July 17, 1996
25 Years Ago
Cable laid to Calumet Island: Within a couple of weeks, Calumet Island residents will be able to hook up.
Last Saturday, with the help of divers, Pontiac Cable laid 1,200 feet of cable across the Ottawa river bed, allowing islanders to hook onto the Campbell’s Bay cable television system.
Now, 125 homes on the island will have access to cable.
Happy campers, Giants share win in mixed lob ball: Hurricane Bertha put a quick end to Otter Lake’s mixed lob ball tournament Sunday afternoon. A torrential downpour cut the tournament short, resulting in a shared victory for the “A” division between Otter Lake’s Happy Campers and Fort Coulonge’s Giants.
The Happy Campers had racked up a 4-0 lead in the top of the third when the game was called.
Hélène’s Unisex took the “B” division with a 12-8 win over Randy’s Rebels. Timmy Romain of Hélène’s Unisex was named best pitcher of the three-day tournament which saw 10 teams compete.
Most valuable players of the “A” side were the Giants’ Nathalie Graveline and the Happy Campers’ James Lafleur.
July 28,1971
50 Years Ago
CNR trains use CPR tracks when CNR bridge burns: A fire of undetermined origin on the CNR bridge across the Ottawa River at Portage du Fort caused a three hour delay in westbound super continental travel last Thursday.
Work crews from Capreol and Belleville were rushed in to repair the bridge after fire destroyed cross-ties and warped rails for almost five hundred feet.
Trains were rerouted onto Canadian Pacific tracks while repairs were being done.
The fire was first noticed when a fast freight discovered smoke on he bridge and came to a screeching stop. The freight than proceeded gingerly across the smoldering bridge and crewmen went back to investigate and turn in the alarm. CNR road crews and local firemen fought the blaze which was thus contained.
Antique car rendezvous and picnic at Ladysmith: Leading the parade of vintage cars at the 1971 Antique Car Rendezvous in Ladysmith was the Mayor of the municipality of Thorne, Mr. Sidney Sheppard driven by Gordon Pasch in his horse-drawn carriage.
The horse and buggy era which accompanied the days of the first horseless carriages was further exemplified at the parade last Sunday by Mr. and Mrs. Albert Pasch, the community’s oldest married couple, who appeared in a two seater carriage drive by Gus Bretzlaff.
Thorne’s eldest citizens, Mr. James Turcotte and Mr. Frank Deering rode in the rumble seat of a 1928 Ford driven and owned by Denver Thrun.
July 18,1946
75 Years Ago
Local News: Thursday night, Bryson Community Hall was the scene of a very happy and pleasant event when the last of the Bryson boys to return from overseas and one who was absent on the former occasion of the presentations were presented with gold wrist watches, suitably engraved. The program was carried out under the auspices of the municipal council.
Return of the Canadian dollar to parity with the United states dollar will not seriously affect Canada’s tourist trade, Leo Dolan, director of the Canadian Travel Bureau, said last night. Mr. Dolan said there might be “some slight disruption” caused by the move but expressed confidence it would have e no permanent effects.
From the sky bridge of Vice Admiral Blandy’s flagship, the USS Mt. McKinley, a towering atomic cloud was seen over Bikini seconds after the A-bomb drop on July 1, Bikini time. Mr. McKinley was approximately 10 miles from the bomb blast.
The Clarendon council met on Thursday. Mayor Fulford present and councillors Smart, Laughren, Chamberlain, Whelen and Macfarlane.
A letter was read from the Canadian Pacific Railway, asking permission to remove the cattle guards at crossings across Clarendon, this request has been coming in yearly and as Clarendon is the only township from Hull to Waltham who have cattle guards, the council decided that they would consider the removal of cattle guards at their next regular meeting of council.
A regular session of the Bristol Council was held on July 2. Jack McKay appeared and requested that an inspection be made of Meadow Creek Bridge on the Bristol South Onslow townline.
