Oct. 25,1995
25 Years Ago
Pontiac looking at community internet: Pontiac could have its own community hook-up to the internet, thanks to a Canadian government program.
Marc Corbeil, Secretary General of PontiAction told the mayors at Monday night’s MRC meeting that Industry Canada will pay half the cost, up to $30,000 of establishing an internet service in the community.
He says the total cost of setting up Pontiac’s own internet access would be about . . .
$62,340, including telephone lines, four computers and the required software.
Public computer terminals will be set up at a central location, probably the MRC building.
Corbeil said that if the facility was not used within the first 18 months, the project could be shut down.
He admitted the whole concept of the internet is foreign to many people in the Pontiac.
“It’s kind of like bringing in the first car, telephone or TV set,” he said.
Pontiac says ‘No’ in Hull: It was hard to feel any prouder to be a Quebecer than Monday night at the Palais de Congres in Hull.
About 3,200 “no’ supporters waving their Canadian and Fleur de lys flags jammed the Palais to listen to Quebec Liberal leader Daniel Johnson, Conservative party leader Jean Charest and Hull-Aylmer MP Marcel Massé speak.
Five busloads of Pontiac residents from Chapeau down to Luskville were part of that boisterous crowd.
Oct. 28,1970
50 Years Ago
QPP making list of all explosives: The Quebec Provincial Police, Campbell’s Bay Detachment has requested that everyone in Pontiac who is in possession of dynamite, caps or fuses to report this to the police immediately.
Meanwhile, the events of the weekend have left the county full of rumours.
People who looked very much like the television pictures of the two suspects being sought in connection with the FLQ kidnappings and murder were seen in Luskville and in Shawville.
After an intense search in the Luskville area by forty truckloads of army personnel and a chase by the QPP which wound up in front of the elementary school in Campbell’s Bay, the two men were discovered to be innocent visitors who just happened to look like the wanted men.
St. Paul’s project: Mrs. Leslie Smart, the leader of the St. Paul’s Anglican Church Junior Auxiliary carried on a walkathon last Saturday s their Community Service project. Money raised is going into a fund for use in local charity.
Some of those participating were: Mrs. Smart’s daughter, Laurie who was pushed in a stroller; Brenda Bean, Ann McCord, Cheryl Sylvester, Betty Walls, Heather Sylvester, Jane Rowat, Ann Hobbs, Cyndy Smith and Beverley Bean.
Nov. 8,1945
75 Years Ago
Local News: J.P. Wilson’s garage in the central section of Main Street was the scene of considerable excitement on Friday evening when an overheated stove pipe caused fire in a partition between the rest room and work shop.
The main chimney had burned out early in the afternoon and all danger seemed over when Mr. Wilson left the building at tea time.
But apparently the fire followed back through an intersection of pipes leading to the furnace in the work shop igniting the wall, as there had been no fire in the furnace during the day.
Although the fire was quickly subdued at the safe in the wall, it had gained headway to the second floor which had been previously used as a pool room and here the volunteer firefighters and citizens had some difficulty getting at the blaze on account of smoke.
This part of the building had not been opened for several months.
Mr. Alwyn Dale who has spent several years in the R.C.A.F. serving in Newfoundland and at Boundary Bay in British Columbia returned to the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Dale, a week ago.
Alwyn who received his discharge from the air force last week has already gone into business for himself in the radio repair line in which capacity he served.
An assurance that well-paid jobs are waiting for workers in the woods of Quebec this winter was given today in a statement issued by Hon. J.S. Bourque, Quebec’s Minister of Lands and Forests.
The Wartime Prices and Trade Board has announced that, in view of the reduced domestic crop, dealers will be able to import enough potatoes from the United States under present Canadian ceiling prices to maintain normal consumers supplies.
The Canadian radio industry will deliver 100,000 new radio sets to Canadian buyers before Christmas “and should be able to meet the full demand within a year,” R.M. Brophy, president of the Radio Manufacturers’ Association of Canada said last week.
Oct. 21,1920
100 Years Ago
Local News: Thanksgiving Day passed off very quietly in Shawville. As the usual thanksgiving services had been held in the churches previously, nothing of that nature took place to mark the event.
Miss Gertrude Rilley wishes to inform the ladies of this community that she has rented part of Mr. Jas. Kennick’s house at the corner of King and Centre Streets and is in a position to do all kinds of sewing, dressmaking and mending.
The village of Fort Coulonge suffered the most destructive fire in its history when during the early hours of Thursday morning last, property estimated at between $50,000 and $60,000 was wiped out of existence.
The buildings destroyed were: Coulonge House, owned by Jos. Romain; separate school building, private school building, brick residence of Jos. Romain; Spinks garage; residence, livery stables and undertaking equipment of D. Bouchier; Alex Perrault residence and stables; Ben Conn’s grocery store and residence adjoining; frame residence of Paul Gervais; a double tenement owned by Frank Lapage; several outbuildings were also destroyed; also two teams of horses, two cows and several pigs and some houses were damaged.
The fire was burning for some time before it was discovered and its origin could not be definitely established.
A preliminary peace treaty and armistice was signed by the Polish and Bolshevik delegates on Tuesday last to become effective on the 18th.
The Commission of Conservation are taking further steps to protect the herds of wild buffalo in the Great Slave Lake district of Alberta. It is said there are two distinct herds of these animals in that northern land each numbering about 1,000 head.
Oct. 31,1895
125 Years Ago
Local News: Mr. Thos. Wilson laid the new piece of sidewalk in front of Mr. John Shaw’s property at the corner of Main and Pickanock streets last week.
He also made two crossings across Pickanock St., one on each side of Main St.
The Coulonge and Crow River Boom Co. with a capital of $25,000 will make application to the Quebec Legislature at the next session for incorporation and power to carry on for themselves and others the business of common carriers and to construct and establish booms and other works and other works necessary to facilitate the transmission of timber, lumber, pulpwood, sawlogs, etc. down the Coulonge and Crow rivers to the Ottawa river and to acquire and own all property and plant therefore.
The central office of the Pontiac Telephone Co. in this village was moved last week from the store of E. Hodgins and Sons to the store of Fred Hodgins who will have control of it in future.
A sneak thief forced an entrance to Mr. Jas. Armstrong’s cheese factory at Green Lake on Thursday night and carried off a cheese, the taste of which will doubtless, make itself evident in the mouth of the guilty party every time they come in contact with Mr. Armstrong, as it is said he has a good idea as to who the person is.
The work on the C.P.R.’s new station and the new high school is being rushed with vigour. The roof is on the school and the roof will probably be on the station by the end of the week.
