Michael reflects on past 50 years realizing "It's all storytelling you know"

MJ with Gus 2018

May it be a wonderful year for you. Stay safe and peace be with you!  Happy New Year!

As the new year gets underway, it suddenly struck me that it was 50 years ago in January 1969 that I left the daily newspaper business and started teaching at Chapleau High School. I was home visiting my mother Muriel (Hunt) Morris, and thinking about how I would get to Vietnam to cover the war there or to the Middle East to write about drug smuggling from Beirut, Lebanon into Europe and on to North America.

Fifty years later I have never been to either place because George Evans, the late longtime assistant principal and history teacher at Chapleau High School phoned me and asked if I would replace a teacher who had become ill. I expected to be there six months and then back to the newspaper business. 

MJ in 1970

After almost 20 years at CHS, I moved to Cranbrook BC to join the faculty of College of the Rockies, taking early retirement in 2000 after helping to found the first college graduate program in New (Social) Media Communications in Canada.

However, even though I never returned to the newspaper business full time, it was in Chapleau that I covered two of the major stories of my career.

The first was the presentation of eggs to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau at the Chapleau CPR station in 1982. I covered it for CBC Television News,

MJ on left Ernie Lepine with PM Trudeau

It turned out that Chapleau was the only community that provided some "respite" from angry protesters who greeted Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau as he travelled across Canada by train in August 1982.

In an article on August 22, 2016,years later  by Tristin Hopper carried in the National Post and other Postmedia newspapers he noted that "Only the Ontario town of Chapleau provided some respite. There, poultry farmers banded together to present the prime minister with a gift basket of fresh  eggs."

Actually, Ernest Lepine of Chapleau, upon learning of the reception the prime minister was receiving as he travelled with his three sons Justin (now our prime minister), Alexandre and Michel, visited the Valentine Poultry Farm and arranged to get eggs to present to him when the train stopped in Chapleau. The farm was and still is owned by Ross Broomhead.  

Mr. Lepine, in making the presentation to Mr. Trudeau said "Here are some Chapleau eggs for you. We're not throwing them at you. We're giving you a feed of eggs".

At College of the Rockies I was asked one day who was the most famous person I had ever interviewed. I replied without hesitation, "Pierre Trudeau". I knew some doubted me so I put a photo of me with the prime minister on my office wall. I was never questioned again!

The other was a test of the nuclear winter theory at Chapleau in 1985. I covered it for UPI. I have always thought it was so cool that Bob Fife, a former student at Chapleau High School and great friend, would be responsible for getting me an assignment as a reporter, particularly on such a major assignment as a test of the nuclear winter theory. He had worked for UPI.When he was a student at CHS, Bob would pepper me with questions on everything -- a certain clue that he was headed for a distinguished career in journalism.He also was active in many productions as well as serving as student council president.

Robert Fife  The Globe and Mail

 Bob is the son of the late Margaret and Clyde Fife of Chapleau. He is now the Ottawa Bureau Chief of The Globe and Mail.

The story for UPI reported , "a helicopter was to drop a napalm-like substance on the area near Chapleau, 400 miles north of Detroit, to set fire to thousands of fir trees killed by a budworm infestation that began in the 1960s

.Andrew Forester of the University of Toronto who organized the project said  he hoped when the blaze fanned out, it would create a 20,000-foot convection column of smoke, ash and gas to simulate some effects of a nuclear explosion. He described the fire as a "partial representation of one aspect of a nuclear explosion" without the blast or radiation.The helicopter was to carry a "flying drip torch," moving in concentric circles to drop an oil-based substance on pre-selected spots--literally dropping fire on the forest.

High in the convection column, scientists expected to see a ring of ash that would filter down, said Brian Stocks of the forest fire research unit at the Canadian government's Great Lakes Forest Research Center in Sault Ste. Marie. Above the ash, scientists expect gases and condensation that could trigger firestorms, Stocks said, according to the Los Angeles Times/ UPI report.

