Jan. 14,1998 – 25 Years Ago

Pontiac survives ice storm: In what is being called the ice storm of the century, area residents last week battled the extremes of the unpredictable and relentless winter weather, a mix of drizzle, freezing rain and snow since last Monday; elements which combined to plunge many of the residents in the areas north and east of Bryson into prolonged cold and darkness.

Everyone from children to the elderly spent most of the week coping with life without the creature comforts we, and electricity are connected to.

In the blackout areas, there were no lights, no running water, no heat in some cases, no television, no Nintendo.

As more ice glazed the trees lining the many miles of power lines, the pines and birches drooped over as if sad and weary from the weight they carried. Limbs snapped, falling onto lines already made vulnerable by the load of accumulated ice coating the high voltage wires.

“It is close to being a disaster,” says Fort Coulonge native and retired Hydro Quebec foreman, Gilles Soucie on Thursday. “Last night we had to restore power three times,” he says. “We would clear branches in one place and restore power, only to have some break off somewhere else and put the power out again.”

Another hydro employee, Paula Hodgins, kept busy answering the phones and phoning people to tell them their power was restored, says the blackouts were tough for the children, though “it teaches kids what it was like long ago.”

The worst areas were Shawville, Norway Bay, Clarendon, Otter Lake and Quyon.

Military helps with cleanup: The sounds of chainsaws humming and ice-laden branches shattering could be heard throughout eastern Pontiac on the weekend as residents tried to recover from the worst ice storm of the century.

According to Shawville weather recorder Everett McDowell, more than 37 millimetres of freezing rain fell between Monday Jan. 5 and Friday, Jan. 9.

Military troops were a welcome sight in Quyon, Shawville and Clarendon Saturday as they worked alongside volunteer fire departments, townsmen and anyone else willing to help clean up the area.

Richard Roy was one resident happy to see the green convoy of military vehicles pull into Shawville. Four soldiers spent a couple of hours helping town men and other workers clear his yard of toppled trees.

Jan. 17, 1973 – 50 Years Ago

First baby of 1973 at PCH: “Mr. Shawville Centennial”, the first baby born at the Pontiac Community Hospital in 1973 was 8 pounds, two ounce Wayne Douglas Roderick, who came into this world on Friday, January 12, delivered by Dr. Frank Cowley. This beautiful baby is the fifth child of Mrs. Henry Roderick, who is the former Sundy Hodgins, 23-year-old daugther of Steve and Gladys Hodgins of Charteris.

Shawville graduate lectures about RCMP history and future: Pontiac Protestant High School grade ten history students, as part of their Canadian studies, invited Constable Brian Sparrow last week for their classes on Thursday and Friday.

Constable Sparrow who is a former student of Shawville High School, first described the history and development of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, then answered to the innumerable questions of the pupils.

Jan. 22, 1948 – 75 Years Ago

Local news: The Mission Band of the United Church held their annual meeting on Friday and heard reports of a healthy financial condition and a membership of 45. Mrs. James Stickler is the leader and presided for the election of officers.

Although there were no particular issues to be decided, more than usual interest was taken in the municipal elections for three councillors for the corporation of Shawville. Messrs. H.C. Rowat, Reuben R. Smith and Morland E. Hodgins were declared elected councillors.

For Clarendon township, there was no election, the three councillors Messrs. Jas. Whelen, Ellwood Brownlee and Chas. Chamberlain being returned without opposition.

In Bristol township, an election was held for seat no. 4 with Milton Henderson winning and for seat no. 5, Robert Fitzsimmons. Seat no. 6 it was Peter Moyle.

In Quyon village, Basil Stanton, Bay Young and Stephen Smith are the new councillors.

Bryson village had an interesting contest. The poll was led by Clifford Olmstead with 72 votes and Joseph Hamel had 70. For third place, J.L. St. Pierre and E. Grondin received 37 votes each and the deciding vote cast by the secretary gave the seat to St. Pierre.

