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The Way We Were

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The column titled "The Way We Were" first appeared in "The Low Down to Hull and Back News".External Link on August 24, 2005. The Low Down's editor introduced this feature as an opportunity for long-time locals to tell their tales about what gives these Hills their particular colour. The Low Down also invited readers to write in their own anecdotes, memories or flashbacks that give a picture of what Gatineau Hills life was all about back in the day. We hope all readers, new and old, enjoy.

Anyone who knows of an interesting Gatineau Valley subject for a future "The Way We Were" column is encouraged to contact Louise Schwartz at info@gvhs.ca or to submit a proposed article of 500 words (with a historic photo) directly to the Low Down News at general@lowdownonline.com.

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Lac Bernard - where friendship doesn't skip a generation

by Donna Lee and Lucy Mansour

This story begins over 80 years ago when our grandparents, Ira and Ivena Woods and Hugh and Florence Davies owned property on Lake Bernard. Ira Woods purchased 300 ft of lakefront property for $300 and the Davies were given a government grant amounting to a sizeable piece of lakefront property in the early 1900's.

Lac Bernard
Just your average day on Lac Bernard some five decades ago: that's a younger and skinnier Doug Ryan (current owner of Ryan's Garage In Alcave) left, with David Watson beside him. Donna Lee is sitting at end of dock.

As the years passed Bertha Woods and Lena Davies, daughters of the above landowners became good friends along with Norma Usherwood (Moffat). At that time there were very few cottages on the lake. The three girls became fast friends and enjoyed camping on the Woods' property, a bay at the end of what is now known as Tranquility Lane.

In those days it was a cow pasture owned by Gordon Mitchell. Here he allowed his cows to roam and would, at milking time, locate them wherever they happened to be on this part of the lake in order to milk them. Needless to say it was difficult to find a clean camping location under these conditions. The three girls managed however, and spent many happy days and nights swimming, row boating, walking and listening to the loons and now extinct whippoorwills.

Many readers will recall that familiar sound in the evening by the lake. Sometimes they would walk down to the local hot dog stand (which is no longer operating) located at the junction of Regatta Bay Road and Lake Bernard Road. Growing up here they always participated in the annual regatta, drove down the back roads in a 1928 Whippet, and many gathered to sing songs by the player piano at the Davies cottage.

Lac Bernard
Ira and lvena Woods with daughter Berlha (married name Watson), rnlddie, in Ironi of the Alcove garage (How Ryan's) some 70 years ago.

The Tea Room in Alcove, owned by Vera Boyd was a frequent destination. For refrigeration in the summer, they purchased blocks of ice at Lascelles. They would ski or snowshoe in to the cottage in the wintertime, as the roads were impassable. Spring was always marked by the hundreds of logs fioating down the Gatin- eau River to the E.B. Eddy paper mill in Hull. Some even dared to swim across the river avoiding logs along the way. Over the years grandchildren inherited the two properties and in fact the Davies property was sold to new owners in the 1970s.

Years later, the year 2000 to be precise, a middle aged woman had decided to purchase a cottage in Ontario possibly Quebec. She happened to read an ad describing a cottage for sale on Lake Bernard, Tranquility Lane. After viewing the property she decided to make an offer, it was accepted and the cottage was hers. A short while later she met her new neighbour, also a middle aged woman. There seemed to be an instant and inexplicable rapport between them.

After exchanging names Donna Lee (Watson) (Woods) and Lucy Mansour (DiGiacomo) (Davies) they realized they were the daughters of the same two -best friends, Bertha Woods and Lena Davies, who had camped out here some 70 years ago.

Their conversations led to many familiar names of people on the lake that, of course, their parents knew very well. Vera Boyd, Norma Moffat, Leyton and Winmifred, Lola Woods, David and Doris Watson grandchildren of the Woods's, Gordon Mitchell and Mabel Trowsse to name a few. Now Donna and Lucy spend many hours on the same bay their mothers enjoyed. They swim, pontoon and listen to the loons and have become very good friends, perhaps brought together by a predetermined destiny.

(Donna Lee and Lucy Mansour live in Ottawa.)

Editor 's Note:
We're looking for your stories about the way we were: anecdotes, tales, memories of what it means to be a true Gatineau Hiller. It could be 50 words or 500, golden or purple prose - we'll take it. Send your submissions to general@lowdownonline.com.