Low Down Articles
Echoes from the Past
Article 26 of 111
This article first appeared in the "Echoes from the Past" column of the The Low Down to Hull and Back News.
Reprinted with permission. Search complete list of Low Down Articles.
o o o
From the Depths
On a recent visit to the office of THE LOW DOWN TO HULL AND BACK NEWS with copy for this column it was remarked by the editor that there were not many skeletons in our ancestors' Gatineau closets. Was I suppressing a juicy murder or two uncovered by my research? What about shot-gun marriages, were there none of these? Did not unmarrieds ever shack up together? Where was all the gore and blood?
Frankly, I didn't think I had done too badly over the weeks. I'd written about Philemon Wright's deathbed "confession". I had told the story of the death by drowning of a drunk in Hull. I'd told the stories of the 1870 and 1900 fires which exploded across the countryside with its losses of lives each time. I had intrigued my readers with the unusual marriage on the ice of the Grand (Ottawa) River, giving the reason for the same.
Now, it behooves writers to heed their editors, especially if the editor is also the newspaper owner - so here goes.
NICOLAS GATINEAU RISES TO THE OCCASION
Most of our readers know the story about Notary Nicolas Gatineau who gave his name to the river in which he lost his life when his canoe tipped in its upper reaches those many years ago, while on a hunting and trapping trip.
It so happened that 1991 was the last year of the logging operations on the Gatineau River. Prior to freeze-up last fall the crews of the tugs were sending the last sacks of logs downriver, preparatory to spending the next season or so sweeping the banks for stray logs which had escaped the trek south. The 1991 season was just about over when a member of a tug's crew thought he had spotted a body floating in the bay. Upon reaching the objective they found the body, clad in leather hunting gear, was quite well preserved. It had been caught in very deep and ice cold water for many many years.
Upon examination of the clothing, the owner's wallet was located and the driving license revealed that the dead owner had been Nicolas Gatineau. Not wishing to deal with their problem at the time the crew slipped a chain around the body, leaving it attached to a tree on Banana Island where winter storage would be provided when Gatineau froze for another season.
The spirit of Nicolas Gatineau will no doubt be around to haunt the island for eternity. Obviously a case of turning from hunting to haunting.
How about that? Now cast your eyes at today's publishing date. 1 Apr 1992.