Bad enough in October 1971 Cornwall was struggling to dig itself out of deep economic hole with double digit unemployment that climbed to 20% and rising welfare, but renowned native rights activist Kahn-Tineta Horne slapped a curse on the city.
Horne, at a news conference, said the curse would keep the city in its economic free-fall until its control of Cornwall Island was lifted and the Canada Customs office was removed from Cornwall Island.
“As long as the city of Cornwall (and Canadian government) continues to oppress Mohawks, you will continue to have the financial and commercial horrors,” she warned.
She said the same curse had been put on the Hurons and the French colonists by her ancestors.
A more modern-day curse had been put on the Toronto Daily Telegram, which, soon after, went out of business.
For the record, Mohawks eventually took full control of the island and the custom house, albeit much later, was moved off the island and the curse was lifted (we hope).
The federal government in October 1971 announced that it would spend $1 million to fill in part of Cornwall canal and create a 23-acre park (Lamoureux Park).
The city would be given a clear deed to the park (except for the shoreline) and an option to lease 49 acres of canal lands west of the park
Incumbent MPP Fern Guindon won a landslide provincial election victory in October 1971 as Bill Davis’s Conservative government increased its grip on the legislature.
Guindon, who served a tourism and information minister, pulled in more votes than his two rivals combined. He had 13,333 votes, while George Samis of the NDP had 6,272 and Maurice Lafontaine of the Liberals managed 3,386. Guindon took 140 of 143 polls. For the first time, aprovincial Liberal candidate did not win a single poll in a local election.
Nick Kaneb, mayor since 1961, announced on Oct. 10, 1971 that the December municipal election would be his last.
The next day, a 31-year-old businessman and relatively unknown, said he would challenge the veteran mayor.
Ed Lumley, president and general manager of Cornwall Bottling Co., was viewed by the ‘old guard’ as an underdog who was too young and too inexperienced for the job.
A Kaneb campaign slogan told voters, “Don’t gamble”.
The Lumley team fired back with one that said, “Why not”.
Lumley, a native of Windsor, Ont., said the city was in “dire need of strong leadership” to take on high unemployment and move the city in a different direction.
While Kaneb said he wanted to concentrate on expanding local industries, noting that acquiring and servicing industrial land would be too costly, Lumley made the critical economic assessment byPrice-Waterhouse, the foundation of his campaign. The report, among other things, was critical of the city’s lack of serviced industrial land.
Lumley’s campaign got a big boost when the mayor and industrial commission, trying to put a positive spin on the dire unemployment numbers, told a CBC TV interviewer that the positive story was that the city had “70% employment.”
Not only would Lumley score one of the biggest mayoral upsets in Cornwall’s history, but three years later he was an MP and rising star in the federal Liberal party, often mentioned as a future party leader.
OCTOBER 1971: Bishop Adolph Proulx announced that the Diocese of Alexandria headquarters, along with his residence, was being moved to Cornwall from Alexandria. The former Notre Dame Convent next to Nativity Cathedral would become the headquarters and bishop’s residence. The move was one of many recommendations made by a pastoral council. … Gaetan Menard of Menard Brothers unveiled a plan to develop 13 acres on McConnell Avenue just south of the McConnell Medical Centre. It was to be called Heritage Domain. … A group of city businessmen was prepared to develop a 100-acre year-round amusement park and convention centre – Arctic Wonderland – in the city. … Romeo Morin, a Cornwallis Hotel maintenance worker, won $100,000 in the Kinsmen Lottery. … Sandy McDonell and Reginald Amelotte were Standard-Freeholder carriers of the year. The daily had 263 carriers. … Charles Lamarche was elected president of the first University of Ottawa Cornwall Campus students’ council. … Rookie Bob Murray was named captain of the Cornwall Royals. Another rookie, Gary MacGregor, was made assistant captain, along with Brian McCullough. All were 17 years old.
HERE AND THERE: In 2017 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government’s generous child tax payments would slash child poverty. And, that his government’s housing policies would cut homelessness by 50%. Seems that the more money the Libs throw at social problems, the worse they get. … Former Cornwall residents John and Linda Lauzon living in Asheville, N.C., devastated by hurricane Helene, are okay. Same for the Brian “The Cat” Rouleau, now living in Florida, and in the path of hurricane Milton. … In Florida, the average annual home insurance premium has climbed to $11,000 and some insurance companies are pulling out of the state.
THINGS YOU MIGHT REMEMBER: Television rabbit ears … Television tubes and the horizontal adjustment knob … Rotary telephones … Bell’s Princess telephone phone and the slogan “It’s little, it’s lovely, it lights.” … Portable record players … Transistor pocket radios … Saturday afternoon American Bandstand with Dick Clark … Post high school football game sock hops in the school gym … Friday night teen dances at the Knights of Columbus.
TRIVIA ANSWER: Cornwall’s first Chinese restaurant was opened in 1913 by Peter Wong. It was called the New York Restaurant. It later became known as the New York Cafe. It was destroyed by fire in 1972. The Pitt Street site is now a parking lot.
TRIVIA: While thousands of young Americans were drafted and sent to Vietnam, Donald Trump managed to avoid the draft. How many times did he secure a draft deferment? One, three or five?
QUOTED: It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand. – Mark Twain
