Page 45 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 111

www.sportsenergynews.com Issue #111 April 2022 45

in a game against the Beavers that The Morrisburg council offered on things with our annual “road What made those years in
Rowdy scored a unique goal. “I had Rowdy the job of running the arena, inspection” with council meeting on municipal politics so enjoyable
the puck, their four defenders ahead a position he held for the next five a Saturday and covering one half of was the people that were involved.
of me and I had no one to pass to, so years, and it was one that he enjoyed. the municipally, then the other half
Rowdy states, “Johnny Whitaker
I flipped the puck high and headed “I was the only employee, but I had the following Saturday. The road was our Reve and later Mayor, and
off the ice The puck went up into the plenty of kids to help flood the ice and inspections were fun, sometimes
he was a great leader. All of the
rafters and the goalie came out of the do the scraping. In exchange, I gave a little too much. One year, “the
net a few feet and lost the puck in the kids access to the ice whenever council of the day” pulled into a local people who I served with on council
the lights. It came down hit him on it was free. These kids went on to quarry to discuss a matter. The driver were great to work with. We all
the back of his neck, bounced twice, become a big part of Junior hockey pulled onto the road that the trucks had a common goal and we worked
and went into the net. By this time, I in Morrisburg. I booked some bands used to go down into the quarry. He together to achieve that goal. Our
was sitting on the bench beside Big that were relatively new and were miscalculated and the front wheels Manager of Public Works, Hugh
Doug Casselman, and we watched it looking for exposure, so the cost was went over a ledge and fortunately the Garlough, was always a big help to
go in the net. It was about 4 minutes low, and the town was happy, as they car got hung up, but the front half
us over the years. The office staff was
into overtime and that was the game were making money. I was being was well into the water. We were very efficient and had everything in
winning goal.” paid a percentage of the profits, so I able to crawl out and one of us ran
order for us at each council meeting.
was happy. I’m not so sure about a over to a nearby farm and got the
The OSLHL folded following the I don’t think that there was ever a
1966-67 season. The Morrisburg few of the bands as quite a bit of their farmer to come with his tractor and
earnings went up in smoke during the pull the car out. I don’t know about council meeting that I didn’t enjoy.”
Combines played all four years that
intermissions. We had some well- the other guys, but I’m not much
it was in operation and Rowdy won Rowdy mentions that it doesn’t
two league scoring titles. known artists such as Don Messer of a swimmer - it could have ended matter what job you work at. “You
and also had professional wrestling badly. There was no alcohol on our
For a five-year period in the a few times, and we made money at road inspection but once we got the have to take it seriously, but if you
mid 60’s, Rowdy worked on the everything we tried.” vehicle out, it wasn’t long before we can’t have a little fun at the same
“Grenville”, a government operated had a drink.” time, what’s the point?”
ship that was responsible for putting In 1973, Rowdy began working
out buoys used by the Canadian Coast at the Nestle plant in Chesterville, Rotary Club of Cornwall’s
retiring when the facility closed
Annual
as a navigational aid. The Grenville’s Annual
area was from Beauharnais, Quebec in 2006. In 1977 Rowdy decided Pancake Breakfast
to run for council in Williamsburg
all the way up to the St. Clair River.
Silent Auction
The ship was 155 feet long and had Township, getting elected, &
a 20-man crew. “We had 4 mates,4 eventually becoming Deputy Reeve,
and later becoming Deputy Mayor
engineers, 8 deckhands, a couple of
cooks, and a cleaning crew. We put of South Dundas following the 1998
amalgamation.
the buoys out and maintained them.
If we were putting out buoys near a “That all started with a $2 bet
00
town with a dock, we would loosen one night in the Pioneer Hotel and $ $ 00
the light bulb just enough so it would it turned into 35 years in municipal 7 7
flicker. We would later be called back politics. I enjoyed every minute
Y
All
ou Can Eat
to fix it - we would tighten the bulb, of it, and I don’t think there was a All You Can Eat
dock, and go into town. Cornwall had day that went by that there wasn’t
a lot of bars on Pitt Street in those something to get a laugh out of. I’m
days and the Grenville crew visited proud of what our various councils
every one of them.” accomplished over those years.
We brought the municipal sewers
On December 18th, 1968, the April 23, 2022
Grenville was tied up at Beauharnais, into Williamsburg, added three
Community Living group homes,
so Rowdy came home to Morrisburg
expecting to return to his ship the and built the seniors residences in 7:00 am – 12:00 pm
next day. Ice buildup pushed the Williamsburg. The county roads are
all paved with only the odd township St. John’s
ship up against a bridge near the
Beauharnais Canal sinking the road that is still gravel. Our bridges Presbyterian Church
were always being monitored
Grenville. Fortunately, there were no
injuries or fatalities. and maintained. We kept an eye 28 Second Street East Silent Auction Not exactly as illustrated