July 24,1996
25 Years Ago
ORNWC opening historic waterway: When the Ottawa River Navigable Waterway Corporation (ORNWC) bypass system holds its official opening July 28, the people of Pontiac will have reclaimed the river as their own. That day will mark the official inauguration of a series of five bypasses built to provide recreational boaters with a way around the dams and rapids that divide the river into sections.
Boat ramps located at Portage du Fort, Cameron Farm, Bryson, Chapeau and Desjardinsville now provide access to all portions of the river.
The upper half of the Ottawa, from Rapides des Joachims to Lake Temiscaming, has had a bypass system in operation for three years. This summer, the Pontiac section (Phase II) was completed.
Pontiac MRC and the City of Pembroke have invested $178,000 each. The Quebec government recently made a $50,000 contribution to the project.
Calumet Island native in slo-pitch nationals: Seventeen years ago, Edith La Salle was like many other six-year-olds, playing her first ball game for Calumet Island in the Pontiac League.
Today, La Salle, 23, is preparing for the Canadian Co-ed Slo-Pitch Championships in Surrey, B.C. Representing Quebec, La Salle and her teammates are looking to repeat last year’s performance when they won the gold medal.
Although La Salle left Calumet Island when she was 16, the daughter of Philippe and Brigitte La Salle still keeps in close touch with her home town and regularly plays in local ball tournaments.
Aug. 4,1971
50 Years Ago
Summer jobs for six and new park for Shawville: Under the government of Canada’s opportunity for youth program, six Shawville students have undertaken to turn the old dam site in Shawville into a park area for public use.
Having been used as a fishing hole and sliding hill by many generations of Shawville children, the property was bought by the municipality four years ago.
In charge of the project is George Steeves who is a fourth year mechanical engineering student at Carleton University. The other five boys are his brother, Colyn, second year student at Algonquin College, Ralph Bretzlaff who is going into Science at Carleton University, Brent Bertrand, Carleton Science, Steve Lydall, Queens Commerce, and Terry Elliott who is attending Macdonald Agriculture.
Pontiac sharpshooter Don Kucharik wins Quebec silver medal: Don Kucharik was the sole representative of Pontiac County in the shooting trials for the Quebec Games last weekend in Aylmer and came home with a silver medal.
Using a rifle with open sights at 100 yards, he came second only to Gilles Provost of Cheneville who won the gold medal in this class.
The third place bronze medal also went to Cheneville via Mr. Mayer Normand.
Officials of the meet were Frank Linday and Gordon Ings of Ottawa, both members of the Aylmer Road and Gun Club where the contest was held.
July 25,1946
75 Years Ago
Local News: Arriving on the Lady Rodney at Halifax last week, Flt. Lieut. Chisnell en route to his home in Winnipeg, paid a brief visit to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W.G. Chisnell in town.
Flt. Lieut. Chisnell enlisted soon after war was declared and before going overseas, served at several R.C.A.F. training depots in Canada. His only sons Robert, in the air force and Norman in a tank corps, paid the supreme sacrifice.
A very enjoyable tea was held at Holy Trinity church at Radford when the guild of that church invited all former church members in this district. The afternoon was spent in renewing old acquaintances, chatting and singing.
New rust varieties now being introduced are destined to make oat growing in Canada a safer and more profitable occupation and thus place the crop as such on a still higher level among Canada’s great natural assets, said Dr. L.H. Newman, Dominion Cerealist in discussing Cereal grains in the latest issue of the Agricultural Institute Review.
A rise of approximately two points in the cost-of-living index, covering the month of May (the highest rise since the war) is announced by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics.
Ad: Tune to the Shawville Community Hour over CHOV Pembroke (1340 on your dial) Every Monday, 12 to 12:30 – noon.
Ad: Are you ready?….For that hay? Beatty hay forks, cable, hay fork rope, trip rope, pulleys, rakes, scythes, grindstones. Reinke’s Hardware. Telephone 151.