Motion, Duff and Moyles that a public notice be posted at the bridge on the side road between lots 18 and 19, Range 3 to limit the loads crossing this bridge to three and one half tons.
July 14,1921
100 Years Ago
Local News: For fresh, pure milk and cream delivered at your door every morning, see Ross MacCallam.
Rev. Mr. Robinson of the Methodist parsonage, can justly lay claim to having the first ripe tomatoes in town this season.
A Foxwarren subscriber writes: People here were pleased to have a visit from Mr. and Mrs. James Carswell of Calumet Island, also Mr. and Mrs. Anderson of Westmeath. Both couples were at the plowing match, held close to the town of Foxwarren and they in turn were please to see so many people out.
On Tuesday afternoon last, for the second time within a few years, Mr. Fred Schoen of Ladysmith, lumber manufacturer, has met with the loss of his saw mill and factory, together with a large quantity of lumber.
William Olm’s building on the opposite side of the road from which the machinery had been removed, was also burned down and the old Lutheran school building.
The protracted drought which has prevailed throughout the greater part of the Ottawa Valley and which, coupled with the intense heat, has had a very serious effect upon field crops and pastures, was broken in a measure by thunderstorms on Thursday and Friday last.
Friday’s storm was preceded by a veritable hurricane which did considerable damage throughout the district, jacking buildings, upsetting silos, uprooting trees and hay that was in coils or “hand-shakings” in fields that were in the path of this storm was scattered over the adjacent landscape in a manner that was most provoking.
The Green Lake summer colony is now pretty nearly up to full strength if this term is applicable. With a couple of exceptions, the cottages are all occupied by their owners and there is also the under canvas contingent made up mostly of young people.
July 23,1896
125 Years Ago
Local News: Miss Celina Dale had an exciting experience with a runaway team of horses on Tuesday evening. They started from her father’s, Mr. Thos. Dale’s of the west end of the village and ran down to H. Hobbs’ store, where they were caught. Miss Dale succeeded in keeping the horses reined on the middle of the street and is none the worse for her adventure with the exception of a pretty bad scare.
Miss Bella Ritchie of Cleveland, Ohio arrived in Quyon Friday evening by steamer “Bella Ritchie” which is named after her. Miss Ritchie will be the guest of her sister, Mrs. Capt. Davis.
Mr. H.M. McLean has opened a flour store on Main Street in Quyon for the convenience of his customers.
Dr. M.N. Kent and Co.’s Steam Riding Gallery or “merry-go-round”, as it is called, arrived here on Wednesday last and has been set up in the exhibition grounds. It seems to be the most popular attraction that has yet struck town, all hands, old and young may be counted amongst its patrons, who are many.
The O., A. & P.S. Railway west bound train on Wednesday morning of last week was delayed a few minutes at Renfrew for a rather strange cause. A swarm of bees was hovering over the track, directly in front of the station. Before reaching the station the train was stopped for a few minutes in order that the car doors and windows might be closed to prevent the bees entering and causing inconvenience to the passengers.
Alex Mackenzie, an old bachelor living near Lefroy, Ont. was missed in the neighbourhood and a foul smell caused the neighbours to break open the house. They found the old man lying dead in a filthy and partly decomposed condition. He has lived around there for about forty years and was supposed to be penniless but in looking through his traps, $500 in gold coin was found, several bills of the bank of Upper Canada, that bank being now long extinct. He also had three watches besides many kinds of musical instruments.
The Laurier government have begun to make room for their hungry friends on a pretty extensive scale. It is understood that the forty messengers of the House of Common’s staff and the twenty five seasonal clerks employed by the late government, have received notice that their services are no longer required. The grand bounce may also extend to the staff of page boys and char-women around the buildings.
The Speaker of the House of Commons is always entitled to take his chair with him at the end of every parliament. Speaker White has taken away the chair which he sat in for six sessions during the five years which the government was in power.