In the township of Thorne, a contest was held for only one seat, Walter Yach defeated E. Thrun by 12 votes and the other two councillors elected by acclamation are Ernest Emmerson and Allen Woods.

Measures to relieve the housing problem, assist agriculture, extend colonization and improve Quebec’s system of roads and bridges were promised when the province’s legislature went into annual session on Wednesday.

Jan. 11,1923 – 100 Years Ago

Local news: THE EQUITY thermometer registered 20 below on Sunday morning at 7:30, the lowest reading since the present winter set in. But other instruments in town beat us out by several degrees.

The Box Social held in Wilson’s Hall on Friday evening in aid of the Shawville Hockey Club came off successfully, something over sixty dollars being realized. Old-time “hoe-it-down” dancing, to the strains of the “fuddle” formed part of the after supper program and afforded fun for all.

The Fort Coulonge Women’s Institute has been a busy group, having centred their efforts on sending relief to fire sufferers in Northern Ontario. Clothing and bedding to the value of fifty dollars has been forwarded by them and they are now busy preparing another donation. This truly is community work.

Murrell’s built a shed for the shelter of horses and are at present raising funds for a community hall.

Dr. Hugh B. Fraser, the widely known medical practitioner of this village, died with appauling suddenness on Saturday evening, while on a professional call at the home of Mr. Wm. Harris on King Street.

The late Dr. Fraser had been a resident of Shawville for the past six years, during which time he established a practice that extended over a wide stretch of the surrounding country. The doctor had just descended the stairs on returning from visiting a patient when he fell on the floor and expired. The tragic and wholly unexpected event caused a shock to the community from which it took some time to recover. While it was thought he was not known to be suffering from any disability, it has since become known that for some time past he did not enjoy robust health and possibly he had been exerting himself to a greater extent than his condition warranted. He was 57 years of age.

Jan. 20,1898 – 125 Years Ago

Local news: A very successful carnival was held on the rink at Bristol Corners on Friday evening last. The weather was all that could be desired and the attendance large, Arnprior, Braeside, Portage du Fort and Shawville being fairly well represented, while the local contingent turned out in good numbers. Some very pretty and attractive costumes were worn.

Mr. Frank Blair of the Pontiac House presents rather a used up appearance these days as the result of an accident which occurred to him on Wednesday night while driving to Coulonge with Mr. Gardiner, commercial traveller of Ottawa. The accident happened at a hill on the main road at Dempsey’s Farm, a couple of miles east of the village.

At this place, the roadway, it seems, has been narrowed down to little more than the width of a sleigh track, by the action of the thaw some weeks ago and on the day mentioned was rendered particularly dangerous by a recent rainfall. The result was that Mr. Blair and his companion suddenly found themselves, sleigh, trunks, horses and all, in a very badly mixed up condition at the bottom of an embankment. Mr. Gardiner being the first to extricate himself, hurried to the horses’ heads. One had tumbled clear over the other and was standing up which the other was on its back. While trying to unhitch the tugs, the horse that was standing up managed to knock Mr. Blair down and trampled upon him terribly before he could drag himself out of further danger, escaping narrowly from being trampled to death. After his injuries were attended to at a nearby farmhouse, he returned to Shawville by train.

We are pleased to learn that Diphteria has entirely left our district of Murrells, Mr. James Telford’s family having fully recovered.

A meeting of the patrons of the Beechgrove cheese factory was held in No. 4 school on Wednesday, the 12th inst, to settle up the business of the season’s operations.

While a young man, a driver in the employ of Liveryman Havey, was driving Mr. John Stewart from Arnprior to his home in Bristol on Saturday, the 8th inst., he managed to secure some $65 from his pockets while he was asleep. Mr. Stewart did not notice his loss for some time after his arrival home and by the time he returned to Arnprior, he found the young man had secured a rig and gone to Pakenham. He was arrested there and brought back to Arnprior and $43 of the stolen money was regained. The remainder he had invested in a suit of clothes and sundry other articles. Being brought before the Magistrate, he was given thirty days with hard labour.