Michael J Morris Reports

Identify 1181 CHS Cadet Corps officers of 1957

2012-01-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

Who are these five fine looking cadet officers headed to the parade ground behind the old CHS for the annual inspection in 1957?

BONUS QUESTION: Who is the gentleman in the fedora and suit standing behind them?

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE!!!

Email mj.morris@live.ca

Calgary Stampeders bring touch of old west to Chapleau after winning Grey Cup in Toronto

2012-01-25T08:14:00.004-07:00

Let's take a look at Chapleau as it was on the edge of its boom years of the 1950s as it appeared through the pages of the Chapleau Post.

Ken and Beverly (Yanta) LeClaire recently sent me a copy of the December 2, 1948 edition of the newspaper when Arthur Simpson was the editor, and through the advertisements and stories gives the reader a glimpse of the life and times of the community at the end of the year in which it was threatened by forest fires.

The Calgary Stampeders were in Chapleau at the CPR station on their way home from Toronto, where they had defeated the Ottawa Rough Riders, 12-7, to win the Grey Cup, after having a 12-0 win record in the regular season, the only perfect season in the history of Canadian professional football according to Wikipedia. The Post described it as a "touch of the old West" as cowboys and girls in their ten-gallon hats and fancy shoes and trousers passed through on their special train..."

Although Chapleau was not particularly football conscious, according to the Post, the Stampeder fans rolled off the train and took over and "presented a spectacular entertainment to the crowd..."

1948 Calgary Stampeders

"They bounced off the train in a flurry of ten-gallon hats and fancy gay coloured hankerchiefs. One fan with an accordion appeared - another with a guitar and with a cry of YIPPEE --- they piled onto the platform and gave the locals a treat with a score of western songs".

In response to the crowd's request to see the Grey Cup, coach Les Lear himself brought it out for all to see.

Although the Post does not mention it, they also rode horses along the station platform. I was seven years old and in the crowd -- even got an autographed photo of the team arranged for me by my aunt Marion Morris, who was living in Calgary at the time.

Reeve B.W. Zufelt

In local political news, the Post reported that B.W. 'Bubs' Zufelt had been re-elected by acclamation to serve another one year term.

Joining him on the 1949 council would be J. Cahill, A.J. Grout, E.J. Lepine and W. Steed.

Another front page story said it was expected that the first car would go over Highway 129 in January, and it happened. The highway was declared officially open on a cold winter day on January 30.

C.W. Collins Store 1948

As I looked through the paper, it struck me while reading the advertisements that the only store with ownership by a member of the same family in 1948 and 2012, was Charles W. Collins Stores Ltd., now Collins Home Hardware and Collins Home Furniture, and owned by Doug Collins, the grandson of Charles W. Collins. The Collins name has been associated with ownership of a Chapleau business since 1928.

In the store's advertisement, men's and ladies' McBrine "baggage with character" was being sold at between $25 and $50. while Biltmore hat certificates were available at $5 and $10.

Customers were encouraged to visit the mezzanine for ready-to wear clothes. "Drop up to the mezzanine and see our new party dresses. Smart and stylish in velvets, bengalines and crepes. Choose your favourite frock for your Christmas parties ahead.." Also, lovely soft fur felt bonnets were available for remarkable prices ranging from $3 to $6.

Walt Disney was popular and the store had children's dressing gowns with Mickey Mouse, or Donald Duck or Pluto on these colourful cotton chenile dressing gowns selling for $4.25 or $5.95 depending on size.

At the Regent Theatre, owned by Cecil Smith, located where the Royal Bank is now, playing was 'Sitting Pretty' starring Robert Young, Maureen O'Hara and Clifton Webb, all very popular movies stars of the day for younger readers who may not recognize the names. The Royal Bank in 1948 was located beside the Dominion grocery store near Birch and Young streets across from the Algoma, later Hublit Hotel.

My cousin Michael McMullen has confirmed that Murrays and Mulligan, a general store was located where the Dominion store later was opened circa 1886. Patrick Mulligan was our great great uncle.

As the natural ice "old old rink" on Lorne Street, and outdoor skating rinks as well as the pond on the back river would soon be in use, Morita Brothers was advertiswing that everyone should have their skates sharpened and be ready for that first workout. They were located on Lansdowne Street across from Gamma Photo Centre which was advertising Kodak products for sale. Who would have ever thought in 1948 that Kodak would ever file for bankruptcy protection as it has just done in 2012.

In 1948, Chapleau had two pharmacies -- the Model Drug store where Ross Thornton was the pharmacist and Rexall Drugs with Ed Downey as pharmacist.

At Smith and Chapple Ltd. where D.O. Payette was president and A.J. Grout vice president, their advertisement was featuring a selection of "beautiful" fur coats ranging in price from $200 to $400. They came in mouton, sable dyed muskrat, raccoon and muskrat. In 1949, Mr. Payette would retire from the firm and Mr. Grout took over.

Smith and Chapple had opened a book department just inside the entrance to its men's wear shop and Mrs. Mitchell would be in the department from 1 to 5 each afternoon to assist customers in making selections.

Popular Presto pressure cookers were available at $16.95 and $19.95 in the hardware department while steering sleighs were on sale at $2.69 and $3.29.

To prevent frozen gas lines Pellow's Garage and Service was selling Arctic Sure Flow with guaranteed protection for 1000 miles per 75c bottle. At Pellow Supply Co. Alberta lump coal was available at $17.50 a ton.

Harold S. Cahill Men's Shoppe located in the Queens, later Sportsman Hotel, had a wide variety of men's fashions available while Vet's Taxi operated by Pete Therrien announced it now had three cars available for better service. Its motto: "We doze -- but never close." Len Perfetto had Chapleau's other taxi service at the time.

Back on the front page was a social news item announcing that a bridal shower had been held at the home of Mrs. Percy Scott in honour of Frances Jardine, who was to marry Henry Corston. After lovely gifts were opened a "dainty lunch was served by Mrs. Scott assisted by her neighbours."

At Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, a service was held with Bishop G. Landry prseent where he announced that Father Romeo Gascon was named domestic prelate and would now be Msgr. Gascon. In 1948, he had served as the parish priest for 40 years.

Finally, in my look at moments in life and times of Chapleau in late 1948, everyone was invited to dances at the Legion hall on Saturday nights to the music of Wilf Simpson's Orchestra. Only 50 cents admission!

The community was getting ready for its boom years.

Thanks to Ken and Beverly for the Chapleau Post. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Name the members of the Student Council at ESCHS in 1976-77

2012-01-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Name the members of the Student Council at ESCHS in 1976-77. Who was the president? Leave answers in the comments section or email mj.morris@live.ca

Chapleau High School 90th Anniversary Reunion Committee releases tentative program of events

2012-01-23T09:11:00.002-07:00

CLICK TO ENLARGE!!!!!!!!!!

Chapleau High School 90th Anniversary Reunion Committee has announced the tentative schedule for the event to be held in Chapleau from June 29th to July 1st, 2012, inclusive. For complete information and updates visit http://www.chs90threunionfestival.com/

The committee reminds everyone that it is still working on final details. If you have not preregistered visit http://www.chs90threunionfestival.com/

CLICK TO ENLARGE!!!!

Here is the tentative program of events as well as a call for floats to make the anniversary parade the best ever held in Chapleau, and the community has held some fantastic parades throughout its history.

