20,000 visitors later, "They can't take Chapleau out of the boy"

Thank you for being among the more than 20,000 visitors to Michael J Morris Reports in 2010 -- and perhaps you are part of the more than 38,000 who have spent some moments here since I started it just under two years ago.

I really had no idea at the outset the direction it would go, but this year it has increasingly focused on Chapleau stories to the extent that I am planning to launch a new blog soon to share stories on the world beyond the borders of my home town.

More than 30 years ago now I was being interviewed by Ruth Reid, then of CFCL TV in Timmins when I was reeve (mayor) about an application Chapleau had made under the Ontario Neighbourhood Renewal Program. Ruth posed the question: "What will you do if the province says no?"

Without thinking, I replied, "Well maybe we will secede from the province."

As one of the regular visitors here told me in an email, "Michael, they can take the boy out of Chapleau, but they can't take Chapleau out of the boy."

So true. The good news is that the Neighbourhood Improvement Program was approved so I did not have to try and have Chapleau secede from the province. Ruth and the late Jim Prince, the CFCL news director, never did let me live down my comment.

But as always I digress. For the time being anyway, Michael J Morris Reports will continue to be devoted to Chapleau stories, then and now.

I am amazed at where visitors have been coming from to the blog. By IP address the top 10 countries have been Canada (no surprise),  the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Germany, India, Russian Federation, Belgium, France and 39 other countries.

You have been arriving from 785 cities and 385 regions such as provinces, states, etc.

Again, thanks for spending some time here, and feel free to email me at mj.morris@live.ca