“Quyon in the name, community in the heart”

Quyon Community Association working to revitalise community bonds

Connor Lalande
Quyon September 9, 2023
In a celebration of spirited neighbourly revelry, the Quyon Community Association held a lively Community Day event this past Saturday.
With temperatures idling at a more comfortable range than the sweltering heat experienced earlier in the week, and a blue, almost cloudless sky above, community members decided on the town’s community centre for a day of games, music and good company.
Quyon Community Association member, Brenda Clarke, explained that the Community Day was at one point an annual event, but over the last number of years had slowly fallen to the wayside with nobody to organize it. The Quyon Community Association, Clarke explained, is hoping to reinvigorate the rich community spirit that Quyon once had.
“A big part of why the Quyon Community Association started is to bring back what we used to do,” Clarke said. “The Community Day was something we used to have every year, and we are really trying to bring back the good-old-days. Everybody used to enjoy this event and so we were glad to bring it back.”
A slew of entertainers from throughout the Pontiac kept revellers entertained throughout the day’s festivities, with an appearance from Quyon legend Gail Gavan in the evening acting as an endearing crowd hit.
The humorous, if not somewhat grotesque, cowpie Bingo was a persistent draw for attendees throughout the day. With grids marked on the skating rinks concrete and a cow lazily meandering throughout its confines, people had the option to purchase tickets that corresponded with each grid. If the cow defecated on the grid that matched your ticket, consider yourself lucky as you’d walk away with a prize.
In addition to the many familiar faces seen throughout the day’s festivities, a special guest of historic proportions was also in attendance. The Black Jack - a sail ship used by the Upper Ottawa Improvement Company as a logging tug - majestically cruised adjacent to the shoreline. Navigating between Quyon and Ottawa for over 40 years, The Black Jacks’ attendance was an eye-catching celebration of Quyons history.
Rounding out the abundance of activities were a car show, a petting zoo and a number of carnival type games.
“All this is just about getting back to our roots, back to our community, back to spirit and bringing back the fun,” said Quyon Community Association member Laura Stewart.