Identify cast members from 'The Perfect Idiot' performed at Chapleau High School in 1987

2012-01-20T17:09:00.000-07:00

Identify these cast members from the high school drama production 'The Perfect Idiot' performed at the school in 1987

Big year in hockey planned in 1948 as Rev. Howard Strapp returned as president and Vern Goldstein named chief "whistle tooter" at annual meeting of Chapleau Hockey Club

2012-01-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

Names Below Click to Enlarge

When Rev. Howard Strapp tried to step down after serving three terms as president of the Chapleau Hockey Club at its annual meeting in 1948, the members insisted that he accept another term, prompting him to say, perhaps rather appropriately, "I've been railroaded".

Mr. Strapp, the minister at Trinity United Church at the time, was praised for his hard work and endless efforts that have helped to build the highly efficient Chapleau club, according to a report in the Chapleau Post.

The hockey club had overall responsibility for competitive Junior and Intermediate teams as well as the local hockey league with teams that played weekly in the "old old arena" on Lorne Street, on the site where by 1951, the Chapleau Memorial Community Arena was located. The Trappers, the Junior team, was sponsored for years by Mrs. A.W. 'Hockey' Moore after whom the arena in the Chapleau Recreation Centre is named.

Joining Mr. Strapp on the executive were N.W. 'Newt' Pellow as vice president, Ovide Cote as secretary-treasurer and executive committee members J.E. Edwards, F. Hamlin and A.E. 'Gussie' Evans all of whom would be involved the club's activities.

The Chapleau Post also reported that Vern Goldstein was reappointed to the position of "whistle tooter" or referee in chief. Mr. Goldstein reported to the meeting that as a result of his attendance at the annual meeting of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association in Kirkland Lake, Chapleau would be entering both the Junior and Intermediate teams in the league playoffs in 1949. At this time in Chapleau's history, teams travelled by train to play in other communities.

As an aside, the first reference I have found to a road trip was in 1893 when a local team travelled to Sudbury. Unfortunately, they lost 2-1 to Sudbury.

Mr. Goldstein also reported that as soon as Highway 129 opened, Chapleau would be placed in the Soo Line League with teams from Little Current, Espanola, Blind River, thessalon and other communities outside of Sault Ste. Marie.

The same issue of the Chapleau Post reported there was a "very good possibility" that a car would travel over the road in January 1949. In fact, it happened. On a cold winter day, January 30, 1949, Highway 129, was declared officially completed.

Mr. Goldstein had also been reconized by the NOHA as a First Class Official Referee who may be called upon to travel and referee games in other Northern Ontario centres. He also planned to attend a referee school in Sudbury.

Names below Click to enlarge

After Mr. Cote delivered the club's financial statement which showed a favourable surplus, the Chapleau Post reported editorialized that "It sounded like the Dominion budget, with every detailed item listed on the balance sheet. This serves to illustrate how well the club is being conducted from a business point of view."

Regarding the local league, the report said it was too early to discuss players, coaches and team setups but even at this early date in November (remember they played on natural ice at the time), many street corner conversations were being held and the "boys are beginning to get things lined up. A big year in hockey is approaching."

My sincere thanks to Ken and Beverly (Yanta) LeClaire for sending me the Chapleau Post. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

TRAPPERS
The Chapleau Trappers of 1949. a junior team sponsored by Mrs A.W. 'Hockey' Moore. Back from left H. Fortunato, Rev Howard Strapp, B. Collings, M.McAdam, C. McAdam, R. May, T. Godfrey, J. Dillon, F. Lucky, T. Collinson. Front from left R. Longchamps, Daddle Swanson, Tee Chambers, D. Chambers, R. Morin, Y. Morin, R. Burns.
HUSKIES
The Chapleau Huskies Intermediate team of 1949. Back row are from left O. Robinson, D. Swanson, L. Riley, G. Lucas, Tee Chambers, F.Goheen, K. Strapp, T. Collinson, 'Sonny' Bignucolo, D.O. Payette (manager), P. Serre, R. Hamlin, G. Payette. Front from left, Yen Hong, B. Evans, R. Sonego, Ross Thornton (coach), T. Jardine, A. Mione, J. Morin, M. Mione, C. Fiaschetti.

1181 Chapleau High School Cadet Corps performance described as "excellent" at annual inspection in 1946

2012-01-11T10:00:00.001-07:00

Art Broomhead, Mike Mione, Arnold Moore, Bill Ritchie

On a beautiful sunny day in May 1946, Captain R.Q. Sims, described the performance of 1181 Chapleau High School Cadet Corps as "excellent" during its first inspection following the end of World War II.

The inspecting officer delivered his remarks to the corps which the Chapleau Post described as "well earned praise following weeks of training" to company commander Foster Collings, platoon commanders John Thomson, Barbara Muske, Frances Hamlin, bugle band leader Janet Thomson, chief instructor and school principal John McClellan and corps members on the field behind the old high school on Pine Street.

The CHS cadet corps was established on November 14, 1924, just two years after a high school was established in Chapleau and was disbanded on January 1, 1963, and for 39 years was an integral and important part of school life.

Alton Henderson, Jack Rose, Lorne Wilkinson, Elbert Collinson, Wesley Morse

One year after World War II had ended, thoughts would surely have turned to the more than 300 Chapleau citizens who had served in Canada's armed forces, including 17 CHS students who were killed on active service, and had been members of the cadet corps just a few years earlier. Two who were killed on active service were Alton Henderson and Jack Rose, pictured above.

As well as the actual inspection, demonstrations in signals, first aid, knots and lashes, girls PT, pyramids, rifle and precision drills were included in the day's activities.

Following the inspection, led by the Girls Bugle Band, the corps would march around the community, before members would head home to prepare for the annual Cadet Dance, always part of the day's activities.

For some reason, I had assumed that the cadet corps always had a girls band, but once again I got a lesson in "never assume" as I have been researching the history of 1181 Cadet Corps. For example, I have discovered that in the 1934-35 school year it was called the Boys Bugle Band, and this may have continued until at least 1943 when student Milton O'Brien was the band leader. However, by 1946 it was a Girls Bugle Band led by Janet Thomson. It is also quite likely that it was a boys band prior to 1934, and as my pieces, as I have written before are really a very rough draft of history, I hope more information will be forthcoming so the complete story of the corps can be told.

Also, girls were not officially permitted to be cadets but at CHS they were involved and were part of the inspection. They were later approved.

After World War II, King George VI, granted the title "Royal" and they became the Royal Canadian Army Cadets. One of the more famous highlights in the history of the CHS cadet corps was the Royal Visit to Canada by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1939. The story goes that while the Royals were not scheduled to make an appearance in Chapleau as the Royal Train was passing through the community at two a.m.

However, Chapleau reeve George Fife, the grandfather of CTV News Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife, sent a message that he wanted to meet the King. So, the King was roused in the middle of the night to meet Mr. Fife, and according to Jim Austin, who was then a member of the CHS cadet corps, got off the train and conducted an inspection.

Many CHS cadets over the years attended Cadet camps, and 1946 was no exception. Thirteen members of the corps attended camp at Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, which considering that CHS had about 100 students struck me as amazing. The Chapleau Post reported that those attending were Arthur Broomhead, Desmond Collins, Ross Hamlin, Coulton Henderon, Mike Mione, Arnold Moore, William Pellow, Lorne Riley, Douglas Swanson, Lawrence Tremblay, Bill Ritchie, Pat Serre and Reggie Sonego.

John McClellan, wife in background

No cadet inspection day was complete without the dance held in 1946 in the Legion Hall which was decorated with white apple blossoms, the red, white and green school colours and crossed rifles on the wall panels, all "well deserving of praise" according to the Chapleau Post reporter. Lunch was served by a committee of staff members and parents headed by Mrs. McClellan, the wife of the principal.