July 21,1921
100 Years Ago
Local News: The hot spell which preceded the atmospheric change of Thursday afternoon last, was the most intense that has been experienced in Easter Canada in many years. Quite a number of deaths due to heat prostration are reported from different parts of the country.
Mr. David Gamble, a well-known farmer of Litchfield had a narrow escape from death on Monday of last week when he was attacked by a vicious bull which gored him severely in the body. After receiving first aid from Dr. McNally, the injured man was taken to the hospital the following day. His condition is reported favourable.
Thos. E. Farrel, aged 25, son of Wm. Farrel, merchant of Farrelton, Que. was brutally murdered last Sunday night by an unknown assailant at Wills Hill as he was on his way home in his car from the Wills’ home. His body was found next morning on the roadside by his brother James. He had been killed with a club or blunt instrument. The murder was deliberately planned as a wire fence had been strung across the road to stop Farrel’s car.
A portion of the front of the township in the neighbourhood of Mr. Harry Sturgeon’s was visited by a destructive wind and hail storm on Wednesday last. Mr. Sturgeon says hail stones of a large size fell in considerable volume and demolishing the glass in the windows on the exposed side of his house, also cut up the corn and root crops pretty badly.
Mr. Robert G. Elliott of Ottawa is now engaged at the work of re-modeling Zion Church. Mrs. Elliott and Miss Dorothy are occupying the family cottage at Norway Bay.
The day is surely coming when railway trains all over Canada will be operated by electricity. Steam railways in Canada are today consuming approximately 16,000,000 tons of coal yearly. Substitution of electricity would therefore save much fuel, cut down our annual coal bill of $60,000,000 to the United States and cut out the enormous freight charges with which the railways are saddled in hauling their own fuel about.
July 30,1896
125 Years Ago
Local News: Mr. J.A. McGuire recently purchased in Ottawa an elegant double carriage with canopy top and ball-bearing axles.
An immense crowd of people attended Mr. Scobie’s camp meeting at Lucas’ grove on Sunday last. It is stated some remarkable cases of conversion are in evidence.
The “Calico” ball at Bryson on Monday evening is reported to have been a grand success.
The moonlight excursion Friday night was a grand success. The music was good and the coffee and cakes were out of sight. The ladies of Quyon are never behind in their part of the programme.
Mr. J.R. Booth will commence the building of a round house and car shops at Ottawa east in the course of a couple of weeks.
Mr. Laurier told the people at St. Johns on Saturday that if he had been in their section of the country in 1837, he would have been a rebel. In 1885, he told the people of Montreal that if he had been on the banks of the Saskatchewan in that year, he would have shouldered a rebel’s musket, too. Mr. Laurier owes much to providence. He was born too late to get into trouble in one ruction, and has kept too far away to mix himself up in another.
Mr. John S. Middleman of Birmingham is in Ottawa for the purpose of interviewing the government on the subject of the immigration of juveniles to this country.
A friend in Dublin has sent the Countess of Aberdeen a handsome pair of horses to replace the team drowned in the Gatineau last April. The horses are at present at Quebec but will be brought to Ottawa when their Excellencies return from the ancient capital.
The Pembroke Standard reports: Blind people’s first experience of sight is curious. An old man in Pembroke who was born blind, received his sight by the removal of the cataract. When the bandage was first removed, the patient started violently and cried out as if with fear and for a while was quite nervous from the effects of the shock. For the first time in his life, he looked upon the earth. The first thing he noticed was a flock of sparrows. In relating his experience he said he thought they were teacups, although a few moments afterwards he readily distinguished a watch which was shown to him. It is supposed that his recognition was owing to the fact that he heard it ticking. The blaze from a lamp created the most lively surprise in his mind. He had no idea what it was and when it was brought near, wanted to pick it up. When night approached upon the day when he first used his eyes, he was in a fright, fearing that he was losing the sight he so wonderfully found after sixty years of darkness.
