Jan. 24,1996

25 Years Ago

Mayors postpone vote: Pontiac’s mayors have decided to delay voting on a resolution declaring the county to be an inseparable part of Canada.

After a long and often heated debate in a room packed with television crews and spectators Monday, the 20 mayors voted 14-6 to table the resolution until next month’s meeting.

A call for a vote resulted in the mayors of Allumettes East, Sheenboro, Waltham, Alleyn and Cawood, Leslie Clapham and Huddersfield and Chichester voting against a postponement of the resolution vote.

The remaining 14 mayors voted in favour of Graham’s motion, thus delaying for one month a decision on the “Canadian status” resolution.

By that evening, the whole episode had . . .

aired on television across Canada.

L’Ecuyer interim director: The reins of power were handed over last week. Friday was executive director Gilles Lanteigne’s last day at Pontiac Community Hospital.

On Monday, Charlotte L’Ecuyer, head of the Pontiac CLSC took over as interim executive director of the hospital.

Because of provincial cutbacks to health services, no plans have been made to hire a new director for the hospital.

It is expected that L’Ecuyer will be acting as PCH’s interim director for about eight months, until this restructuring is completed.

Jan. 27,1971

50 Years Ago

Fire destroys landmark: Last Wednesday afternoon, fire completely destroyed one of the most notable landmarks in the Quyon area when the home of Joe Gibson about a mile northwest of the village was levelled.

The large house located on the banks of the Quyon River near the point where the new No. 8 highway by-pass will cross that stream overlooked the most scenic waterfall in the district.

Occupied by the Cadieux Gibson family for over 80 years, it was built over 100 years ago as part of the large grist mill complex on that site.

Job Gibson was the last of his family and lived alone. He had been to the village for supplies and on his return saw smoke billowing through the roof. Unable to enter the building, he ran to neighbours who called the Quyon Fire Dept. which rushed to the scene but were forced to confine their efforts to saving a shed nearby.

It is understood there was no insurance and the Quyon Disaster Committee, organized some years ago to deal with just such emergencies, called a special meeting to render some immediate assistance. Meanwhile, Mr. Gibson is staying with neighbours.

Jan. 24,1946

75 Years Ago

Local News: The inaugural play on the new bowling alleys at Pine Lodge, Bristol got underway on Monday night when Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Russell host and hostess of the lodge entertained about 75 as supper guests.

The first balls to roll down the alleys were propelled by two of the oldest gentlemen in the gathering, Messrs. Andrew Sly and G.A. Howard of Shawville.

Following supper, the audience was enlarged by more than 100 interested persons of the district.

The evening was not altogether spent in bowling, many of the guests indulging in various games and dancing, and Mr. Joseph Russell entertained with a number of solos, his accompanist being Mrs. Edgar Hodgins, of Shawville.

Shawville Juveniles braved the sub-zero weather on Saturday and journeyed to Bryson in the afternoon to play an exhibition game with the lads of that town which ended in a win for Bryson, the score being Bryson 4, Shawville 3.

The scorers for Shawville were: R. Young, Carson Hodgins and Nelson Angus. Our reporter failed to get the names of the Bryson goal-getters.

The Shawville Mutual Fire Insurance Co. held its annual meeting in the Agricultural Hall, Shawville on Wednesday afternoon.

Friends and neighbours of Cpl. Gordon Ballantyne recently returned from overseas, met at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. P. Ballantyne Jan. 14 to welcome him back home.

During the evening spent in games and music, Mr. Earl Dods said a few words on behalf of those assembled and asked Cpl. Ballantyne to accept a sum of money.

Between 6,000 and 8,000 war brides and their children will be leaving for Canada next month. The Quebec Provincial Division’s Montreal organization is making special arrangements to cope with the influx.

More than 1,200 British wives of Canadian servicemen have already reached the Montreal arena with some 700 children on 106 trains.

Jan. 20,1921

100 Years Ago

Local News: The company for which Mr. Frank Daley is superintending development work at the claim back in the Phillips Lake district, some ten miles or so north east of Shawville, seems to have more faith in its prospects of finding molybdenite in paying quantities, than other concerns who whilst they made things hum for a time are now little more than a disappointing memory to a large number of people who had exalted hopes of great things to come. Mr. Daley has been working away quietly with a small staff and limited equipment for several months, but now he is getting into shape for tackling the job on a more extensive scale, having just recently got in a consignment of heavy machinery which will be installed with as little delay as possible.

On Friday evening Quyon hockey team played the return match with Shawville seniors at the local rink and succeeded in holding the winners of the last match to a tie, the score at the finish standing 1-1, the visitors notching the twine towards the end of the third period. Not a player suffered damage either through rough play or accident in which respect the match was indeed a model one.

Messrs. C.W. Hodgins and Herb Moyle officiated as referee and judge of play, respectively.

It has been calculated during the year 1920 Canadians paid, in exchange alone, the immense sum of one hundred million dollars on goods purchased in the United States, which could, in large measure, have been bought at home.

How to remedy this most serious, in fact, disastrous condition of affairs, is a problem which will require the best brains of the county to solve. But until people realize that it is their duty to be more loyal to home institutions and home industries there is little hope of a change for the better.

Jan. 23,1896

125 Years Ago

Local News: On Tuesday the 7th inst. Mr. John Bryson left here in company with his business partner, Mr. Alex Fraser on a trip to their limits on the Coulonge where preparations for carrying on operations on a large scale are being made. The long drive and the hardships otherwise of the journey, proved more than his enfeebled condition of health could withstand and the result was that on reaching the limits Mr. Bryson took dangerously ill. Mr. Fraser with all possible haste, started down river with him and reached Fort Coulonge Wednesday evening. Mr. Bryson was then in an almost dying condition. Drs. Hurdman and Klock were summoned some time in advance of his arrival and when the latter reached the sick man’s bedside a short time afterwards, he at once saw that the case was one of the gravest character and gave little hopes of the patient’s recovery and while concurring with other doctors, it was their opinion that death must inevitably result and the correctness of this view, alas, was too truly borne out by subsequent developments. A very pronounced and sincere expression of grief was everywhere manifest among the friends of the departed. The late Mr. Bryson was the eldest son of Hon. George Bryson, ex M.L.C. for the division of Inkerman. He was first returned to parliament in the general elections of 1882 and was re-elected in 1887.

A young son of Mr. G. Wash of Clarendon Front who was ill for some time past with scarlet fever is now fully recovered.

It is generally conceded that among farmers the weather is one of the most common topics of conversation, and at the present time it is very conspicuous. There seems to be a most unanimous desire for snow and though the clouds look black and grey it does not come. Business is nearly paralyzed, the one redeeming feature being that the ice on the lake is good.

Weather is favourable, the ice is safe and drawing has begun at Kippewa.