Music was provided by 'The Modernes' in its first and only appearance even though the Chapleau Post reporter was gushing in praise of the orchestra, writing that it was "music played the way you love to hear it played" and predicting a great future for it. It folded as some members left Chapleau. Members were Marion Wedge, piano; George Payette and Jim Hands, trumpet; Greg Lucas, clarinet; Norman Cohrs, trombone; Bill Austin, saxophone; Jack Welch, electric guitar and Yen Hong, drums.

For almost 40 years of its history, 1181 Chapleau high School Cadet Corps played its important role. For some reason, I still recall the command "General Salute. Present Arms", the inspection by the army officer in attendance and the march past in review order as the Bugle Band played when I was a student at CHS in the 1950s. As the 90th anniversary reunion of CHS draws closer, I am sure there will be many revisions to the rough drafts of the school's history.

Thanks to Doug Greig and Louise Cooper. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Name the five young ladies all dressed up in their finery for Chapleau High School 1955 initiation

2012-01-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

Identify these five young ladies dressed in their finery for the Chapleau High School initiation of 1955. They were of course in Grade Nine at the time.

Chapleau prepares to host Ice Fishing Derby on February 11 as Ultimate Fishing Town Winter event

2012-01-07T03:51:00.001-07:00

Chapleau, which won the title of Canada's Ultimate Fishing Town in 2011, is now preparing to hold its 15th annual one-day Northern Pike Ice Fishing Derby on February 11, 2012.

First prize is $10,000, while second is $5,000, third $2,000 and fourth $1,000.

Bill Groves, billgroves@sympatico.ca , the longtime coordinator, is back at the helm with a very capable committee including Michael Levesque, Elizabeth Michaud, Emily Taylor and Roger Perrault..

In 2011, Chapleau won the WFN Ultimate Fishing Town title for Canada defeating much larger communities for the honour. Watch WFN video on Chapleau: http://www.worldfishingnetwork.com/videos/channels/wfn-world-fishing-network/ultimate-fishing-town-2011-chapleau-ontario-144729.aspx

Here is the information on the ice fishing derby. CLICK ON IT TO ENLARGE FOR EASIER READING.

The Ice Fishing Derby will serve as a winter morale booster as well as help the local economy.

Chapleau is shaping up as the place to be in 2012 with the 90th anniversary reunion of Chapleau High School slated for the end of June. FOR REUNION INFO, CLICK HERE http://www.chs90threunionfestival.com/

Photos by Bill Groves.

Chapleau 2012 begins with hockey from Chapleau to Senneterre to Florida

2011-12-31T07:24:00.003-07:00

Names at Bottom

Henry Byce recently sent me a photo from a hockey tournament he attended in 1979, and it struck me as a great way to end 2011, and begin 2012 which for many of us will be defined as "CHAPLEAU 2012" as we head home to celebrate at the 90th anniversary reunion festival of Chapleau High School. The dates are June 29 to July 2, 2012.

Here is Henry's email:

"Hey Chief, continuing with your hockey theme, I thought I would include a "blast from my past". This photo was taken in 1979. It was a hockey tournament in Senneterre Quebec. I don't know how we did in the tourney, but I know we had fun. You coached and taught most of us in this picture. As a kid watching the Huskies was one of the greatest memories I have, and to have 2 great players as our coaches was awesome. With the high school reunion fast appraoching, I hope I get a chance to see and talk to many of my former team mates.

Thanks Chief".

Yes, Henry, I did coach and teach most of you on that team when you were playing Midget hockey in 1982-83 and kindly called the your team "The Chiefs" after my nickname, which was actually given to me by the 1970-71, Midget hockey team.

Let me explain for those who don't know how I came to be called Chief.

One day at practice, Keith McAdam called me "MJ", and having become "Mr. Morris" by virtue of now being a s teacher at Chapleau High School, I appropriately lost my temper, letting the team know I was Mr. Morris to them, and I stormed from the dressing room downstairs in the old Chapleau Memorial Community Arena.

Through the door I could hear the players discussing the situation when suddenly Lionel Corston spoke up.

"I have it,"Lionel said, "we will call him the Chief. We are the Indians and he is the Chief." (I use the word Indians in the context of this anecdote.)

The players agreed, and led by team captain Jamie Doyle. they came through the dressing room door and each one in turn with a smile on his face, said "Hi Chief". What could I do? The kids had won a big one and they knew it. CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE ...

Names at bottom

The coaches of Henry's team were Pat Swanson and Paul McDonald, both of whom as he says were "great players" on the Chapleau Intermediate A Huskies of the Northland Intermediate Hockey League from 1975 to 1979. a team I also coached and managed, sharing those duties over the years with Doug Prusky.

Regarding Henry's hope that he gets a chance to visit with many of his former teammates at the CHS reunion, Charlie Purich is hoping that a hockey reunion can be included in the festivities. Let me know if you are interested.

After receiving Henry's email the other day, I hauled out two photos to include with this post, one of The Chiefs and the other of me with some members of the Intermediate A Huskies in Florida about 1978.

Shortly after I posted I received an email from Mark Dillon, who played on the team in Senneterre and then THE CHIEFS,

Here is Mark's message:

Glad to see the pictures of hockey past from Henry and the Chiefs. The Senneterre tournament we were in the "B" Division, which was above us,( I think we were "C" back home) and we lost in the final to Val D'or before a packed house. We were a contact team and unaware that Quebec wasn't. After a few (french term) " Placage" penalties we took the contact out of our game lol. Great showing by all made it very memorable for me.

The Chiefs team made up of: standing yourself, Gary Murphy, Doug Hong, David Freeborn, Jamie Doyle, Mike Payette, I think Jean Marie Besnier, Rory Foran, David McAdam playing out, Donald Omer Landry, Mr. Bellevance. Kneeling Shawn Russell, Mark Dillon, Shane Gilham, Barry Hong missing is Billy Scheer.

I was lucky to play with you guys since there was no midget team in minor hockey to play for that year. I always laugh at the picture. Jamie is holding my hair back after my mom complaining about the bangs in my eyes. I believe we won the regular season but lost to Swanson and the guys in the playoffs.

Thanks so much to Mark and Henry for their memories.

HENRY'S TEAM: Back row (l-r) P.Swanson(coach), D. Desbois, D. Morrison, D. Dionne, D. Lafreniere, C. Vezina, T. Broomhead, J. Rioux, A. Barsalou Middle row M. Dillon, K. Dillon, M. Houle, P. McDonald(coach)

Front row A. Madore, R. Martel, M. Lingenfelter, T. Sawyer, H.Byce, J. Castonguay, D. Vandal

HUSKIES IN FLORIDA: Back from left Jim Gill, Dave McMillan, MJM, Danny Vaughan, Brad Prophet, Chris McMillan, and kneeling Bill Scheer, Pat Swanson

WINTER IN CHAPLEAU by jody terio

2011-12-27T19:34:00.003-07:00

WINTER IN CHAPLEAU

glimpses of snow banks falling
salt
momentos in dark black dots of old pieces
familiar
once a part of your life and melted
in snow in spring, a mitten, hockey glove puck.
Recovered
My mother tied the mittens on with string
made of wool by grandma watson they would shrink
and muffle, get smaller and smaller
til they only fit the smallest, then got lost
under snow.
Red or blue.
And i would know a friend
only by her snowsuit. Her face wrapped
up frost on the eyelashes, we are marching
down the road to school.
Every day. I hardly remember
but for the marching.
Can’t remember undressing. Except for
puddles. Far reaching into corridors.
And shoes inside of boots
A mother doing six of them. Boots with buckles
Heaps of them
at the door, at home,
at friends, coats and boots
sweaters, hats, snowpants. Everything is
shiny slick, damp.
And finding yours in the pile, yours
are red this year. Passed down through
hundreds of distant brothers and sisters
you are fittest red cheeked
and hungry for soup hot chocolate.

