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Mary Ellen Boudreau's article in the Eganville Leader1955
Mackey Station area, Ontario
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In Her article "Dam's flood changed the face of the Upper Ottawa Valley" published in the Eganville Leader, the late Mary Ellen Boudreau reveals the sentiments of many who were directly affected by the des Joachims Hydro Project,The Photographs which follow bring visual awareness to what were heretofore only place names of lands now beneath the waters of the Upper Ottawa.
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"DAM'S FLOOD CHANGED THE FACE OF THE UPPER OTTAWA VALLEY"by Mary Ellen Boudreau
They knew it was coming. They had heard about it for years. Some even stopped making repairs to their homes and buildings. Yet when the giant Des Joachims Generating Station actually got underway, no one was prepared for the disruption it would cause in their lives.
"My roots are down there" (in the village of Mackey now under 80 feet of water) said a former resident "It was heart breaking. Just like something torn away".
"It's hard not to be able to go back" said another, "not to be able to retrace the steps of my youth the partridge hunting along the deep ravines of Mackey Creek, the fishing in French's Lake...."
The hamlets of Mackey, Stonecliffe and Deux Rivieres were profoundly affected by the Ontario Hydro mega-project. Churches moved, railway centres moved, schools and post offices moved. The face of the whole 30-some mile corridor changed, and changed dramatically.
Community life changed. Some moved to higher ground. Some moved away. Neighbors lost neighbors and friends lost friends. The past was swept away. Only memories of former homesteads and haunts remained. It was the end of an era in the upper Townships of Renfrew County. Few remember it as a good time.
Compensation for the move was considered to be fair by some, inadequate by others. No dollars, it seems, could replace the loss of home.
Some changes were acknowledged to be improvements. At Deux Rivieres, a new frame public school replaced a 75 year old log structure. At Stonecliffe a large new cement block and plaster church was built to replace the two small frame ones of Mackey and Stonecliffe, although many Mackey residents grumbled at the loss of "their* church.
Waterway were changed with the enlargement of the Ottawa, the disappearance of rapids, and the creation of a lake head of some three miles in width at Mackey Bay. Water travel for boaters became easy, for timber floaters more simple as logs were now boomed and towed by a tug.
And an important plus was the opportunity for many local people, some of whom had returned from World War II, to find employment in the vast project of clearing lands to be flooded and the construction of the massive dam.
Coming as a bride of 1948 to a Mackey of no electricity and no phones from Canada's Capital was a major change but soon the bustling activity of the hamlet of Rolphton became a vital part of life.
The housing project, known as The Colony, was the scene of action. Here were young couples with young children like us. Here was a hospital, a recreation centre with bowling lanes, a dance hall. Boy Scout and Girl Guide rooms, a commissary. Here were bridge players. Here were food fests and crazy fun house parties. Here were regular dances, which always included a 10:30pm floorshow/skit for which we practiced for months. Dances which saw us hide a jug under the table with which to spike our soda drinks as licensed parties had not yet come to be. Here, as well as in downtown Mackey, developed friendships for a lifetime.
And here in construction time on a Thursday evening we could join 1000 men in a huge mess-hall and enjoy a super steak dinner for the grand sum of seventy five Cents.
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Waterway were changed with the enlargement of the Ottawa, the disappearance of rapids, and the creation of a lake head of some three miles in width at Mackey Bay. Water travel for boaters became easy, for timber floaters more simple as logs were now boomed and towed by a tug.And an important plus was the opportunity for many local people, some of whom had returned from World War II, to find employment in the vast project of clearing lands to be flooded and the construction of the massive dam.
Coming as a bride of 1948 to a Mackey of no electricity and no phones from Canada's Capital was a major change but soon the bustling activity of the hamlet of Rolphton became a vital part of life.
The housing project, known as The Colony, was the scene of action. Here were young couples with young children like us. Here was a hospital, a recreation centre with bowling lanes, a dance hall. Boy Scout and Girl Guide rooms, a commissary. Here were bridge players. Here were food fests and crazy fun house parties. Here were regular dances, which always included a 10:30pm floorshow/skit for which we practiced for months. Dances which saw us hide a jug under the table with which to spike our soda drinks as licensed parties had not yet come to be. Here, as well as in downtown Mackey, developed friendships for a lifetime.
And here in construction time on a Thursday evening we could join 1000 men in a huge mess-hall and enjoy a super steak dinner for the grand sum of seventy five Cents.
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Charbonneau Residence1941
Mackey Station, Ontario
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The Charbonneau residence at Mackey Station. This is a typical log home in this area. This photograph was taken in the early 1940's. The family moved from here to higher ground at Stonecliffe.Audio Text - Ernie Boudreau
Ya, Johnnie and I built that for his mother. (Q) when would that be built? Well we built before 40 - - ,we went away from here in 43 so we built it in the early 40's
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Mackey Creek Trestle, CPR1945
Mackey Station, Ontario
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This photograph shows one of the last CPR trains making its way over the CPR trestle atMackey Creek. Note the area has been cleared of all trees in preparation for the flooding. This
section of the CPR line was relocated to higher ground and now runs parallel to highway 17
through Mackey.
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Mackey's Station Church1945
Mackey Station, Ontario
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Saint Narcissus Roman Catholic Church at Mackey Station. St. Narcissus was erected atMackey station in 1891 and was served by the Oblate Fathers of Mattawa until 1926 when it
became a parish on its own. As a result of the dam flooding the Church was demolished and the congregation moved to a new Church in Stoncliffe in 1949. A historical plaque now makes the original location of the church.
The original village of Mackey Station was flooded by the dam construction. When the village moved to higher ground it's name was changed to Mackey
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Historic Plaque9 November 2003
Mackey Station area, Ontario
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Historic Plaque, Mackey, Ontario13
Catherine Tait home1949
Stonecliffe, Ontario
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This photograph of Catherine Tait on the veranda of her Stonecliff home just beforemoving out. This photo is interesting because it showed clearly the forest clearing on the
opposite side of the River, indicating the 'new level' for the river. Catherine home and all of
old Stonecliff would soon be under water. Catherine moved to the new community of Stonecliffe
with her son Joseph (Joe) Tait and family.
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