The LowDown to Hull & Back News

Nala, the boxer-mix new mother, cuddles a newborn puppy at Valley Boxer Rescue in Masham. Photo courtesy France Turcotte

SPCA workers in Gatineau came across a gruesome sight Jan. 15, when they retrieved  four puppies that had frozen to death after being born in the back of a pickup truck the night before. Five other puppies survived the ordeal and are now recovering at Valley Boxer Rescue Shelter in Masham.

“They could have just called; I would have picked them all up, no questions asked,” said France Turcotte, co-owner of the Masham shelter. “We don’t judge here at all. We just try to help.” Click to continue

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Imagine listening to a room full of your cleverest storytelling grandparents, great aunts and uncles. They recount vivid memories of Wakefield past, they concoct hilarious fiction and intertwine bits of wisdom in short anecdotes. [click to continue…]

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The police patrolling the Gatineau Hills have turned to robots to perform some of their sleuthing.Click to continue

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Cascades Club members won an overwhelming first-time victory Jan. 25.

No, not in a dragon boat race – its paddlers have topped many podiums – but in a funding competition that secured $90,000 for the little Chelsea, Quebec facility.

The non-profit social and athletic organization competed in the Aviva Community Fund, a contest that awards community-oriented projects with financial boosts.

Cascades was among the 12 winners across Canada.

“Nobody could be more shocked than us,” said Monica Dashwood, who helped organize the club’s campaign push for the competition.

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A group of friends go riding at Chelsea, Quebec’s Camp Fortune

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Rick Mercer takes to the slopes at Camp Fortune in Chelsea,  Quebec to train with the ski patrol.

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Chelsea, Quebec residents went to sleep at year’s end 2011 and woke up with a start to face a 5.5 per cent tax hike for 2012. [click to continue…]

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SPCA employee discovered four dead puppies that froze to death Jan. 15, after someone abandoned a pregnant Boxer dog in a van in Gatineau. Four puppies died, but five survived and are being cared for at Valley Boxer Rescue in Masham. Video by Trevor Greenway of the Low Down

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Ron Pigeon may have retired as owner of the Chelsea M&R convenience store, but he's not done yet. The 64-year-old is still making early morning coffee while his daughter, Martine Pigeon (pictured with her dad), is running the business. Lucy Scholey photo

Some people count the days until they can retire and relax on a sunny beach without a thought of work. Not Ron Pigeon.

The owner of the Depanneur M&R convenience store in Chelsea finally decided to retire after 38 years. But Pigeon didn’t just quit the 5:30 a.m. wakeups and set aside the early coffee-making cold turkey.

The 64-year-old chose to spend his first day of retirement, well, at work.

“It was like a joke,” said Pigeon, leaning up against the counter with his arms crossed and a big grin on his face. “(Everybody) said, ‘You’re not supposed to be here, Ron.’ ”

But typically, on Jan. 1 when Pigeon lets his employees stay home from work, this year would not be any different, even if he had handed over his business to daughter Martine Pigeon. Click to continue

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