                                                   -jody terio

jody terio is the daughter of Joan and George Theriault. She is the artistic director of Little Red Theatre. http://www.littleredtheatre.on.ca/home.html

John Theriault wins 2011 Buckwheat Award as Bob Fife, Chapleau hockey, figure skating and the Fifties tops in popularity on Michael J Morris Reports

2011-12-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

John Theriault emerges as the winner of the second annual Buckwheat Award for 2011 on Michael J Morris Reports for his photo feature on the Chapleau Intermediate "A" Huskies who played in the Northland Intermediate Hockey League from 1975 to 1979.

LINK TO JOHN'S PHOTO FEATURE http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.com/2011/03/john-theriault-presents-chapleau.html

Bob second from right seated 1972 Pres of CHS Student Council

My feature on Robert Fife, from Chapleau, who is now Ottawa Bureau Chief of CTV News, actually had the most page views of any story in the history of the blog, but is ineligible for the award because I wrote it. http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.com/2011/01/robert-fife-from-chapleau-winner-of.html

Tee Chambers, Butch Pellow, Aldee Martel 1954

Visitors sure seem to like hockey as the next most popular was a photo feature on Chapleau hockey from 1910 to 1967. A Chapleau team actually made a road trip to Sudbury in 1893.http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.com/2011/02/chapleau-hockey-moments-from-mcewen-cup.html

Coming in fourth was anoher photo feature of Chapleau in the 1950s with pictures provided by David McMillan. http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.com/2010/08/chapleau-in-fifties-trip-down-memory.html

Sally (Uugo) Crichton

In fifth place was a feature on the Chapleau Figure Skating Club, to which many of the community's figure skaters contributed. Special thanks though to Ann (Card) Morin and Pat (Purich) Russell. http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.com/2011/04/chapleau-figure-skating-club-annual-ice.html

The Buckwheat Award is named after my beloved cat who died at over 20-years-old in 2009. The first winner was Michael McMullen with a story on growing up in Chapleau.

Congratulations to John, and thanks to everyone who helped me with Michael J Morris Reports in 2011.

Chapleau High School 90th anniversary reunion 2012 sends out official invitations

2011-12-23T04:05:00.003-07:00

Chapleau High School 90th anniversary reunion committee has sent out official invitations to all those who have pre-registered.

The school's 90th anniversary reunion will be held in Chapleau from June 29 to July 2, 2012.

If you have not preregistered it is not too late to do so. Visit the official web site at http://www.chs90threunionfestival.com/ You will be included in the next mailing of official invitations.

The invitation asks that those planning to attend, register by March 31, 2012..

The first Chapleau High School building was located on Pine Street where the Chapleau Civic Centre now stands. In 1966, the new school was opened on the hill!

Uneek Luxury Tours presents scenes from sunny Florida

2011-12-16T09:18:00.006-07:00

Awesome sky at Orlando

Uneek Luxury Tours, located in Orlando, Florida, kindly provided this outstanding selection of photos to share with my Canadian friends particularly those who are headed into the midst of Winter, if Facebook posts are any indication these days.
NOTE: CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE!!!!!

The pool at midnight

In fact, after I posted some Winter scenes from Chapleau, after returning from my trip to Florida. one FB friend requested that I post some from sunny Florida.

And it was, for my entire stay. All photos are by Uneek Luxury Tours.

Car included to give scale to size of home

Here is link to web site http://uneekluxurytours.com Be sure to visit Uneek Luxury Tours web site!

View at Bella Collina Estates

Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season to all wherever you may be.

Churches quickly established as Chapleau founded in 1885 with services in partially completed CPR station and tent during bitterly cold winter

2011-12-14T10:04:00.003-07:00

St John's Church with Rev Robert Warrington

As Christmas approached for the residents of Chapleau in the Winter of 1885, from reports of the time, it was bitterly cold and disease was rampant.

The population of about 400, ninety-five percent of them men, had arrived earlier in the year after the Canadian Pacific Railway issued instructions to make Mileage 615.1 on its transcontinental line a divisional point, by placing a boxcar on the exact spot. The boxcar became the first station, office building, and train dispatcher's office but before the end of the year a roundhouse and water tower had been built.

NOTE: Ian Macdonald provided photo of the 'boxcar' to which I refer. It was actually a passenger car. See below.

A station and office building were under construction and Chapleau had become a community of surplus boxcars and tents.

As Ian Macdonald noted in his monograph 'Mile 615.1: Building a Northern Community', the major churches of the day "quickly established themselves in the earliest stages of the community's development." Ian's monograph is included in 'Chapleau: Retrospective on an Isolated Northern Community' by William McLeod.

The car used as station 1885. CPR Corporate Archives

But the partially built station played another role than meet the needs of the CPR. In December 1885, it was used for meetings by members of the Church of England, later called the Anglican Church of Canada. to establish a presence in the fledgling community.

Archdeacon Gowan Gillmor fondly called 'The Tramp" who on one of his journeys to minister to the CPR construction crews walked from North Bay to Port Arthur, now Thunder Bay. Archdeacon Gillmor was instrumental in the founding of St. John's Church, and it is quite possible he conducted Christmas service in 1885 in a partially completed railway station while attending meetings to plan the church building.

First CPR station at Chapleau 1886

St. John's almost didn't happen as a motion was presented to drop the matter as it was impossible to raise the sum of $500 needed to build the church. A grant of $400 was available.

Mrs. R.V. Nicholson preserved an account of the meeting where it all changed when Annie Nicholson, just 17. and her friend Minnie Richardson, volunteered to go out and raise the funds. Off they went canvassing from Cartier to White River, and at the next meeting they said a "really strong box" would be needed as they had raised slightly more than one thousand dollars. The first St. John's Church was opened and dedicated on July 1, 1886, and Christmas services were held there in 1886.

CPR Yard Chapleau 1886 with wood burning engine 231

It was located on old tennis court at Pine and Young. The present St. John's was completed in 1908.

Mrs. Nicholson's account was made available to me when I wrote 'Sons of thunder ... Apostles of Love', marking the 100th anniversary of the parish.

As an aside, when St. John's celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1985 when Rev. Jerry Smith was rector, Linda Tebbutt and Sharon Henderson played the roles of Annie and Minnie in an historical re-enactment of the really strong box.

Meanwhile, in 1885, there was also a Roman Catholic presence in Chapleau which had been established by the Jesuits, according to an account by Father Albert Burns, s.j., of Chapleau.

Father Burns wrote that the Jesuits followed the CPR construction gangs and many of the order were dedicated to opening new parishes along the way. Once established, they would be turned over to the bishop and Chapleau benefited from the work of the "zealous missionaries" of the Jesuit order.

Father Edward Proulx s.j. was a most beloved priest in Chapleau and was responsible for a heating system in the church as well as the construction of the rectory and establishment of a separate school.

In fact the Jesuits were in charge of the Roman Catholic presence in Chapleau from 1883 to 1911 when Father Romeo Gascon arrived. Father Burns noted that Father Louis Cote s.j conducted the first Roman Catholic baptism in Chapleau on April 12, 1883.

For Christmas services in 1885 it would appear that they would have been held in the first Roman Catholic Church in the community built that year where Collins store at the intersection of Birch and Lorne streets was later located.

