The Way We Were – August 23, 2023

25 Years Ago - Aug. 19, 1998

Antique show displays new exhibits: While antiques were the main attraction at the Ottawa Valley Antique Association’s exhibition at the Shawville fairgrounds on the weekend, the show had a new, larger look.
“For our second annual show, it was a great success,” says association secretary-treasurer Helen Deslaurier of Renfrew. “We are very pleased with the increase in people coming through the gates, the increase in exhibits, the number of tractors and household goods.”
Indeed, this year’s show had 75 tractors, 20 stationary engines, three steam engines, four threshing machines and a “Royal Favourite” stove from 1897.
One of the more popular exhibits was an axe-making machine owned by Ross Campbell of Renfrew. The lathe-like machine can carve out a perfect axe handle in about ten minutes. The device was powered by a steam engine owned by Marcel Ouellette, also of Renfrew.
Quyon sweeps up in minor ball playoffs in Bryson: Quyon emerged as the powerhouse in the Pontiac Minor Ball League when the playoffs ended Sunday at Lions Park in Bryson.
The week-long playoffs saw teams from Quyon win all three divisions in which they had teams playing.
In the 7-9 year-old division Quyon beat Shawville I 6-2 in the final game. The Quyon 10-12 year-old squad beat Shawville II 11-8 in a high-scoring final, while the Quyon 13-15 year-old team beat Bryson 11-10 in another high-scoring game.
The league playoffs featured 39 games involving 29 teams beginning Aug. 11 and ending Sunday.
“Everything turned out great,” said league president Renaud Dumouchel of Shawville. “There was very nice weather, good crowds, and good support.”

50 Years Ago - Aug. 29, 1973

Turpin Pontiacs win Quyon annual fastball: With a total of $1,000 in prize money at stake, Quyon’s 9th annual fastball tournament ended about 11 p.m. Sunday night with Turpin Pontiac of Ottawa emerging as the ultimate victors for 1973 and the winners of the $500 first prize. Runners up were Valiquet Sports Shop of Ottawa.
The event which commenced Thursday evening and continued through Friday evening and all day Saturday and Sunday, saw over 3,000 pass through the gates to see the 16 team series.
The two Quyon teams which entered the fray won their openers, one team going on, only to be eliminated by the runner up Valiquet squad.
Bob’s chicken patented: Bob Bowen had been hearing compliments about his particular brand of chicken for a long time before he was finally persuaded to patent the process. It took eighteen months to get the patent but finally, this week, it has arrived. From now on, anyone wishing to use his particular recipe and method of preparing chicken will be able to lease his patent.
Bob insists the patent is not for sale, although he has been offered a large sum of money for it already. In the works at present are arrangements for international patents to cover the States, Japan, France, Sweden and several other countries.
Probably the first person in Shawville to have successfully patented an invention, Bob insists he owes a great deal to Shawville where he has been in business for ten years.

75 Years Ago - Sept. 9, 1948

Local News: The September meeting of the Women’s Association of Shawville United Church was held in the Sunday school room on Thursday evening with thirty-five members present. A vocal duet was rendered by the Misses Muriel Riley and Maisie McTeirnan. Rev. A.F. Fokes gave an interesting address on the general council of the United Church in Canada.
A survey of highway accidents in Quebec made during July and the first half of August shows that the majority of traffic mishaps happened on curved sections of highways showing in all cases that the cars and trucks involved were traveling faster than was safely permissible on the sections of highway involved.
Besides high speed, Arthur Gaboury, Quebec Safety League manager blamed over-indulgence in liquor for many accidents.

100 Years Ago - Aug. 30, 1923

Local News: Our citizens generally and all who are interested in the welfare and success of our annual fair, “the old county fair” will have to bestir themselves from now on till the date of opening if the Shawville Fair is to maintain its status as the leading exhibition of the county.
Picnic parties accommodated free of charge at Scobie House grounds, Norway Bay. Tables, hot water, etc. if required.
In the baseball lower league games, Campbell’s Bay won first game of season on Sunday when they defeated Vinton. Shawville got an unmerciful trimming from Bryson in the postponed match played here on Monday which was not completed owing to too late a start and darkness intervening.
The umpire put up by Bryson, a stranger apparently to both the locality and the game, was objected to by Shawville in the third innings as incompetent, and Allie O’Connor of Campbell’s Bay was put on, after which things went smoothly.

125 Years Ago - Aug. 25, 1898

Local News: No weevil, no rust, large, bright, full heads, is about the way everyone speaks of the wheat crop which is now being harvested throughout the county. In the opinion of many old farmers, and speaking generally, it is the best on record.
Liveryman Robert Havey of Arnprior had an encounter with a highwayman at an early hour on Monday. A couple of revolver shots were fired by both Havey and the intruder but neither it seems got “plugged” when the burglar withdrew.
Highway robbery is becoming a common thing in the vicinity of Ottawa, scarcely a day passing but something of the kind occurs.
Wednesday last, 17th inst, was proclaimed a civic holiday at Portage du Fort and the occasion was observed by the holding of a basket picnic on the grounds of Rev. Father Brunet’s summer residence.
The handsome gold medal, donated by Hon. George Bryson for the best single roadster in the counties of Renfrew, Pontiac and Ottawa, exhibited at the Shawville fair on the 14th Sept., may be seen in the window of Mr. G.M. Donaldson, jeweller.
Messrs. E. Hodgins and Son have decided to build an elevator at once in order to be prepared for this fall’s grain trade in which they are going to engage. Mr. J.A. Smith, late of the Advance, we understand, will have charge. The elevator will be built on the west side of Pickanock Street, north of the railway track.
Mr. James McKinnon, agent for Mr. Alex Fraser was here on Friday last purchasing heavy horses. Among others, he bought Mr. Jos. Sley’s well know draught team for $210.
The citizens’ trotting course on the exhibition grounds is at last completed and local horsemen have been making some astounding records thereon.
The road leading from Campbell’s Bay to Otter Lake traverses a pretty rough section of country and is usually in a rather poor condition but since the late heavy rains, it is simply in a wretched state, especially the innumerable hills which have been washed clear of earth of any kind and are now simply a bed of boulders from top to bottom. Here is certainly a grand opportunity for the laying out of a snug little sum of colonization money by someone who knows something about road construction.