I recall flying over the test area into the mushroom cloud and one of the scientists excitedly proclaimed, "We've got it."

Back to Chapleau and hockey.. Let me share an anecdote about my coaching debut which was actually with a Chapleau Midget team in Timmins in 1969. I can't remember how I ended up filling in for someone but there I was. During the game a fight broke out and upon our return home, within a few days a letter arrived from Jim Aspin, the longtime secretary manager of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association accusing the Chapleau coach (me) of encouraging his players to fight.

A meeting was called to discuss the matter and we met in the basement of the old Town Hall. The letter alleged that I was yelling from the bench, "FIGHT, FIGHT." Of course I denied it and after much discussion, Earle Freeborn asked me if I had yelled anything from the bench. I thought for a moment and suddenly it struck me. Bob Fife, was on the team and in the midst of the fight. I said, yes I had been yelling for Fife to come to the bench. And I was yelling "FIFE, FIFE" which sounded like "FIGHT! FIGHT!!!!

A letter was sent to Mr. Aspin explaining what I had been yelling and it was accepted. I lived to coach another day!!

During my years at CHS i directed many plays at CHS/ESCHS but let me share a bit on the wonderful Peter Colley play, "The War Show: You'll Get Used To It." It was the last production in which I was involved at CHS/ESCHS

Cast of You'll Get Used To It - The War Show

Writing in The Daily Press, reviewer George Evans, said that a "wonderful thing" happened at ESCHS. "For the older people there was bittersweet nostalgia for the years of World War II, and for the younger folk there was the impact of seeing war as it really was for the 1939 generation of teenagers. From oldest to youngest, the audience was caught up in the banality, the humor, and ultimately, the irreversible waste of war."

After each performance the company received a sustained standing ovation. We too the play "on the road" to Wawa wher it was performed at Michipicoten High School.

The outstanding company included Marcel Morin, Michel Sylvestre, Derek Lafreniere, Dean Harvey, Jeremy Comte, Christopher Ivey, Tara Leigh O'Hearn, Anita Hoffren, Andre Bourgeault, Kyle St. Amand, Gerry Servais, Kyle Videto, Laurianne Martel, Desmond Larocque, Donna Old, Annalisa Meyer, Michelle Meyer and Lori Brunette.

Margaret Rose (Payette) Fortin, of the ESCHS teaching staff, did an incredible job as the music director, with Mrs. Ruth Godemair as the pianist. Members of the ESCHS Chorus included Gabriela Dell, Carolyn Hryhorchuk, Gerard Lalonde, Juliette Payette, Dave Fagan, Yvette Joyal, Desmond Larocque, Mike Holgate and Alison Wedekamm. George noted in his review that it was "impossible to overestimate" the contribution of the chorus to the emotional impact of the production.

Also greatly contributing to the success of the production was the awesome use of sound and lighting particularly in the battle scenes in the very capable hands of William Mitchell, Sylvain Bernier and Scott Keech. Video was done by Derek Woods. Costumes and makeup were looked after most capably by Yvette Joyal and Lisa Martel, and I must add that Mrs. Joyal pitched in to help with every aspect of the production. She was always available to help. 

Set design was by Roxane Duhaim, while official photographer was Michael Heintz, prompter was Yvonne Ranger, and properties and stage assistant was Allison Berry. Rick Dell and Crystal Collins produced the program.

As I reflect on the past 50 years, I have so many fond memories from Chapleau High School and College of the Rockies, as well as being able to continue writing. My most sincere thanks to Mario Lafreniere, publisher of the Chapleau Express for letting me share Chapleau Moments weekly for almost 10 years. 

I also so much appreciate hearing from so many of you over the years, and no, I never had a "bad" student at CHS/ESCHS or COTR!

I leave you with a comment from Tom Brokaw:  "It's all storytelling you know. That's what journalism is all about."   My email is mj.morris@live.ca