As another aside, it is quite possible that Patrick A. Mulligan, the first of my ancestors to arrive in Chapleau would have attended the Roman Catholic service at Christmas 1885. In a family history, my cousin Michael McMullen writes that Patrick was an early Chapleau pioneer arriving in late 1885. He built a store at the northwest corner of Birch and Young Streets and it opened for business in 1886 as Murrays and Mulligan, General Merchants. Patrick was the uncle of Michael's grandmother, May (Mulligan) McMullen, who arrived in Chapleau about 1900, and mine Lil (Mulligan) Morris, about 1910.

However, by 1891, Sacred Heart Church was built on its present location and expanded in 1898. It was destroyed by fire just before Christmas in 1918, but the present church was built during the following year and Father Gascon celebrated mass in it on Christmas Eve, 1919. On Christmas Eve, 2011, the present church will celebrate its 92nd anniversary.

A history of Trinity United Church in Chapleau notes that "when construction was being pushed westward by the Canadian Pacific Railway in the early 1880s, the Methodists were not slow in sending their missionaries along to minister to the spiritual needs of the men engaged in the construction business".

The church history says that one of the first of these missionaries was Rev. Silas Huntingdon, who arrived in Chapleau in June 1886. It adds that his first services were conducted in a partially finished store on Birch Street.

Mr. Huntingdon returned to Chapleau bringing with him a young student minister who conducted services for a time in a large tent near the corner of Lorne and Birch Streets. He began the erection of the first Methodist church on the site of the present Trinity United Church at Lorne and Beech Streets. He organized the first Methodist congregation in Chapleau.

However, the history also mentions that Rev. Ralph Homer also came to Chapleau and during the winter of 1885-86 held services in a tent approximately where the Boston Cafe/ Redwood Restaurant was located. Possibly the Methodist congregation held its Christmas service in a tent.

Life was tough for the founders of Chapleau, as they had left their homes to make a new life for themselves and their families in the bush of Northern Ontario, and by 1886, the tents, boxcars and shacks were being replaced with permanent structures, and this included their churches.

I started thinking about the establishment of the respective churches in Chapleau in the 1880s while in Florida a couple of weeks ago while out for a walk in beautiful sunny weather, and decided to share a glimpse at those moments in the history of Chapleau at this Christmas time. I know. I know. Only someone raised in Chapleau would think about bitterly cold winters while in Florida!

My very best wishes to all for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

BILL GROVES WITH BREATHTAKING WINTER SCENES FROM CHAPLEAU

2011-12-10T04:31:00.001-07:00

BILL GROVES continues to provide us with breathtaking Winter scenes from the Chapleau area. Thanks Bill.

Father Lucien Bouillon from school car student to high school cadet corps officer to first Roman Catholic priest ordained in Sacred Heart Church in Chapleau

2011-12-06T07:47:00.001-07:00

Father Lucien

Lucien Bouillon, who later became the first priest ordained in Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Chapleau, received his early education in the school car that served communities along the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Before moving into Chapleau when Lucien was ten, his family lived at Carry, a hamlet west of Chapleau on the CPR line.

"My first school experience was that of a school car which was very small with only about seven students and Mr. Wright as our teacher," Lucien wrote in the Chapleau Sentinel, marking the 100th anniversary of Sacred Heart Parish.

He also recalled attending mass in the living room of a private home with the priest and very few people attending.

After moving to Chapleau, Lucien found the town, the school and the church much bigger. "Going to school was almost a trauma because on my first day of school I got lost with the halls and all the doors compared to a one room school car."

At Sacred Heart he began serving mass for Mgr. Romeo Gascon at the early morning service and listening to D.O. Payette sing 'the Mass of Angels' all in Latin.

As a student at Chapleau High School, Lucien became a member of 1181 CHS Cadet Corps rising to the rank of Cadet Lieutenant in command of a platoon by 1957

Ian Macdonald recalled that Lucien attended the Royal Canadian Army Cadet camp at Ipperwash, Ontario in the summer of 1955 in the senior leaders course "along with myself (Ian), Ray Soucie. Ton Comte and Brian Fraser. You usually had to take that course to qualify as an officer in the cadet corps in those days."

The Bouillon Family 1986

Lucien was also very active in the Chapleau Ski Club, and the development of its "new hill (the present location) in the 1950s.

Back at Sacred Heart parish, Lucien assisted in digging out the basement with pails as part of the construction project of the parish hall, and was greatly involved in the Catholic Youth Club under the leadership of Mrs. Marie Tremblay. He particularly recalled the club's trips to Ottawa and Banff.

When he was in Grade 12, Father Marchand asked Lucien if he would be willing to meet with the Bishop to see if he could go to seminary to study for the priesthood, even though at the time it was not his first choice of vocation.

The rest is history.

On June 19, 1965, Lucien was ordained priest in Sacred Heart Church in Chapleau by Bishop Jacques Landriault when Fr. Lampron was the parish priest, making history as the first priest to be ordained in the church.

Father Albert Burns s.j., of Chapleau, preached the sermon as Lucien celebrated his first mass at the church.

However, he preached his first sermons at Sacred Heart as a deacon during the Christmas season of 1964.

During his priesthood, Lucien served at several parishes in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hearst including Sacred Heart, Chapleau.

Whenever in Chapleau Lucien enjoyed visiting with his old friends Jiggs and Marie Tremblay, and celebrating Mass at their camp at Esher. He also enjoyed the outdoors all his life.

Andre, Jiggs, Father Lucien, Marie, Helene

In his article for the celebration of the Sacred Heart Centennial, Lucien wrote that "... the memories are numerous and heart warming, and every time I return to Chapleau they are felt and remembered especially in the faces recognized, the places visited and the circumstances remembered. When I celebrate Mass and drive around they seem to come to life."

Lucien George Bouillon, 72, died on September 17,2011. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Louis and Jeanne Longchamps active in Sacred Heart Roman Catholic church in Chapleau for over sixty years

2011-11-29T18:30:00.001-07:00

In the early 1920s, shortly after Jeanne and Louis Longchamps arrived in Chapleau, there were ony four automobiles, one of which the citizens had given as gift to Dr. J.J. Sheahan, who practised medicine in the community from 1907 until his death in 1942.

Dr. Sheahan received his car on July 21, 1921 while the others belonged to Father Romeo Gascon, Edgar Pellow and Len Perfetto.

In the spring of 1916, Octave Morin came to Chapleau from Bic, Quebec, in Rimouski County to work as a carpenter for the Canadian Pacific Railway. In 1925 his wife Claudia and children Andre, Albert, Marie, Jeanne, Antonio, Marianne, Gerard, Cecile, Philippe and Lucienne joined him in Chapleau. Their first home was near the old horseshoe bridge where Zenon and Amanda Rioux later lived.

Louis Longchamps, age 19, arrived in Chapleau on August 1, 1922, with his brother Albert while Lorenzo would follow a few years later.

Mr. Longchamps started working for the CPR as a carpenter where his first foreman was Arthur Grenier and then Octave Morin.

But his father Charles Longchamps had earlier worked on the construction of the CPR and was one of the workers present when William Van Horne, the company president, visited the Jack Fish site in 1884.

He became acquainted with Mr. Morin's daughter Jeanne, and they were married on October 20, 1930 at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Chapleau. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1980.

During the first years of his marriage Mr. Longchamps worked at Nipigon on a new bridge there, returning to Chapleau and living at 16 Lorne Street near the present post office from 1940 to 1978. I so well recall that Mr. and Mrs. Longchamps chose to become among the first occupants of an apartment in Cedar Grove Lodge when it opened in 1978.

They had two children Louise, who married Angelo Mione, and Jean Louis 'Johnny' who married Joan Bryson.

Mr. and Mrs. Longchamps were very active in the life of Sacred Heart Parish for more than 60 years.

