July 22, 1992,
25 Years Ago
Mud galore at Riverview North: Lots of drivers took to the course on the two day AMDA Mud Drags at Riverview North Jamboree. Mud draggers rode through several heats over the two days in seven classes.
In the ever exciting Open Class, Raymond Chenier’s Corvette held to the track the best and had a combined time of 10.51 seconds for the best two heats. Pierre Lacorte got a time of 15.10 seconds for second place. In third was Kevin Yeas with his high stepping Barbarian. His combined time was 20.49 seconds.
On Sunday, the Northern Truck Pullers held their seventh pull of the season.
They had a good pull on the track with a lot of drivers in the heavier class.
Third Pontiac Pride “best yet”: This past weekend, the people of Pontiac again demonstrated their enthusiastic support of their local community.
As a result, the third annual Pontiac Pride Jamboree, held on Saturday and Sunday has succeeded in reaching its initial goal as a fundraiser for Pontiac Community Hospital.
The performers in the two-day lineup of musicians ranged from the slick and professional to the down-home and casual but they all displayed real talent and pride in their Pontiac roots.
What’s more, they donated their time and talent to the cause free of charge.
On Saturday, Quyon’s Old Time fiddlers opened the show, as well as Joan Armitage, the Snortin’ Road Hogs, Al Cockerell, Claire Queale, Jean Munharvey, Fiddlers 3+1, Joanne Dubeau, the Quyon Ramblers, Alex Cobb, Ron Trudeau, the Daley Family, Friends in Harmony, Rob Wills, Stewart Graham, Shades, Jack McRae, Roy Young and Gail Gavan as well as Raccoons on Ice.
July 27, 1967,
50 Years Ago
Pontiac Day on Parliament Hill: At Parliament Hill during June, Pontiac County was very much in the limelight when Sheriff Joe Sloan stopped his covered wagon on his way to Expo in Montreal.
Prime Minister of Canada, Hon. Lester B. Pearson, took over the reins for a moment, although he kept one foot firmly on the ground. Pontiac MP Tom Lefebvre was alongside the prime minister, enjoying the merriment of the spectacle which brought hundreds of Pontiac people and thousands of tourists to surround the brightly coloured wagon.
Jersey from Shawville on display at EXPO: When you go to Expo be sure to visit the ‘Man the Provider Pavilion” and be on the lookout for a jersey cow named Willow Hill V Sheila. She belongs to Robert Young of Shawville and is representing this area.
Mr. Young was approached by the man in charge of the pavilion, Mr. Biggs who is an Assistant Minister of Agriculture and was asked to have Willow Hill V Sheila shown at the Expo site.
Robert Young took his cow down to Montreal at the beginning of the exposition, April 26 and will bring her back in a few weeks. Since only the finest animals are being shone, this is indeed a great honour for Robert Young and his farm.
July 27, 1942,
75 Years Ago
Local News: For the first time since April, Shawville has failed to send a car load of people to Ottawa as blood donors for the war . The car load goes each Friday morning and various citizens are providing the transportation.
These days there is a great call for a second front against Germany and a general call for a war of offense. If this comes, as well it may, the lives of thousands of wounded may depend upon the provision that we have made for blood transfusions.
The Canadian Women’s Army Corps has decided to expand the training centre at Macdonald College to the point where it will be possible to train 1,000 volunteers a month. This expansion from a permanent population of about 400 to one of 1,300, including instructional staff has naturally not been accomplished without the loss to the college of still more of its buildings and equipment.
German and Japanese thrusts menace Russia’s supply lines: The German effort presumably had two objectives: to take possession of important arteries of traffic by which strength flows from one part of the Soviet body to another and to block the routes over which come war materials from Russia’s allies across the seas.
In the mist and rain that shroud America’s Aleutian Islands, a battle relatively small in scale but significant in strategy is being fought by Japan and the United States. The action began when the Mikado’s forces raided Dutch Harbour on June 3 and shortly thereafter put troops ashore at the tip of the archipelago that thrusts 1,600 miles from Alaska across the North Pacific.
American submarines, it was disclosed, had penetrated the waters around the three western most islands sized by the Japanese. The fogs that have hampered long-range air bombers helped screen the undersea raiders’ movements. Two weeks ago, their torpedoes sank four enemy destroyers, and left a fifth in flames.
July 26, 1917,
100 Years Ago
Local News: Another Clarendon boy falls in action: Official intelligence was received by relatives here on Tuesday last of the death of Lawrence Grant, son of the late John Grant of Morehead section, who was reported to have died of wounds on July 5 whilst being conveyed from the front in an ambulance. The deceased enlisted while at Fort William, Ont. and went overseas in a draft some time ago and very probably took part in the terrific struggle which wrested Vimy Ridge from the Hun invaders.
Severely wounded in the left hand by a rifle bullet during an action on the Somme front early last October, Cyril Dale, eldest son of Robert A. and Mrs. Dale arrived home on Wednesday evening.
Dr. McNaughton who is summering at Norway Bay with his family was in town last Tuesday. The doctor still has his Ford of several years’ campaigning. On that occasion, he made the run from Montreal to Norway Bay on 6 1/2 gals. This year he did it on the even 6 gals., on an average of about 33 miles per gal.
The name of the Royal family of Great Britain has been changed by act of parliament to the House of Windsor.
Everything now points to the holding of a general election during the early autumn. This prediction is based on the opposition Sir Wilfred Laurier succeeded in arraying against the government resolution to further prolong the life of the present parliament for a term of one year to the end that the people of Canada would not have their thoughts and energies diverted from the more serious question of prosecuting the war to the turmoil and bitterness of a political conflict.
A free trip to the west will be given to any man who will engage to go with a load of horses about August 1.
Aug. 4, 1892,
125 Years Ago
Local news: A very welcome rainfall occurred on Friday and proved of much benefit to the crops, especially where the soil is light.
This is a great year for the Ottawa lumber trade, shipments being brisk and prices good. The most satisfactory feature of the business is the constantly increasing demand for boards for the British market.
The Ottawa Electric street railway stock is quoted at $200 for each $100 worth of stock and even at that figure, no one wants to sell.
On Friday last, say the Pembroke Standard, a drowning accident surrounded with more than ordinary sadness took place at Gordon Creek. It appears that a young man named Marshall McIntosh, a nephew of Mr. Thomas Mackie, was employed as a clerk on the drive of Barnet and Mackie. The drive was about finished and young McIntosh has left to see that some chains were properly stored at Gordon Creek. While engaged in carrying some of the chains across the gap, he unfortunately lost his balance, fell into the water and was carried through the slide. He was seen to fall by Mr. John Ferguson who at once gave the alarm when the dam was closed and the body was recovered shortly after, but not before life was extinct.
