The Way We Were

April 5, 1995
25 Years Ago

Grass fire burns house, fire truck: An out-of-control grass fire is being blamed for burning a house, shed and fire truck near Quyon last week. For the second time in three days, Quyon firefighters were called to douse a grass fire on Murray Road, just east of Quyon. But this time, the fire was uncontrollable.
Firefighters arrived at the scene but it wasn’t long before a wooden shed was in flames which then spread to a house only a few feet away.
A Luskville fire truck that was on the scene also caught fire in the external air breather but it was automatically extinquished.
Because the truck was only being used as a back-up, the incident didn’t interfere with fighting the fire, Quyon Fire Chief Leo Ladouceur says. “It didn’t affect the supply of water needed.”
It was only two days earlier that Quyon firefighters had been called to the same location, to put out a grass fire which was dangerously close to igniting a bush.
Big faces, little hearts: Face painting, hairstyling and dancing till you drop were all part of Saturday’s Rock ‘n Roll-a-thon put on by Quyon’s Little Hearts Club.
Leona Murdock led the event at the Women’s Institute hall to raise money for the three-year-old organization, where children aged 3 -12 take part in activities year-round.
Some of those participating were Candice Murdock, Melissa Murdock, Jennifer Mulligan, Amanda Richardson, Candice Thompson, Lindsay Hamilton, Jenna Laframboise and Crystal Lamadeleine.

April 8, 1970
50 Years Ago

Pontiac’s best speakers: Lynn Muir of Campbell’s Bay and Kathy Dupuis of Fort Coulonge were chosen top girl speakers at the Lions Club sponsored country-wide contest Friday night. Lynn, a student of Poupore School, Fort Coulonge, spoke in French. Kathy spoke in English. She is a student at Victoria School in Shawville.
Henri Tremblay and Eddie McCann were top boys at the Lions Club contest. Henri is a Chapeau boy who attends Poupore School and Eddie is from Quyon, a student of Victoria School, Shawville.
Quebec Games now in preliminary stages: Two meetings of the Western Quebec Division steering committee for the “Jeux du Quebec” have been scheduled for this week. One was to have been in Campbell’s Bay last night and the other is to take place in Fort Coulonge. The purpose of these meetings is to assure a close communication between Pontiac County and the central committees which are at work on the local aspects of Quebec Games.
Committees chosen here in Pontiac County will be in charge of information and recruiting of participants for the sporting activities in this district. Louis Chartrand is the president for the area including Pontiac County and Marc Gaudet is the sport coordinator.

April 12, 1945
75 Years Ago

Local News: Plans are being made for shipment by freight from Shawville of all paper salvage supplied from Municipalities of Bristol, Clarendon, Thorne and Shawville.
Mr. and Mrs. W.G. Chisnell of Shawville have received word that their grandson, Technical Sergeant Douglas A. Chisnell of the United States Air Force has been awarded an air medal.
Proclamation issued for celebration of V-day: W.C. Schwartz Esq. Mayor has proclaimed a civic holiday on the day that hostilities in Europe cease and also the following day.
When the great day dawns and word is received in Shawville that the war is over in Europe there will be great rejoicing. Business will come to a sudden stop, factories and mills will close and employees will pour into the streets to take part in the celebration which has been prepared by the committee.
Everyone will drop what they are doing and join in thanksgiving in their own way. It will be the day when the mantle of gloom will fall from the shoulders of the world and all will emerge into the sunshine of peace and tranquility.
At a meeting of the council held Monday night, final arrangements were made for the order of program.
A photo was received of trucks crossing on an Allied military pontoon bridge spanning the famous Rhine somewhere in Germany. Army censors have cropped out the shoreline on the opposite bank to prevent possible recognition of the site and pointedly refrained from saying just where on the Rhine this bridge is located.

April 1, 1920
100 Years Ago

Local News: The transition from sleighing to wheeling seldom came more quickly than this year and until the frost comes out, bad going is bound to be the order.

