25 Years Ago – July 1, 1998
Shawville’s 125 anniversary: In a few days, we’ll begin the celebration of Shawville’s 125th anniversary. It was 1873 when Shawville was incorporated as a municipality. But the town’s history goes back much further than just the last 125 years.
To quote from the Shawville Historical Walking Tour: “the earliest history of the Shawville area remains shrouded in the mists of time. The region as a whole was occupied by Algonquin hunting peoples. For milenia they roamed the vast forests of the region, setting out occasionally on the great river we now call the Ottawa to trade with tribes further in the interior of the continent or eastward to those on the St. Lawrence.”
“By the 1840s, Clarendon Centre had become a small, but thriving village. As the farms grew and prospered, so did the village.”
The township was eventually split into two municipalities because of a dispute over road labour, says the Shawville ‘73 booklet printed for the town’s centennial.
The first skating rinks: In his book, Clarendon and Shawville, Lloyd Armstrong describes the first skating rink in Shawville as “a walled affair on the Turner property (on the north side of Main Street just west of the present Bank of Montreal.) It was a small sheet of ice without a roof but many enjoyable evenings were spent there starting in December of 1887.”
The first covered rink was built across the street a few years later. Armstrong says: “It was here that the first hockey was played.” That rink was also the training ground of the famous “Silver Seven” hockey team.
The third rink was opened by James Hodgins in 1896 on Princess Street. After several years without a rink, a corrugated steel covered rink was built in the late fall and winter of 1912 at the corner of Lake and Lang Streets under the leadership of Chris Caldwell.
The rink was sold to the Richardson Bros. in 1947. Back then, adults skated for 25 cents, children for 15 cents.
The rink produced four NHL players: Frank Finnigan, Eddy Finnigan, Erwin (Murph) Chamberlain and Terry Murray.
In 1972, heavy snow on the roof forced the rink to cave in.
50 Years Ago – July 4, 1973
Large federal grant for new saw mill on 7th line, Clarendon: Tom Lefebvre, MP, has announced a $165,700 grant from the Department of Regional Economic Expansion to Ben Hokum and Son who have built a saw mill on the Seventh line, Clarendon near Shawville.
Dalton Richardson is in charge of operations at the mill which will employ 55 people.
Fortin Industries Waltham operation official opening: At Waltham on Saturday, the population gathered at the Fortin Industries Mill for a grand opening which looked very much like a Fortin family reunion as well.
Brothers Laurent and Antoine had come down from Quebec to join Jean-Marie, Claude, Marcel, Gerard and Remi with all their wives in the celebration of the opening of the mill.
Father Harrington blessed the mill and ceremoniously cut the ribbon after making a few appropriate remarks of congratulations.
The total Fortin operation including Fort Coulonge and Sheenboro employs 51 in the mills plus many in the woods and others on contracts.
75 Years Ago – July 22, 1948
Local News: A terrific dynamite blast Monday afternoon at Portage du Fort power site instantly killed two Ontario Hydro-Electric Power Commission workers, Archie Larocque, 51, of Brockville and Rheal Mathot, son of Mrs. V. Mathot of Vankleek Hill.
When the blast occurred at 3:20, the pair were engaged in prying a quantity of dynamite with a crowbar. The explosive is being used to blast rock on the proposed site of the dam at the Quebec power site.
John Bracken announced Monday that he intends to resign as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party owing to ill health and his age, 65.
A few weeks ago a beautiful sheaf of grain was left at the office door of THE EQUITY. This week, we learn that it was left here by Mr. Harold Elliott, Route 3, Shawville.
The specimen was of an unnamed variety of fall rye which was planted last September. The longest stock measured 7 ft. 4 inches and Mr. Elliott claimed that the whole field was equally as tall. He also said the herd bull on the farm was missing for a few days and could not be found until it emerged from this field of rye of its own accord.
100 Years Ago – July 5, 1923
Local News: Whilst Shawville held no celebration of the 56th birthday of the Canadian confederation in a civic or corporate sense, the majority of its citizens observed the event in some way or other. A few went to Arnprior, others to Coulonge at both of which towns the day was celebrated on a somewhat elaborate scale. But by far the greater number of residents, in addition to people of the immediate surroundings, attended the Union Sunday School picnic at Green Lake, the whole contributing to making up a large gathering of young, middle aged and elderly people. The weather was particularly fine and everything passed off harmoniously.
The winning streak which favoured Shawville since the league matches began, was shattered at Bryson on Wednesday evening last when the team which plays under the name of the old historic county town won out by the tidy score of 11 to 7.
Mr. John A. Rennick, one of our town blacksmiths who has had a lot to do with horses and their ailments, had the most novel experience of his life-time, in that connection last Tuesday when he removed a piece of pine root, measuring 16 inches long by 2 inches thick from the hind leg of a horse owned by Mr. Alphonse Lafleur whose farm is on he Pickanock road about 4 miles above Otter Lake. After the proper remedies had been applied and the horse was allowed to regain his feet, he walked away only slightly lame.
Quite a number of Shawvilleites attended the demonstration at Beachburg on June 15 held under the auspices of the Agricultural Society. The chief sports were horse racing and baseball.
125 Years Ago – July 7, 1898
Local News: A large party of young people from Bristol Corners and neighbourhood picnicked at Calumet Falls on Dominion Day.
John Smyth, a Westmeath farmer, received such injuries in a runaway accident on the 22nd ult. that he died on the following Saturday.
The infant baby of Mr. George Thacker of Renfrew ate some fly paper and there was a lively time around that household till the baby got over the evil effects of the poisonous stuff.
Free addresses on farming will be delivered in Hodgins Hall, Shawville by the gentlemen appointed by the government to inspect the farms in Pontiac entered in this year’s provincial competition.
A blistering heat accompanied by a high wind prevailed on Sunday. At two o’clock p.m. the mercury stood at blood heat in the shade. A welcome change, however, set in about dusk.
Our blacksmiths are busy these days repairing mowers and horse rakes for the big hay harvest which has just commenced.
The closing exercises and awarding of prizes in connection with the Academy took place on Tuesday last.
The Academy staff of teachers all took their departure for their respective homes by Saturday morning’s train to enjoy a well earned holiday.
On the morning of 18th of June, a number of people from Elmside and Billerica drove to Onslow for the purpose of visiting the cave in Mr. W. Steele’s mountain. The party consisted of Mr. N. Davis, Miss Carry and Master Henry, Mr. J. Jamieson and Miss Bella Stewart of Elmside, Mr. G. Lothian of Bristol, Mr. Paterson, Mrs. Lawrence and the Misses Edey of Billerica, Miss Sheffield of Arnprior and Miss L. McKechnie who was visiting at Quyon. The account was very wearisome and some of the party almost “caved in” long before the cave was reached. After a search of about two hours, the cave was found and the party descended with the exception of Mrs. Lawrence, who preferred remaining on terra firma. The entrance to the cave is not large, on entering it is necessary to go on hands and knees as a standing posture is impossible but on going farther it becomes larger and one is enabled to walk. The rocks are very peculiar in shape and covered with moisture. The air is very damp. All returned tired and wet as there was a thunder storm during the afternoon. After having tea, the party started for home well satisfied with the day’s outing.
Rumours are afloat that the bridge at Portage du Fort is in a rather unsafe condition for traveling, although traffic has not yet been suspended.
