The Way We Were

July 30,1997

25 Years Ago

Army worms devastate crops: It’s like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. Millions of army worms have swarmed Pontiac, devastating farmers’ crops and in one case, infesting a house.
It was a little more than a week ago that Bill Russell drove past his lush corn field on the Second Line in Bristol. The 10-acre crop seemed to be progressing as it should on schedule. Two days later an infestation of army worms stripped it leaving little more than the stalks.
“One day it was fine and the next day it looked like that,” says Russell, pointing to his field of damaged crop.
Army worms have infested crops throughout the Outaouais and parts of Eastern Ontario. In Pontiac, cases have been reported throughout the county, but Bristol and Calumet Island seem to be hardest hit.
Fixed Link: Shawville councilors gathered at the town’s historic Mill Dam Park last week to officially open the new bridge that spans the creek there. The 26-foot steel bridge, complete with wheelchair ramps was built and donated by Sylvio Richard of Magnalum Inc. to replace . . .