The Way We Were

Mar. 29, 1995
25 Years Ago

Fire station at Breckenridge, newFire station at Breckenridge, new water pump for Chapeau: The municipality of Pontiac has been granted $243,334 to help build a new fire station near Breckenridge at the eastern end of the municipality.
This was one of two new projects announced last week under the Infrastructure Grant program launched by the federal Liberal government.
The second Pontiac project announced last week is for a supplementary water pump for the village of Chapeau.
Shawville figure skaters put on dazzling performance: As usual it was standing room only at the Shawville Figure Skating Club’s annual ice revue last Friday.
Close to 80 skaters participated in this year’s show, “Around the World,” choreographed by Val Crozier and Judy O’Donoghue.
Young beginners took the audience across America and on a Caribbean Cruise while intermediates went on a Mexican Fiesta and seniors on a festival in Rio.
Awards given out the night of the revue included most congenial skater to Chrissy Gordon.

April 1, 1970
50 Years Ago

Pontiac Parent Teachers Association fifth annual oratory contest: The Pontiac County Parent Teachers’ Association have held their fifth annual public speaking contests and proclaimed four new winners, each of whom was presented with twenty-five dollars and a trophy to hold for a year. Winners were Jean-Pierre Pigeon of Calumet Island, Nicole Lemaire, Denise Lepine and Lorraine Migneault.
All contestants were also given ten dollars and a talent program contributed by all the participating schools rounded out the event.
Pontiac Liberals name their man: Jean-Guy Larivière was elected to stand for the Liberals of Pontiac County in the current election and Tom Lefebvre, MP, promised to endorse him all the way to the National Assembly in Quebec. Having gained twice as many votes as all the rest of the nominees together, Jean-Guy became a very popular candidate and received compliments and congratulations and promises of support and assistance on into the night after the Liberal County Convention in Vinton.

April 5, 1945
75 Years Ago

Local News: March danLocal News: March dandelion: David and Norah Stewart, children of Mr. and Mrs. George Stewart of Bryson, accompanying their father to this office brought along a dandelion almost in full bloom.
Blooms of flowers or even weeds, such as the dandelion in March are very rare in this county.
LAC Edmund Meunier returns from overseas where he has been serving with an R.C.A.F. ground crew for the past three years. His arrival came as a great surprise to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Leger Meunier. who had only received word of his return to Canada a few hours before his arrival here.
Billy Shore thanks doctors and blood donors for saving his life on battlefront: I was wounded in Germany by stepping on a mine. I was in the Bosche woods for two hours and then carried three quarters of a mile on a stretcher. I thank the blood donors and doctors. Three bottles of blood and one of plasma saved my life. I lost my left leg, it is missing about the knee, but do not worry, I am doing well now and will be fine.
Although in most countries in Europe, outside of Germany itself, it is no longer necessary to leave to escape the Gestapo, Britain is still receiving refugees.
Five hundred refugees have just arrived in Coventry. They are the first of some 20,000 lost children who will be given homes in England for the duration. The first 500 came from all parts of Holland and many were picked up from the hedges, cellars and bombed buildings, others were found in army camps, scavenging among the refuse. Red Cross camps in Holland and Belgium had to care for them for two months before they were strong enough to stand the short sea trip to England.
Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick are faced with a serious shortage of firewood for next winter. Munitions Minister Howe warned this week. The Minister appeared to all municipalities in wood-burning areas to canvass their own local situation and make all necessary arrangements for sufficient production. He said that farmers and other fuel wood producers should cut as much as possible during the balance of this spring and in the early summer.

Mar. 25, 1920
100 Years Ago

Local News: Some days ago Shawville had a visit from Mr. Sutherland, a gentleman connected with the Educational Department of this province, whose mission here was to talk over the question of consolidated schools with the school boards of Clarendon and Shawville.
The meeting, however was not sufficiently represented to decide upon any particular steps to further a consolidation scheme beyond passing a resolution which opens the way for any of the neighbouring schools to join with Shawville should the ratepayers of such district or districts decide to do so.
A goodly number of new churches has been opened this winter and Bishop Horner has also opened a school for religious instruction at Prescott where there are about fifty students in attendance.
Mr. Ezra Grant of Morehead section has purchased the building known as the “Campbell’s Bay Hardware” which was advertised in this paper. It is Mr. Grant’s intention, we understand to embark in the mercantile business after a time.

Mar. 28, 1895
125 Years Ago

Local News: Dr. A. Lyon and Mr. 11. Lang have resigned from the village board of health and the vacancy has been filled by the appointment of Dr. R.H. Klock and Mr. J.J. Turner.
It was a very successful concert which came off under the auspices of the Good Templars at No. 5 School house on Friday evening last. A liberal programme of choice musical selections, dialogues, readings, etc. was rendered, Misses Amy Burroughs, Jengie Wilson and Harriet Smith contributing the instrumental features. Something over $14 was taken at the door; this amount, in view of the small admission fee charge, five cents, is considered fairly good.
A chance for the unmated gals: There is a chance for the girls in the Yukon country, an isolated corner of Canada bordering on Alaska, where men are growing wealthy washing the sands of the Yukon River for placer gold.
To reach the river, one must travel five thousand miles by water up along the Pacific coast to the Behring Sea and up the Yukon River. There are a lot of British subjects there, bachelors, who want wives in the worst way. A commissioner from Yukon stated in Ottawa the other day, that if a hundred and fifty girls were sent to Yukon he would guarantee that within six weeks they would all be married to good husbands.

compiled by Bonnie Chevrier