July 21, 1993
25 Years Ago
Heroic rescue saves lives: On July 18, at the beach in Quyon, quick, selfless action saved two young men from drowning.
Sometime around noon, Scott Smith, 12 ,and Lonnie Collier, 15, both of Aylmer took a break from the Pontiac Pride Jamboree to swim where the Quyon River empties into the Ottawa. They were having fun exploring the hot and cold currents of where the waters of the two rivers mingle. However, those same currents are quite powerful and created a treacherous undertow.
The boys both began screaming for help. Mr. McMillan rescued Scott from the water and then set out to retrieve his companion. By the time bystander Dwight McMillan reached the spot, Lonnie was about 70 yards out from shore. He started going under. Being an experienced scuba diver, Mr. McMillan is a strong swimmer. Nevertheless, by the time he reached Lonnie, he was exhausted. The current was continuing to take them further away from shore. Unable to fight the current, the two of them might have been lost had it not been for a passing boat. They were hauled aboard and taken to safety by a boater who disappeared afterward and has not been identified.
Hundreds of volunteers make ‘93 Pontiac Pride succeed: About 40 acts took the stage at the fourth annual Pride Jamboree on Saturday and Sunday in Quyon, “and we could have had 60,” says Committee Chairman Laurie MacKechnie.
This year the job of organizing was turned over from the original group of volunteers to the Quyon Lions who coordinated a rotating crew that may have numbered nearly 400, counting entertainers.
Not surprisingly, hometown favourite Gail Gavan was the star attraction.
Shawville stepdance teacher John Langford with a dozen of his pupils present, was also honoured for helping to preserve the cultural heritage of his home county.
Proceeds from this year’s event have not yet been tabulated but previous Pontiac Pride Jamborees have already contributed $30,000 to Pontiac Community Hospital, plus another 10 per cent of that to the local fire department.
July 25, 1968
50 Years Ago
Gray wins Ladysmith vote: In the municipal election in Ladysmith, Rayburn Gray was returned having defeated Sam Hodgins at the poll in a tight vote. Walter Yach and Emerson Smiley were returned by acclamation.
Lively entertainment last Wednesday evening: Harkening back to the days when people entertained themselves without gadgetry, Shawville’s famous “Two Players” performed a pantomime last Wednesday evening for two appreciative audiences. One group was seated on the lawn and the other watched from he hospital windows.
The entertainment was for the benefit of the Pontiac Community Hospital under the auspices of the Shawville Ladies Auxiliary. Mrs. S.E. McDowell and Mrs. Harry Sturgeon were the actors and old time musical accompaniment was by the Shawville Community Band under the direction of Captain E. Lydall.
July 29, 1943
75 Years Ago
Local News: Eddie St. Pierre, 21, is a patient at the Community Hospital as the result of a haying accident at Howard’s farm, Portage du Fort on Friday.
The young man was operating a mower when the rein on one of the horses got caught on the end of the tongue. Jumping off to unfasten the rein, the horses started suddenly knocking him down into the knives of the mower and he was dragged about an acre before becoming released. His father and other workers nearby rushed to the boy and found that he was terribly cut about the arms and chest and his right leg almost severed above the knee. He was rushed to the hospital in Shawville and attended by Dr. McDowell who found it necessary to amputate the leg.
The boy is reported to be doing very well except for weakness from the loss of blood.
Shawville Theatre is featuring talking pictures with Franchot Tone in “Trail of the Vigilantes.”
Notice: There will be a severe shortage of canned vegetables this season. Why not use glass sealers and can your own? Two sizes only: quarts per dozen – $1.25; half gallons per dozen – $1.75.
The Allied armies, which began the Battle of Europe with an invasion of Sicily, have successfully accomplished what both Axis and Allied-spokesmen agree in characterizing as the “greatest and most daring undertaking in military history”.
They have firmly established themselves on numerous beachheads along a 100-mile stretch of the Sicilian coast and are now riving into the interior “according to plan,” says The New York Times.
More troops, more vehicles, more guns and stores and equipment are pouring into the island across a bridge of ships and under a canopy of protecting aircraft that have virtually blasted the Axis air force from the skies.
July 25, 1918
100 Years Ago
Local news: Samples of growing grain brought in by some of our subscribers indicate that the growth of crops has been marvelous since the recent rains came to the aid of vegetation which up to then had been practically at a stand-still. A couple of stocks of oats handed in by Edward Horner of Murrells section are worthy of note. Both were pulled on July 15.
Dr. Armstrong, of the staff of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, visited Shawville friends last week. He is accompanied on the visit to his old home at Clarendon Front by Mrs. Armstrong and children.
German ingenuity in producing gas with which to overwhelm the enemy has not always worked out as intended or wholly to the advantage of those employing it. In the recent offensive, the intensive gas shell bombardment with which the German precedes his attacks has had occasionally unforeseen after effects upon the Germans themselves.
July 27, 1893
125 Years Ago
Local news: Frequent showers last week interfered considerably with haymaking which this year taxes the majority of our farmers to their utmost, the crop being such an abundant one.
Hail fell pretty severely in Clarendon on Saturday.
Mr. A.J. Jackson has just finished the painting of the new freight shed at the station.
The plains and rocks are alive with people picking blueberries and raspberries which are very plentiful.
We have received copies of the “Electric Age” from Mr. Andrew Grant who is undergoing treatment at the Electro Therapeutic Institution at Toronto.
All the horses in the Upper Gatineau are now engaged at farm work and that is the reason the Gatineau Valley is advertising in Ottawa for teams to work on its extension from Kazabazua. It is almost impossible to secure horses in that section.
Miss L. Black has been engaged to teach the young idea how to shoot at Acre’s school and Miss Fraser of Montreal is to handle the reins in Dale’s school for the coming scholastic year.
Ad: Pontiac House: C. Caldwell, Proprietor, Main Street, Shawville. The travelling public will find this hotel furnished to afford every accommodation. Commercial men will find the sample rooms second to none in the county. Tables always well supplied. Every attention paid to guests. Free transportation to and from all trains. First-class livery in connection with special facilities for accommodating the Commercial trade. Rates moderate.
One of our young men from Thornby had a smash up on his way from Shawville on Saturday evening.
He thought the Shawville boys didn’t know how to handle a horse when taking a short turn at a 2.20 gait, hence he tried to jockey them with above result.
Now young fellow, when you run past a rig on the road again, be sure it is not one of the Shawville livery, for your horse can’t run or trot a little bit.