Mrs. Longchamps was the founding president of the Ladies of Ste. Anne, established in the parish in 1958.

Mr. Longchamps was part of the parish team which dug out and built the church basement when Father Marchand was parish priest in the late 1950s.

In an interview in the Chapleau Sentinel marking the 100th anniversary of the parish, Mrs. Longchamps recalled that envelope boxes that were still in place on church pews at Sacred Heart, were all made by her father, Octave Morin. She remembered that Father Gascon would visit her father as he worked on them and admired his patience.

As I was working on this story, I could not help but reflect on the members of the Longchamps and Morin families, and the contribution they made to life in the community from their arrival in a place with four automobiles in the early 1920s and on. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Identify members of Chapleau High School Chess Club of 1972-73

2011-11-29T07:29:00.001-07:00

Name these members of the CHS Chess Club of 1972-73.

Last week's answers

Four of the Chapleau Reeves who graduated from CHS: M.J. Morris seated and standing T.C. Way-White, D.J. Broomhead and F.A. Card.

Grant Henderson CHS Graduate of 1927: "Were I to pick my bringin' up place, I'd choose the same old town"

2011-11-23T12:41:00.003-07:00

The girls of Chapleau High School 1926

Perhaps Grant Henderson, who graduated from Chapleau High School in 1927 sums up so well the reason that those of us who no longer live in Chapleau "must go back" as he wrote in a poem about the time of the school's 60th anniversary reunion in 1982.

Grant wrote in part that he must go back to Chapleau again, and "all I ask is to meet old friends, and raise a glass on high."

NOTE: CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE!!!!!

On November 14, 1924, 1181 Chapleau High School Cadet Corps was established and remained an important part of high school life for 39 years, being disbanded on January 1, 1963. The annual cadet inspection usually held in late May on the field behind the Pine Street school was also a community event with large crowds attending, while the day ended with the Cadet banquet and dance.

For most of its history, the Cadet corps and bugle band were the personal domain of John 'Old Mac' McClellan, teacher and later principal, but interestingly, he was not the first one to look after the corps. That would have been a Mr. Ashdown, the school principal.

Interestingly in his poem Grant refers to Mr. McClellan as 'OLD MAC' even though he would not have been that "old" when he first arrived at the school. Having been a school teacher though, being old seems to go with the territory as students perceive us as being old. I admit that I am getting there now!

George Crichton, Hugh McMullen, Grant Henderson

Grant recalled that one day the students released an owl in class which undoubtedly caused quite a commotion , "OLD MAC was called" who stood appalled "before his feathery blast". adding that "Perhaps it's best to leave the rest to history and the past."

Dances were very popular in the 1920s, and held in the Town Hall basement once a week, according to Grant. He also recalled dancing "with one's best girl in a close knit whirl, and dancing cheek to cheek."

My mother Muriel E. (Hunt) Morris would tell me about dances in the 1920s when she was a teenager in Chapleau. They were also held in Perpete's Hall which would have been in a building about where the Chapleau Pentecostal Church is now. My mother would sing and her older sister Elsie (Hunt) Zufelt would play the piano.

Of course hockey was part of community life in the 1920s with games at the "old old rink" with the potbelly stove keeping the lobby warm. Public skating, in the darkened arena, with the silvery moon at one end and quite often the town band in attendance made it the place to be, particularly on a Friday night. It was still the place to be as I was growing up in Chapleau in the late 1940s and 1950s.

Grant also wrote about Ski Club nights beneath the Northern Lights "with the happy crowd and laughter loud, the swish of running skis". If I recall correctly the ski hill was located on the site that later became known as Dr. Young's hill.

1181 CHS Cadet Corps 1926. A E Evans far left

Jack Whitney, who attended CHS in the late 1920s, in a talk he gave to students many years later recalled his first day there.

"I shall never forget my first day in First Form. I was wearing black boots (not shoes) black wool stockings up to the knee and knicker-bocker pants which strapped around just below the knee and flopped over just an inch or so. Above this I had on a long-sleeved V-neck pullover, and this was topped by a grinning face and a shock of unruly light hair. I looked a good deal like most of the other boys except for size, shape and colouring.

"The girls, as I remember wore low-waisted long dresses down to two or three inches above the ankle, with lisle hose and sensible shoes. Most of the hairdos were dutch bobs with a few with long curls and most of the hats were the helmet type, usually of felt, and I believe were patterned after the steel helmets of the previous war."

And so, just a glimpse back to the early days at CHS as the 90th anniversary reunion draws ever closer.

Grant, who went on to a very successful career in business, often returned to Chapleau to visit over the years, usually with his great friend George Crichton, another CHS grad.

He sums it all up at the end of his poem suggesting that "Perhaps those days through memory's haze take on a richer hue" adding that perhaps that's true but "... this I know, And I've wandered up and down. Were I to pick my bringin' up place, I'd choose the same old town."

Grant "Grizz" Henderson died in 1994.

My thanks to David McMillan for providing me with a copy of Grant's poem, and to Dr. Vince Crichton for additional material. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Name four Chapleau reeves who graduated from Chapleau High School

2011-11-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

Name the four Reeves of Chapleau in this photo, all of whom graduated from Chapleau High School.

Answer for last week. Michel Sylvestre, Derek Lafreniere and Dean Harvey in 'You'll Get Used To It'

BILL GROVES PRESENTS WINTER SEASON AT CHAPLEAU INCLUDING 'DEEP' SNOW

2011-11-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

Bill Groves of Chapleau, Ontario, once again provides us with some of his awesome photos -- this time some typical winter scenes from the area. including 'deep' snow.

Bill's son Ken in "deep" snow"

Over the next month or so we will be presenting more of Bill's photos depicting winter and the Christmas and holiday season. Thanks so much Bill for sharing.

Homebrew and otherwise hockey part of the Chapleau High School experience since the 1920s with plans underway to be part of the 2012 reunion

2011-11-16T09:52:00.002-07:00

See names at bottom

Whenever I receive an email from Charlie Purich with "Excited" as the subject line, I know he is going to share something about hockey in Chapleau with me.

Such was the case last week when Charlie emailed me with the news that the Chapleau High School 90th anniversary committee had given him the go-ahead to work on a hockey reunion as part of the activities for the reunion in 2012. It is all very tentative at the moment, but looking back at the history of Chapleau High School, hockey was an important part of life with school teams and of course the Huskies on which many students played.

Back in 1929, just seven years after CHS opened, a writer in the school's magazine called 'High School News' wrote a column called "Homebrew and Otherwise" taking those who ran junior hockey in Chapleau to task for importing players when there were local players available.

"Now with the beginning of this season, 1929-30, we find imported hockey players in town and we find about thirty town boys suitable (after a few weeks practice with a coach) for Junior hockey. Why there are so many imported boys in town nobody but the committee seems to know," the writer noted. I have had this article for many years, and believe it was written by Jim Morris, my father, or so I was told by the person who gave it to me.

The thirty players were juvenile age players who the writer says have been promised to the junior team, and if accepted, Chapleau would have a "Homebrew Junior Hockey team by the end of the season."

Meanwhile, with the (natural) ice already forming in the arena, the Juveniles, with a close connection to CHS, are "eagerly engaged" in selecting players for four teams. John McClellan, teacher, later the school's legendary principal coached juvenile hockey. The team captains, all CHS students at the time were W. Murphy, F. St. Amand, Gordon McKnight and Newt Pellow.

Playing on one of the Juvenile teams with Mr. McClellan as coach were Gordon McKnight, Jim Morris, Donald Robinson, Eric Young, William Moore, Bobby Perpete, C. McAdam, Joe Crichton and Romeo levesque.