Mr. Sam Hodgins of Yarm has purchased from Mrs. W.J. Connelly the property opposite G.F. Hodgins Co. store in which are located W.E. Maitland’s barber shop and the Chinese restaurant.
Ven. Archdeacon Robinson preached at both services at St. Paul’s on Sunday last.
W.G. Chisnell, auctioneer, will conduct a sale of milch cows and hogs at the farm of H.T. Argue on the 8th line of Clarendon.
A thunderstorm passed over this section at an early hour on Monday morning. Considerable thunder and lightning but not much rain. Early spring thunder, according to wise heads, portends cold weather. Don’t discard your flannels yet awhile.
The depreciation in the purchasing power of money has worked a complete change in the relative positions of the small coins of the country. The dime is now about the equivalent of the nickel, the nickel is worth only two cents and a half; the old cent, only half a cent.
Canada is the largest consumer of wheat in the world, figured on a per capita basis, 9.5 bushels based on an average production for the past ten years, the compilation being made by the United States Department of Agriculture. The United Kingdom is given 6 bushels and the United States 5.3 bushels.

April 4, 1895
125 Years Ago

Local News: Next week will be a week of prayer in the English church throughout the world. In St. Paul’s Church in this village, there will be a daily morning prayer at 10 o’clock and evening prayer at 7 o’clock.
North Clarendon post office is now supplied with a daily mail.
Shawville Roller Mills has choice family flour at $3.50 per barrel.
Miss Ada McRae’s Millinery Shop at Bryson was opening on Thursday with a complete stock of the latest styles in ladie’s hats and trimmings.
Mr. John McAra, proprietor of the Norway Bay ferry who called at THE EQUITY on Saturday last, informed us that he expected to commence the season’s ferrying operations on Wednesday of this week.
The Green Lake Cheese Factory held a meeting at No. 10 school house, Clarendon. There was a very good attendance of the farmers of the neighbourhood and considerable interest manifested in the proceedings. A resolution was passed providing that Mr. James Armstrong be paid at the rate of 2 1/2 cents per pound for drawing milk, manufacturing cheese and shipping same.
Messrs. Wm. Eades, John Grant, Jas. Hanna, D. Kennedy, Robert Armstrong, John Horner and W.C. McDowell were appointed a committee of management.
A number of the young people of the village enjoyed a very pleasant little party at the residence of Mr. W.H. Hodgins on Tuesday night last.
A lecture will be given by Dr. Harper in the Masonic Hall on Friday evening. The subject will be “The Roy Country,” illustrated by powerful lime light views. Program of choruses. Proceeds in behalf of the school library.
While Mr. Michael Dempsey, accompanied by his wife and child, were on their way to Pembroke, he drove on the ice near the rapids at Dunn’s Rapids on Allumette Island. The team being a spirited one, started off rapidly. Suddenly one of them broke through the ice but was jerked out by the other horse. After the horse got out of the water, the team turned around like a flash, jerking Mr. and Mrs. Dempsey into the hole made by the horse on the ice.
Mrs. Dempsey managed to throw the child out onto the ice and then clung to the ice for support.Mr. Dempsey also managed to grasp the ice but as he was heavily dressed, having on a buffalo coat and the ice being very rotten, he could not move without breaking it again. The horses ran away, being greatly terrified. Fortunately there was another occupant of the cutter, Mr. Philion, an employee of the Hon. George Bryson, Sr., who was coming to town with Mr. Dempsey. He was carried on for some distance by the runaway team and the team turned to run to the shore, the cutter was upset and Philion was thrown out. Philion ran back to the rescue of Mr. and Mrs. Dempsey with the aid of a belt which he had around his waist. He succeeded in rescuing Mr. Dempsey, then the two were not long in rescuing Mrs. Dempsey and getting hold of the child.
The horses ran to a young man who was piling wood on the shore and he caught them and brought them as far back as it was safe. Mr. and Mrs. Dempsey were then driven rapidly to town and put up at Cecil’s Hotel. They are recovering. There is little doubt that but for the skill and presence of mind of Mr. Philion, both Mr. and Mrs. Dempsey would have met with a watery grave as they could not have held on much longer.