Cantley 1889 Articles
The following article first appeared in The Echo of Cantley Volume 35 no 11 June 2024. This article is made available for the enjoyment of others with the express permission of the Echo of Cantley.
The Time Capsule of Cantley’s 1989 Identity
Margaret Phillips, with special thanks to Ali Moayeri and the Écho team, then and now.
Recently, Cantley’s identity has been a topic of conversation and a municipal meeting. Rapid population growth, housing and commercial development, effects of climate change are impacting our natural beauty and rural character. “Nature accueillante” no longer appears on municipal signs.
L’Écho de Cantley is, indeed, the “echo” of life in Cantley reflecting our identity, our priorities and values. Volunteers created the Écho and continue to keep it alive for these 35 years later. As we wonder about Cantley’s future identity, it is fun to read the Echo’s first edition, June 23, 1989, as a time capsule. Citizens of our newly independent municipality were reviving Cantley’s unique identity they fought so hard to keep during the 1980s. Will Cantley’s future identity integrate any of their values? Who decides? EchoCantley_1989-06.pdf
Cantley became a self-governed municipality 135 years ago in 1889. In 1975 it lost this autonomy when it was amalgamated with six other communities to form the City of Gatineau. For Cantley, this meant high city taxes with almost no voice, no city amenities or services. Its rural identity was in jeopardy. Cantley citizens, francophones with anglophones, worked together to regain their autonomy. By 1983, they formed a hard-working dedicated committee. In 1987, citizens elected their own “phantom mayor’ and “phantom council”. Finally, the province hired an independent consultant, Jérémie Giles, to investigate the problems in troublesome Cantley. Remarkably, Giles recommended Cantley be given its independence in 1989 – the only municipality at that time to separate from big city amalgamation in Quebec.
1989 was a proud and exciting time for Cantley. Community spirit was high. As citizens worked to revive Cantley’s unique rural identity, they decided a community newspaper was the best way to keep people connected and informed. It was distributed free of charge to every Cantley household. Councillor Heinz Pilz chaired the committee to take on this project which is described in Steve Harris’s, “The Birth of the Echo, Cantley’s community paper,” pages 16 and 17, July 2019 L’Écho de Cantley: EchoCantley_2019-07.pdf
The Écho’s first edition captures a time when the citizens shaped their own community. Its invitations to join volunteer groups emanate a sense of optimism and community spirit. Its advertisements and notices reveal a lot about life here in 1989, evoking memories for people (like me) who lived in Cantley during those years.
To cover its expenses, L’Écho depends on paid advertisements and revenue for publishing municipal pages. In June 1989, two municipal pages included information about budgets and the responsibilities of newly elected councillors whose annual salaries were $4,000 and $12,000 for Mayor Bernard Bouthillette. Taxes for a $100,000 house were $1,228. Municipal offices were on the second floor of L’École Ste-Élisabeth. Top priority was construction of Cantley’s first fire station for the 24 volunteer firefighters being trained under Chief Jean Dagenais. Also mentioned were two CTCRO bus service routes – along highway 307 and via Chemins Denis and des Erables.
Prominently displayed on the Écho’s municipal pages is the new 1989 municipal logo – the tugboat. It was designed to symbolize the strength and stamina of Cantley citizens who pushed their way towards independence against all obstacles along the way.
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A Community Newspaper For Cantley!
“...A Community monthly bilingual newspaper is born in Cantley ...... The Echo needs volunteers .... translating, typing, photography, drawing, and distributing the paper ....”
Environment Cantley
Environment Cantley, with Council support, “is looking at ways to establish a programme of environment surveillance.” It invites citizens “to actively participate in Cantley’s development with respect for nature and the environment.” Another article lists its group’s accomplishments: environmental monitoring programme, promotion and rehabilitation of quarries and sand pits. Its goals: to safeguard grasslands, establish controls for septic tanks, garbage and commercial waste, and to limit alteration and damage to natural sites.
Centennial History
The Centennial/Heritage Committee invites citizens to share memories, anecdotes or photos for the History of Cantley booklet to be distributed in 1989 to all Cantley households. Committee volunteers also organized a guided “Heritage bus tour” of Cantley’s historic sites and helped organize the Centennial Celebration Ceremony and Dance on September 16, 1989, at Mont Cascades’ Chalet Nord ski lodge. Citizens celebrated Cantley’s independence with an excited and very happy over-capacity crowd.
L’Association des résidents de Cantley (ARC)
In 1989 many volunteer citizen-driven groups were formed and projects initiated. ARC, one organization “dedicated to playing a driving role in Cantley’s recreational activities,” was revitalized. Its 40+ volunteers invited new members “to launch or participate in an activity or park committee work.”
Neighbourhood Watch Catches Break-In Thief
Early farmers depended on neighbours for survival and social life. Connecting with neighbours was re-kindled in the 1980s. In 1989, neighbours met to implement Neighbourhood Watch. On our road, this provided security, especially for our children walking home from the school bus and resulted in many happy social occasions with our neighbours.
The Cantley Picnic
This popular century-old summer fair was organized by volunteers on the grounds of Église Ste-Élisabeth. On July 1, 1989, the $2.00 admission included a horse pull, truck pull, booths with crafts, food, games like Bingo and the children’s fishpond. The roast beef supper at 4 pm cost $7.00 (children $4.00). Musicians Howard Hayes and the Country Drifters played for the evening dance.
Cantley’s Strawberries, For Fun … Or Taste!
My family’s favourite summer memory is of picking strawberries and raspberries at the beautiful Sauvageau farm, one of Cantley’s three commercial berry farms in 1989. The article includes a recipe for strawberry jam.
Phantom Council Debt
In May 1988, “phantom council” hired a lawyer to help fight the garbage dumps planned for Cantley. This is an appeal for “your solidarity and generosity” to collectively pay the legal fees of $9,045 by contributing to the “Cantley Solidarity Fund”.