July 15, 1992, 25
Years Ago
Barber elected chairman of new amalgamated board: The newly formed Western Quebec School Board, an amalgamation of the school boards of greater Hull, Pontiac Protestant, Northwestern, Protestant Regional School Board of Western Quebec held its first official meeting on July 7, presided by the new chairman, Jerry Barber of Shawville.
The amalgamation comes as somewhat of a surprise, since Quebec has been working at decentralizing but Barber feels that although “it’s not something we originally agreed on, all areas are well represented.”
The past-president of the Shawville Lions and Minor Hockey Club and manager of Fraser’s Clothing Store in Shawville has always been an active member of the community and believes intensely in the value of education.
“Quality education is very important. Students need a solid base to start out into higher education and the real world,” stated Barber.
Pontiac Pull a powerful production: The top truck and tractor pullers from Ontario, Quebec and the northern states attacked the dirt track at the Quyon Fairgrounds once again this past weekend. A few drivers traveled nearly 500 miles to get here from across the border.
The event drew its usual throng of spectators, even on Sunday when a steady drizzle couldn’t keep an even larger crowd away from he action.
Fans came to check out a lot of the familiar pulling machines that roared down the 300 foot stretch, as well as the new blood there to take on the veterans.
The 2 x 4 trucks also packed in quite a show, rolling down the track with the front wheels off the ground but it was the big modifieds that made the biggest power trip of all.
July 20, 1967, 50 Years Ago
More stages complete, more manuals printed at the Pontiac mill: The digester system and the power boiler at Pontiac Mill are now complete as are the washer vats and the pulp dryer.
Consolidated has published more training manuals for its employees. One of these is on the digester system.
The manual explains that until about 10 years ago, all kraft pulp was made by the batch process, similar to putting up fruit preserves using a pressure cooker.
The Pontiac mill will now use a continuous digester, operating 24 hours a day, taking in the white cooking liquor and the wood chips at the same rate as it produces pulp.
F.X. re-elected at Fort Coulonge: The people were singing and the horns were blowing at Fort Coulonge Monday night as everyone in town seemed to want to express congratulations to F.X. Bertrand on his re-election as mayor. He stepped out on the street to be greeted by handshakes and backslapping from his fellow citizens as soon as the results were known.
The good turnout at the polls was indicative of the keen interest people in Fort Coulonge take in civic affairs and the celebrating went on through the night.
July 23, 1942, 75 Years Ago
Local News: Due to indifferent health, Mr. Chas. Tucker resigned last week from the service of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Mr. Tucker had served the C.P.R. in the capacity of Station Agent for forty years and for the past thirty years was in charge of the Shawville Station.
His successor has not yet been appointed and during the interval Mr. S. Farent is the relieving agent.
A pleasant and profitable evening was enjoyed by a large number of members and visitors at the home of Mrs. J. MacKay where the July meeting of the Wyman Women’s Institute was held.
Interesting items were given in response to roll call by naming an unusual event that happened this past year.
A report of the Red Cross was presented and it was decided to adopt some boys overseas and send boxes to them.
With the ever growing restrictions being place on sugar, both in Canada and in Great Britain, the Quebec Provincial Division of the Red Cross has undertaken to provide for this shortage by supplying quantities of jam and honey to the people of the British Isles.
All during the months when encouraging news came from Russia concerning the successful stand the Soviets were making against the Nazi advance, naval observers viewed with apprehension the failure to dislodge the Germans from their hold on the Crimean Peninsula and the attendant threat to Sevastopol, the only adequate base left the Russian Navy in the Black Sea. The fall of Sevastopol may have left the Russian Black Sea fleet without a base where repairs can be undertaken.
Unquestionably, Nazi bombers have made a shambles of the extensive naval base facilities at Sevastopol but in the past the Russians have proven very adept in moving manufacturing facilities to safe locations.
July 19, 1917, 100 Years Ago
Local News: The summer population of Norway Bay has been increasing rapidly during the past fortnight.
Preparations are well in progress for the development of the molybdenite deposits at Squaw Lake discovered some years ago by John Farrell of Otter Lake. About 25 to 30 men are presently engaged in preliminary operations.
Died Saturday morning, the infant daughter of Ira and Mrs. Hanna of Radford, aged 3 months.
The editor of THE EQUITY has been permitted the perusal of a very interesting letter written by Pte. Sam B. Caldwell, a former member of EQUITY staff, to his wife during the voyage of the 207th Battalion from the shores of Canada to an English port. Sam’s letter, which is lengthy, takes the form of a descriptive narrative of the voyage across the ocean and is interesting in its details of the daily routine on board, the character of the vessel and its elaborate furnishings; the meeting of the convoy of destroyers as the ship was about to enter the danger zone; the eternal vigilance of these sea-hornets during the remainder of the voyage and finally the safe arrival in port.
The results of the junior matriculation exams, (McGill University) were published in the Montreal papers on Thursday last. These embrace the Grade XI academy exams throughout the province and a glance over the list shows that Shawville ranks very favourably compared with other academies, nearly all the pupils in the grade having passed.
July 28, 1892, 125 Years Ago
Local news: A company has been incorporated with a capital of $500,000 for the purpose of manufacturing rolling stock for railways.
The Schneaux boom was cleared of logs last Saturday, the first time it has been so for years.
A French Canadian was drowned at the Calumet slides on Friday last. The body was found the following day.
We tender to Mr. John Thomson of Portage du Fort our deepest sympathy for the great loss which he sustained on Monday morning by the death of his son Walter, who succumbed to a disease of the throat from which he had been suffering for over two years past. The young man was truly exemplary in character and was beloved and esteemed by all who knew him.
The Department of Agriculture has been notified that Canada has obtained one of the choicest locations for her exhibits in the agricultural building at the World’s Fair.
Thomas O’Brien, a young farmer living near the village of Cobden, has struck it rich. From the appearance of pieces of rock which he had blasted out of a large bed on his farm, he was led to believe that gold and silver were plentiful in the neighbourhood. Some of his friends were over from New York and took with them samples of the rock. On being examined by competent assayers, it was found to be capable of yielding at least $368 worth of gold and silver to the ton.
