Feb. 14,1996
25 Years Ago
Sumo at the Waltham Carnival: The winter carnival season in Pontiac got underway in a big way last weekend with celebrations in Otter Lake, Luskville and Waltham.
In Otter Lake Friday night, carnival queens from the past 25 years were reunited for a pageant celebrating the anniverssary of the event.
Joan Dubeau, Queen of the 1974 carnival was picked as the anniversary queen. She passed her crown over to one of the elder contestants, Elizabeth Lafleur (the original Miss 1984) who was also chosen Miss Congeniality.
Sunday afternoon’s “sumo wrestling” competition drew a good crowd into the community hall. From the safety of padded sumo suits, volunteers from the audience went . . .
at each other in the ring while their friends cheered for their favourites.
Televangelist credits valley for instilling charitable values: His spiritual path has taken him from humble beginnings in Pontiac to the heights of international televangelism.
David Mainse returns next week for a series of appearances in Renfrew.
Born in Campbells Bay in 1936, his father was a minister in Holiness Movement churches there and in Shawville.
At age 18, Mainse began teaching school in Deep River and teaching Sunday school at a nearby Orange hall.
In 1962, Mainse made his first appearance on CHOV-TV in Pembroke and never looked back. He was on stations from Quebec to Calgary and two years later he was all across Canada.
Today, programs like “100 Huntley Street” and “Circle Square” are syndicated across Canada and the U.S.
He says that if there is one theme in all his hundreds of appearances in person and on TV, its “the phenomenal difference that faith in Christ can make in our selves, our communities and the world.”
Feb. 17,1971
50 Years Ago
Cancer Society to include Pontiac: It will be a Cancer Society with a difference from now on in Pontiac. Until now, the Canadian Cancer Society has been represented in Pontiac County each year only in the way of collecting funds. These were used in distant places for the many good purposes of research, dressings, education and so forth with little actual benefit rubbing off in this immediate area.
Mindful of this fact and concerned about the problem of cancer fight here in Pontiac county, the Quebec division of the Canadian Cancer Society has asked Mr. Avila Labelle, Judge of the provincial court in Hull to organize chapters of the Cancer Society here.
Judge Labelle is familiar with this territory because of his weekly trips to Campbell’s Bay to preside at court there.
Golden anniversary for Shawville Curling Club: It was all part of the game and there are plenty of curlers till around who can well recall the problems. For instance, imagine throwing a 65 pound iron with enough force to cut across the slush filled troughs made by previous players and yet enough curl to stop on a house swept to sheer ice by the opposing skip.
Those were the days when the stacking of the brooms also gave players a chance to change their soaking socks and shoes and when the weather was more co-operative, chances are the stove would go out and all variety of methods would be used to keep the circulation going.
For backboards they used upturned benches to stop the irons which were bought from Perth. Each member bought his own two irons and his own broom.
Among those first charter members, only one survives, Hosmer Turner, retired electrician of Shawville. He can well remember going down to the Montreal Thistle Curling Club taking turn about as skip with the late Harland Rowat to win the Rankin Trophy. The rest of the team was Neil Drummond and the late Alec Horner.
Feb. 14,1946
75 Years Ago
Local News: Honorary Major John Weir Foote, 41, a former minister at Fort Coulonge and Bristol and a native son of Madoc, Ont. became the 14th Canadian to be awarded the Victoria Cross during World War II on Tuesday. The citation included: “On these occasions Foote with utter disregard for his personal safety exposed himself to an inferno of fire and saved many lives by his gallant efforts”. Later he refused the opportunity to be evacuated preferring to stay with the wounded. He was taken prisoner and remained in a prisoner of war camp as a hard-working chaplain until liberated by the British Grenadier Guards April 25, 1945.
On Wednesday evening, the brethren of Knox Orange Lodge, No. 34, entertained at a supper at their lodge room in honour of Tpr. Earl Drummond, a recent repat from overseas.
Robert Borden (Bud) Hobbs, of the Police Dept in Ottawa was promoted to the rank of Detective Sergeant. He is a brother of our townsman, Mr. H.I. Hobbs and a frequent visitor here as he spends his summer off-hours at his cottage at Norway Bay.
Canada’s domestic butter ration, faced by a continuing decline in production and by an increasing population will be slashed during March and April form six to four ounces a person a week, Finance Minister Illsley announced last night.
The Y.P.U. of the United Church on Monday night had as their guests to their Valentine Social Monday night the Farm Forum groups of the Seventh Line and Yarm. After listening to the broadcast on the cost of the middleman, an interesting discussion took place in which all participated. Following this there was a period of interesting games and contests led by the President Audrey Fulford that was most enjoyable for the young people.
Feb. 10,1921
100 Years Ago
Local News: The events of Thursday last demonstrated that it was an off-day for the devotees of the popular winter game in Shawville.
In the afternoon, the senior team, considerably weakened by the absence of some of its best players went to Quyon and got trimmed to the tune of 6-3 by the home team. After reaching home some of the visiting team were rather outspoken in condemning the treatment they received at the hands of the judge of play who was thought to be considerably biased in the way he imposed penalties, and also in one instance over-riding the decision of the referee.
In the evening, the junior team went to Campbell’s Bay and also suffered defeat at the hands of the locals but it was a neck and neck contest, one of the best this year, the boys say, the score at the end of play standing 2-1 in favour of Campbell’s Bay.
Next Monday the Dominion parliament is to open for the dispatch of business. The new parliament buildings are now practically completed, everything but the tower, the entrance hall and the Court of Honour having been finished. It is five years this month since the old historic pile, the theatre of many a conflict between Canada’s intellectual giants, was destroyed by fire, the origin of which remains a mystery.
Feb. 13,1896
125 Years Ago
Local News: The snowstorm of Thursday and Friday last left the roads in a bad condition.
Mr. J.S. Lane, our new tailor, who is temporarily located in C. Caldwell’s shop, three doors west of Pontiac House will remove this week into apartments of G.F. Hodgins’ store.
Mrs. Thos. Patch, wife of Conductor Patch of Schrieber, C.P.R. was burned to death on Monday morning, 3rd inst. She was coming downstairs with a lighted lamp to get a drink for a child when she stumbled and the lamp fell and exploded. She fainted and her nightgown caught fire and she was so badly burned that she died the same evening.
Mayors elected: Clarendon -Alex Workman; Shawville – H. Hobbs, re-elected.; Portage du Fort – G.H. Brabazon, re-elected; Quyon – W.H. Meredith, re-elected; Bryson – W. Rimer, re-elected; Calumet Island – C. McNally re-elected; Litchfield – P. McNally, re-elected; Fort Coulonge – Jas. Sharp, re-elected; Mansfield – H. Connolly; Bristol – Stephen Smith; N. Onslow – R. McKenny, re-elected; S. Onslow – J.J. Muldoon, re-elected.
On account of the very inclement weather that prevailed on the 6th inst., the skating carnival advertised to be held on the rink at Bristol Corners has been postponed to the 13th inst.
