The following article first appeared in The Echo of Cantley Volume 36 no 4 October 2024. This article is made available for the enjoyment of others with the express permission of the Echo of Cantley.
Today’s Pomeroy heritage farm still occupies the full quarter section of original farmland in the area where Cantley’s earliest settlers established their roots. The first census conducted in 1842 in the Township of Hull indicates 244 residents lived in Cantley. Most were of Irish and Scottish origin.
The farm is on one of the few remaining original-sized historic lots. It remains intact in its entirety, thanks to the stewardship of its owners who have declined many offers to purchase parcels of their land. They have maintained its integrity. They value its heritage, its rural beauty and its many environmental benefits.
Robert Allen was the farm’s first settler. The list of crown grants for Hull Township states that in 1866 Robert Allen met the conditions for settlement of range 11 lot 10 which is today’s Pomeroy farm at 39 River (formerly Allen) Road.
James Albert Wilson of Wilson’s Corners married Catherine Cooper of Cantley in 1884. The couple settled on the Allen farm where they farmed and raised their 14 children. It is uncertain about when their original wood frame house was built. What is known is that the Wilson family rebuilt it after it was destroyed by fire in 1906. The story of the Wilson family is in the A Wilson Girl’s Cantley Memories June 2022 Echo.
Arthur and Rowena Pomeroy purchased the historic Allen/Wilson Farm 60 years later in 1966. Today, their son John owns the farm, and my family are his long-time tenants. Together we are the caretakers of our beautiful farmland and its historic buildings.
Arthur Pomeroy (b. 1907 d. 1995) was born in Belfast, Ireland. He served in the Second World War as commander of a Royal Navy anti-aircraft cruiser. Rowena Holt (b. 1920 d. 2017) was from Bexley, England. Her father served as a senior Royal Navy admiral. Arthur and Rowena met during the war when she was a ship plotter for the Women’s Royal Naval Service.
In 1950, the newlyweds emigrated to Ottawa. Arthur worked as a naval engineer and later at the Royal Canadian Mint. Arthur and Rowena settled in a home on Stanley Avenue in New Edinburgh, Ottawa. They started looking for a cottage in 1965. The “cottage” was the Wilson Farm at 39 River Road in Cantley which, after a few renovations, became their permanent home in 1969. “The Farm” was their paradise. It had cows, raspberries, and flowers, and the pastureland was rented to local farmers. Rowena and Arthur had two boys, Hugh (b. 1963 d. 1985) and John (b. 1965). Members of the Pomeroy family are caring stewards of the land.
Rowena led an incredibly busy life of charity work, contributing endless volunteer hours to the International Order of the Daughters of the Empire (I.O.D.E) of which she was a member for over 50 years. She was a driver and food provider for Meals on Wheels for almost 40 years. She was an active member of the Gatineau Valley Gardeners and of the Gatineau Valley Historical Society.
Arthur Pomeroy was one of the key figures during Cantley’s six-year “battle for independence” from its forced amalgamation with Gatineau (1983-1989). The Pomeroy Farmhouse was host to some important meetings where citizens rallied to discuss strategies to determine Cantley’s future. These were part of the remarkable citizen volunteer effort in our Cantley community which began in the 1970s with proponents like Bertrand Boily. For two decades, Francophones and anglophones worked together to regain Cantley’s independence to protect its unique rural character and welcoming nature.
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Community mindfulness continues! Cantley citizens, you are invited to join CPYC (Civil Protection Youth Canada) to be of service to your community. As part of the team of citizen volunteers, you will enjoy spending time on this beautiful land while working to strengthen disaster readiness through youth engagement. For more information, please visit: www.civilprotection.ca or email, info@civilprotection.ca