Mar. 6,1996
25 Years Ago
Underwater Waterway work underway: Working construction in sub-zero temperatures wouldn’t be ideal conditions for most.
Divers from Les Scaphandriers du nord of Chelsea were doing exactly that last week in Portage du Fort when they installed the underwater footings for the boat ramp that will be part of the lake Temiskaming/Ottawa River Waterway’s bypass system.
The Portage du Fort bypass, one of eight, will allow . . .
boaters to travel from Norway Bay to Lake Temiskaming via the Ottawa River for the first time this summer.
The crew is in Chapeau this week, the underwater work in Bryson and at the Cameron Farm has been completed.
Pontiac ready for launch into cyberspace: Pontiac MRC is looking for a way onto the information highway.
While it may not be feasible for the MRC to make the internet accessible to all its residents, it does seem affordable for the county to set up its own web page on the net.
MRC economic development officer Jean-Pierre Ledoux explained the idea to councillors at last month’s MRC meeting.
A $500 fee is charged to host a page (rent space on the World Wide Web system) and it can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000 to design a page.
The page will introduce net users to the Pontiac, describe different tourist attractions, offer information on accommodation and even provide a map.
Mar. 10,1971
50 Years Ago
Basil Quaile is new warden of Pontiac County: At the regular quarterly meeting of county counsel Monday, Basil Quaile of Otter Lake was named warden of the County of Pontiac to succeed Mayor Bill Burke of Quyon.
Delegates elected were Orla Young and Mayor Bob Ladouceur of Mansfield and Pontefract.
Jean Guy Lariviere was present and was questioned about a number of matters.
Mr Lariviere was also informed that the Pontiac did not feel well served when their road to the outside world was closed for twelve days during this past season. He assured them that the clearing of highway 8 and its improvement was high on the list of government priorities. He also said that there was a plan about to be commmenced which would build a four lane highway between Wyman and Buckingham.
Overflow audience for Quyon Lions Club variety talent concert: There was an overflow audience out on Friday night for the Quyon Lions Club variety talent concert despite the closed roads and storm warnings.
There was a good warm feeling among all who made the effort to get there and good old Floyd of Channel 13 fame made it into an evening of fun for entertainers and audience alike.
Donna MacKechnie, Gillie Fraser, Debbie Young and Dot McColl dressed up in hillbilly style for their rousing rendition of “Knock Three Times”.
The nicest aspect of the arrangement was that there was no competition. Everyone was just taking part to make it a good show without the need to please judges.
Mar. 7,1946
75 Years Ago
Local News: With one tie and two wins Shawville Legionaires in the best of three play-off series with Campbell’s Bay became first winners of the new McGahern Shield for the senior hockey championship of Pontiac County.
At the conclusion of the game, players of both teams line up on each side of the arena and Mr. G.G. McDowell ex-Mayor of Shawville presented the McGahern shield to Seldon Langford, captain of the Shawville Legionaires and also presented individual shields to C. MacDonnell, centre of the Campbell’s Bay team for the cleanest and most sportsmanlike player and to Lindsay (Red) Dale of the Shawville team who was voted the most valuable player to his team.
Large congregations attended the closing rally of the special series of services at the Shawville Wesleyan Methodist Church last weekend.
It was in 1665 that a horse was from France was presented to the governor of New France, Augustin de Saffray de Mesy by the settlers. Now horses are going in the other direction. A special Canadian National train of 22 stock cars carried 374 horses from Alberta and Saskatchewan to the dockside recently and movements of Canadian horses to France will continue every second week as long as there is space on the boats.
Preliminary work on the construction of the Des Joachims power dam began this week when workers started clearing paths to the proposed site.
Unofficial sources said actual work on the dam might begin in late March or April.
Mr. Jules Simard, Deputy Minister of Agriculture has just made public new regulations enacted by the Department of Agriculture in regards to trucking of dairy products for 1946.
The purpose of such regulations, says the deputy minister is to prevent alterations of milk and cream during transportation.
In amending previous regulations, we wish that consumers and butter or cheese factories receive in proper condition the sanitary and hygienic milk produced on arms.
The war, with its tremendous need for grease, has focused attention on the service performed by the thousands of grease interceptors in hotels, restaurants, schools, hospitals and other establishments where large quantities of food are served.
The use of an interceptor offers the most convenient and effortless way to save the grease which is such an essential raw material for the manufacture of munitions, antiseptics and surgical dressings.
Mar. 3,1921
100 Years Ago
Local News: Lamb-like indeed was March’s coming in. Watch for its smoke going out.
The Young Men’s Bible Class of Bristol Presbyterian Church, Maryland, have just completed an item of their program which we believe is unique in bible class work, their 4th annual short course in Agriculture was held last week in the Sunday School hall of their church.
The school opened at 9 a.m. and continued until 4 p.m. with 1 1/2 hours at noon when picnic lunches and sociability were enjoyed around the school stove (Red School-house style).
It is claimed that the small-pox epidemic in Ottawa is now well under control. The checking of the disease is credited to the large proportion of the population who have been vaccinated.
Mar. 5,1896
125 Years Ago
Local News: The regular term of the Superior Court opened on Wednesday last, His Honour Judge Gill presiding.
Principal of the actions that came up for hearing and in fact that which occupied the greater portion of the day’s sitting was the suit of James Drummond against the Bristol council for having closed a part of Ragged Chute Road.
The work of repairing the Bryson-Calumet bridge has commenced, thanks to Mr. Poupore’s energy.
The Calumet slides are also undergoing repairs.
A number of men have returned from Gillies’ Bros. and J.R. Booth’s shanties.
Whooping cough is prevalent in the village.
Mr. Andrew McCormack, lumberman of Pembroke was in town on Thursday last. He was on his return from an inspection of the limits at the head of Quyon which are advertised to be sold at Hull on the 18th March next.
A young son of Mr. Sam Howes was knocked down and run over by a team in front of J.H. Shaw’s store. The little boy was considerably hurt about the legs but we are glad to hear that he will shortly be able to be about again.
Help for the farmers: The Rev. Robt. and Mrs. Wallace expect to arrive from England about the first week in April with a large party of boys of various ages, suitable to assist farmers or to be adopted by those who have no little ones of their own to brighten their home.
They are healthy, bright boys and soon learn to make themselves useful. Some will be accompanied by their sisters, hoping to get places in the same family.
