP for Pontiac Temiscamingue in the last session of Parliament and a candidate for nomination in the forthcoming convention for the new riding of Pontiac. This convention will be held in Maniwaki.
Mr. Callaghan opened the meeting with words of welcome to all and then introduced Mr. Lefebvre who spoke of his intentions to contest the convention as well as his reasons for believing that he ought to run.
May 13, 1943
75 Years Ago
Local News: A detachment of the 45th Field Artillery of Petawawa with two 25 pound guns were here on Thursday night of last week and gave a demonstration in front of the theatre building.
The visit was made in connection with the Victory Loan drive. The detachment was in charge of Lt. William Downes, a veteran of the last war, and Lt. James Parr, a former employee of the Bank of Montreal here, who has been overseas for a year and is home at present training for his commission.
The annual convention of Women’s Institutes of Pontiac County was held in the Bristol Memorial Church with the members of Bristol Busy Bees branch under the presidency of Mrs. Earl Findlay as hostess. Representatives were present from the branches at Shawville, Stark’s Corners, Clarendon, Elmside, Beech Grove, Fort Coulonge, Bristol and Wyman.
Several kinds of establishments are exempt from the order restricting sale of meat on “Meatless Tuesdays”, which have been ordained preparatory to meat rationing scheduled to start this month. Exempt are dining rooms, cafeterias or vehicles operated on behalf of a railway, ranch or a lumbering, logging, mining, construction, fishing, manufacturing or other industrial camp; ships, hospitals and institutions for the infirm.
A formidable-looking German made tank destroyer is working for the Allies now. Americans captured it in battle with the 10th Panzer Division in Central Tunisia. Today it bears the star insignia of the U.S. forces and its 75 mm gun will bark back at the Axis.
One of the exciting tales of the war, the story of the American bombing raid on Tokyo one year ago, was told officially one day last week. Next day the gruesome sequel was disclosed: some of eight captured American flyers were executed by the Japanese, despite the fact that they were uniformed prisoners of war.
Before the war, Japan solemnly agreed to abide by the international Geneva convention on the treatment of war prisoners but six weeks ago our government learned from Japan, through the medium of the Swiss minister at Tokyo, that all of the eight captured flyers were sentenced to death; for some the sentence was commuted and the rest, possibly three, although the number is not known, were executed.
May 16, 1918
100 Years Ago
Local News: Another children’s contribution to the fund for the Halifax School of the Blind comes from little Misses Marion and Sadie Fraser, children of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Fraser. Amount $1.25.
Shawville’s bill of health this spring is none too good. There have been quite a number of serious cases of illness and others have been added to the list within the past few days. Among the latter, the family of Mr. Harold S. Hodgins is having a rather critical time of it, Mrs. H. taking ill just as her son, Sandford, began to recover from pneumonia; then on Sunday morning Mr. Hodgins also found himself under the weather and was advised to remain in bed.
Mr. A.G. Brough expects to open his butter factory for business on May 20.
Patrons and shareholders are reminded that the cheese factory at Stark’s Corners will open for the season May 29.
In accordance with a resolution passed by the municipal council of Shawville on May 9th instant, all drivers of motor vehicles are hereby notified that violation of the municipal by-law which restricts the speed of such vehicles to 12 miles an hour within the corporation limits will be looked after and the offenders prosecuted and fine imposed as prescribed by the said resolution.
Mr. R. W. Ralph was home for a day or so last week, having completed the work of removing an old bridge over the Rideau Canal at Kingston, a fine new structure to replace it having been constructed last year.
The distinction belongs to Mrs. Roy Macfarlane to be the first Pontiac lady to take out a car license.
The annual convention of the County Homemaker’s Clubs was held at the Temperance Hall, Bristol Corners on May 8. The attendance was very gratifying, all the clubs in the county with two or three exceptions being represented.
The man who has an income of one million dollars will have to fork over one half of that amount to the Canadian government under the new supertax on incomes.
Last week on the western war front the operations carried on were noteworthy particularly for the many aerial encounters which took place and in which the superiority of the Allies in overhead fighting was demonstrated beyond all doubt.
As an instance of this and also of the major character of the operations, reports credit allied airmen with having brought down 39 enemy machines in one day.
May 11, 1893
125 Years Ago
Local news: The village boys have made a move to resuscitate the cricket club here.
Plenty of rain at present and the farmers are grumbling considerably at the wet weather. Some of our local dudes got disappointed in a dance on Friday night.
Captain A.C. Davis of Quyon has been the successful tenderer for the ferry between Quyon and Fitzroy.
The roads have not improved very much for travelling in Greermount.
The annual show of stallions in connection with county of Pontiac Ag Society No. 1 held on Wednesday last was more largely attended than any we have observed for many years, a fact which may be counted as an evidence that farmers are taking a more general interest in the improvement of this class of stock.
John Burns, the unfortunate young man who had both his feet and hand amputated last winter is still at the hospital at Ottawa. He has perfectly recovered, however. All the wounds have healed up and his health is good. It is expected his brother will shortly place him in some suitable institution. Of course he is practically helpless.
Mr. John Bromley, manager of the Pembroke Lumber Co. and Mr. Stewart of Chalk River had a narrow escape on Friday afternoon last. While standing in the mill conversing a large spile fell right between them, knocking both gentlemen senseless.