The article concludes that it is hoped that by end of the season, Chapleau will have a "homebrew" junior hockey team. Sorry I can't tell you the result of their efforts in 1929-30, so will fast forward to the years when CHS had a highly competitive team.

In the 1950s the school had a team that played in the town league and against outside competition, and by the early 1960s, the school yearbook was calling Charlie Purich 'the catalyst of the hockey team." By the way, Charlie's father, Jimmy Purich donated the first trophy to Chapleau Minor Hockey in 1953, and I have just recently received a photo of the winning team from Ken Schroeder, for a later day. Charlie's sister Pat (Purich) Russell lives in Chapleau.

After graduating from CHS, Charlie played for Laurentian University, and was a member of its 1966-67 Ontario Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship team.

David Futhey, Bruce Pellow, Darryl Downey

Darryl Downey, who played on CHS TEEM as it was called, wrote to advise that the team played in the Chapleau Mercantile Hockey League, noting that members of the Chapleau Huskies were on other teams -- mentioning Earle Freeborn, Tonto Pilon, Albert Tremblay, Gilles Boisvert plus "imports that joined up when they arrived to work in the banks, lumber companies, etc."

" I remember one time we went to play in Marathon and John Futhey Sr. got himself, David Futhey, and I a ride in the head end of a train that Eric Young was engineering. What a blast! Those were the days, my friend."

That trip would have been more than 30 years after Eric Young had been playing hockey in Chapleau on the Juvenile team. Eric, the younger brother of Dr. William Young and Dr. G.E. Young, excelled at many sports.

After Highway 101 opened to Timmins in 1962, Chapleau began to play teams from the Porcupine area.

Ted Swanson, Jack Boucher, Brian Corston, Larry Wright

When Dr. Karl Hackstetter returned as CHS principal in 1963, he became an ardent supporter of CHS TEEM, never missing a game, and going to the Redwood afterwards to celebrate victories. (I assume.)

After hearing Charlie's news about a hockey reunion as part of the CHS 90th anniversary reunion, I wanted to share a bit about high school hockey in the community. With the arrival of the Chapleau Junior "B" Huskies in 1966-67, high school hockey teams became part of Chapleau's history, as fans supported the team in the International Junior 'B' Hockey League, with over 90 percent of the players being "homebrew" throughout its history, and students at Chapleau High School.

Before someone points it out to me, the homebrew teams changed a bit in their composition with the arrival of the Chapleau Intermediate 'A' Huskies in 1975, but that is a story for another day.

I will keep you posted on the progress of the hockey reunion and just want to pass on that Charlie says local contacts are needed to make it happen. Email me at mj.morris@live.ca and I will pass it on. As Darryl wrote, "Those were the days my friends," and what great stories will be told. Thanks to Charlie Purich, Darryl Downey and Lark Ritchie.

NAMES FOR CHS TEEM... Thanks to Merrick Goldstein for help with names

Here is the 1965 CHS TEEM.. Back from left: Peter Grey, John Babin, Jim Lapp, Richard Morin, Bruce Pellow, Jim St. Amand, David Stevens, Mike Tangie, J. Parker (coach), Brian Corston, Darryl Downey, Keith Corston, Merrick Goldstein. Kneeling: Larry Joyce, Albert Bignucolo, David Futhey, Reg Bouillon, Gerry Boucher, Ted Swanson. (Lark Ritchie photos)

Identify these three members of the ESCHS 1987 production of 'You'll Get Used To It'

2011-11-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

Identify these three members of the 1987 ESCHS production of Peter Colley's play 'You'll Get Used To It ... The War Show'

Last week's answer.

The four players from The Chiefs hockey team attending ESCHS in 1982 were David Morrison, Andy Barsalou, Ron Martel, Todd Broomhead

My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Chapleau High School 90th Anniversary Reunion: 'The binding that holds the town book together'

2011-11-09T08:14:00.002-07:00

Members of CHS 60th Committee, Names below

I was telling my good friend Derik Hodgson about the Chapleau High School 90th anniversary reunion festival recently, and, as always, in the 46 years since we first met at the Kingston Whig-Standard as young reporters, he had a great line that summed it all up and caused me to reflect on the "town book" of Chapleau.

Derik, one of Canada's best investigative reporters of my generation, observed that people in cities, don't always understand what reunions at "old-tyme high schools mean to smaller centres....they are often the binding that holds the town book together."

What a great line, among the many that I have seen Derik write, and immediately I started to think about how CHS reunions are the binding that does hold the history of Chapleau together -- at least from 1922 on when the high school doors first opened.

A school reunion gives us something in common, memories of a shared experience before we were all growed up and headed off in different directions to lead our adult lives. The reunion brings us home again as part of the binding that holds the town book together.

Over the years, whenever two or three of us meet who attended CHS, invariably the conversation turns to school days and memories of the students, teachers and activities that made up so much of our high school life. Today we even have virtual meetings by email, or Skype, Twitter and Facebook, but come 2012 it will be the real thing, and once home, stories will be told and while much regret will be expressed over those who are no longer here, the emphasis will be on those things that bring folks together, centred on life either at the "old" school on Pine Street or the "new" school on the hill.

It just struck me that the new school has now served the community longer than the old school, and many more students have attended it than ever went to the building on the banks of the river.

In my life I have been most fortunate to have attended CHS as a student and to have returned and taught there for almost 20 years. But in fact, like many of Chapleau's old families, my connection goes back almost to the beginning of the high school in Chapleau in 1922. For example my mother, Muriel E. (Hunt) Morris and her sister Elsie (Hunt) Zufelt were students there in the late 1920s while my father Jim Morris and some cousins attended in the 1930s, his sister Marion by 1940, and other cousins in the late 1940s early 1950s, then me, and then more cousins through the years. Our family history, perhaps like yours, is tied in to the school.

When CHS celebrated its 60th anniversary in 1982, I wrote an article about the changes to the physical face of Chapleau that would have occurred since many who came home for the reunion would immediately notice.

It was called 'Yes Virginia, there is a Chapleau', and details Virginia's walk around town after an absence of 30 years. Here are some of the highlights from her walkabout. With apologies to the 'Virginia' in the Christmas classic, 'Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus'.

She noted that here it was the sixtieth anniversary of her school, and they had moved it "into the bush" and it was one of "those modern buildings all on one floor."

Virginia was especially concerned about where students drank their beer, for according to the old song "Give a shout, give a cheer for the boys who drink the beer in the cellars of old Chapleau High" and now there was no cellar.

The Lady Minto Hospital had disappeared and "they put the hospital out behind the high school. Am I ever glad they also built a new road to serve these buildings. When I was a kid there was nothing more than a trail. And sometimes it was impassable in the Spring".

She also noted the "new" Chapleau Civic Centre, Cedar Grove Lodge Chapleau, Recreation Complex, water plant, and of course the replacement of the horsehoe bridge with a new bridge and pedestrian overpass, among other changes. Yes, the physical face of Chapleau changed dramatically in the 1970s -- more than 30 years ago. And, of course there have been more changes since.

However, after her walkabout, 'Virginia' accepted that while the physical face of Chapleau changed, "... the greatest resource of Chapleau has always been its people. I look forward to seeing all my old friends, those who are still here and those who have come for the reunion. I am simply glad to be home where it all began for me", and I added, "Yes Virginia, there is a Chapleau. The physical face has changed, but not the hearts of the people."

I wrote Virginia's story almost 30 years ago now for the souvenir newspaper marking the CHS 60th reunion, and was living in Chapleau at the time and teaching at the high school. I have not changed my view one bit about the community and its people.

Let me go back to Derik Hodgson for a moment and give him the last word. At one time Derik worked for Canadian Press and came to know Lloyd 'Sparrow' McDonald, who was with CP for many years, born in Chapleau, graduated from Chapleau High School, served in the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Here is Derik's comment on one of Chapleau's greatest resources: "Lloyd McDonald. Legendary. Remember him working the rim at CP Toronto. Gruff. No nonsense and wonderful."

Small world. Thanks Derik for helping me share a bit about the binding that holds the town's book together! My email is mj.morris@live.ca

THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Members of the 60th CHS Reunion Committee in 1982 showing off reunion caps: Front from left Olive Warren, Margaret Rose Fortin, Frances Corston, Elaine Martel, Helen Delaney, Kathleen Broomhead, Marguerite Levesque. Back from left Tim Collins, Erik Collings, Alex Babin, Don McEachren, Terry Bryson

Identify the Chapleau High School students who were playing on The Chiefs Midget hockey team in 1982

2011-11-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

Identify these four Chapleau High School students from 1982 who were also playing hockey on 'The Chiefs', a Midget team coached by MJM.

Answer for last week's quiz:

The Innocents were John Murray, Frank Bignucolo, Peter Simpson, John Anderson

Distinguished Flying Crosses awarded to Chapleau RCAF members included one recipient having drink of scotch with King George VI during World War II

2011-11-04T13:05:00.001-06:00

There were 4018 members of the Royal Canadian Air Force who received the Distinguished Flying Cross in World War II, and Chapleau is included among those who received the DFC for acts of valour or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy.

For Willard Bolduc, the son of Joseph Telesfore, who died while on active service with Canadian Forces in World War I, and Barbara (McWatch) Bolduc, it meant receiving his DFC from King George VI at a field investiture In England, and even enjoying a drink of Scotch with His Majesty.

In a letter to his mother, Willard Bolduc, wrote that the King and Queen Elizabeth came for his investiture, which "should make folks sit up and take notice". On the same day he was promoted from pilot officer to flying officer. 

He told his mother, according to a newspaper report at the time, that now she may now address "my mail to F.O. Bolduc, D.F.C" adding "I never knew I would ever have any letters after my name - it makes you feel sort of important."

Flying Officer Bolduc explained that he did not go to Buckingham Palace because they had a field investiture where the King and Queen came to their station.

"We had a full parade and I had to march out by myself in front of everyone and the King shook hands with me and pinned on the medal."

Aftrewards, their Majesties joined them for a chicken dinner.

"Before dinner we all had a drink of Scotch in the anteroom with (the King), so now I can say I had a drink of Scotch with the King of England!"

At the end of his letter, Willard admitted to his mother, "But believe me, I was really scared stiff. I could hardly talk and my knees were knocking and everything else. I guess you can say your crazy son is really getting around, eh Mom?"

The department of veterans affairs web site says: Flying Officer Willard John Bolduc. an Ojibwa from Chapleau, Ontario earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his performance as an air gunner during a series of bombing attacks in 1943."

Baisel Benjamin Collings, the son of Clarence and Olive (Shillington) Collings, enlisted in the RCAF in August 1941, rose to rank of Warrant Officer One, and his citation for the DFC noted that he had completed numerous operations against the enemy in the course of which he invariably displayed the utmost fortitude, courage and devotion to duty."

It says that he completed two tours of operations, adding that "Warrant Officer Collings has at all times displayed outstanding ability and a strong sense of duty, and he holds a fine record of achievement on the squadron.

"His untiring devotion to duty in moments of danger has been largely responsible for the successful completion of his crew's many sorties, and by his example of cheerful courage, has maintained a very high standard of morale among, not only his crew members, but the squadron in general."

Donald Boyd Freeborn. the son of Earle and Agnes (McAdam) Freeborn first enlisted as a boy apprentice in the Royal Air Force, was accepted but stayed home as the eldest of eight children when his father died in 1937 one month before Donald was to set sail for England. 

He enlisted in the RCAF in October 1941 rising to the rank of Flying Officer.

On one occasion his Lancaster bomber was shot down behind enemy lines in Holland. Writing in Chapleau Trails, edited and published by Dr. Bill Pellow, his sister Beth noted that "Don and his navigator survived the crash and were hidden in the basement of a Dutch family until they could be spirited back to allied territory." Although reported "missing in action", he was returned to flying Lancaster bombers.

Another incident  recorded about his service overseas was that "One night in October 1944 this officer captained an aircraft detailed to attack Stuttgart.  On the bombing run the aircraft was subjected to anti-aircraft fire.  Flying Officer Freeborn was struck by a piece of shrapnel in the thigh.  The wound was serious.  Nevertheless this pilot withheld the fact from his crew and pressed home his attack.  Not until the bombs had been released did he call for assistance.  It became necessary to apply a tourniquet to his leg, an operation which Flying Officer Freeborn himself superintended.  In spite of much physical suffering this resolute pilot flew the aircraft to this country.  He displayed courage, fortitude and devotion to duty of a high order." 

Donald Freeborn was awarded the DFC with Bar.

He is a member of a Chapleau family long dedicated to community service with his grandfather J.D. McAdam and father Earle both serving as reeve, while his brother Earle served as reeve/mayor and brother Elmer as a councillor.

Lloyd George McDonald. commonly called by his nickname 'Sparrow" was born in Chapleau in 1918, graduated from Chapleau High School in 1937, then attended the University of Toronto, and enlisted in the RCAF in 1941.

He was posted to Number 426 Squadron and the information on the DFC award reads: "This officer has completed a large number of sorties against enemy targets, including Berlin and Brunswick.  At all times he has displayed the highest degree of navigational skill and has been in no small way responsible for the successful completion of many operations.  On one occasion his aircraft was severely damaged by an enemy fighter but, working under extreme difficulties, Flying Officer McDonald successfully navigated his aircraft back to an emergency base in this country where a safe landing was made.  His navigational skill, coolness and determination have been of the highest order."

After the war Sparrow McDonald returned to work for the Canadian Press where he had started while attending university and worked in Washington and New York for years. He also covered the United Nations and the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. Later he headed to Winnipeg Bureau then was chief of Ontario service, then features and night editor.

Willard Bolduc, Baisel Collings, Donald Freeborn, and Lloyd McDonald were among the estimated 350 Chapleau men and women who served in Canada's armed forces in World War II, an incredible number, given the size of the community, all of whom are now referred to as the Greatest Generation. And indeed they are as I reflect on them and the lives they all lived, ordinary men and women from a small community in Northern Ontario who left their homes and families to do the exceptional. Some returned, others did not. Thank you to all of them. Lest we forget!

My sincere thanks to Doug Greig, Dr. Bill Pellow and the Bolduc, Collings and Freeborn families who contributed to Chapleau Trails, and to "Sparrow McDonald, gone now, but a journalist who I was so privileged to interview at the Chapleau High School 60th anniversary reunion in 1982. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Name "The Innocents" who attended Chapleau High School in 1961

2011-11-02T10:12:00.000-06:00

Name the members of "The Innocents" all of whom were attending Chapleau High School in 1961.

Answer for last week's quiz

The Greasers were from left David Morin, Billy Westerman, Robert Doyle, Tim Collins, Pierre Joyal and Allen Coulter

Chapleau the Ultimate Fishing Town in Canada to hold Northern Pike Ice Fishing Derby on February 11, 2012 with $10,000 first prize

2011-10-27T06:59:00.003-06:00

"He caught it but I'm holding it"

Chapleau, Canada's Ultimate Fishing Town, is holding a one-day Northern Pike Ice Fishing Derby on February 11, 2012.

The Chapleau Express reports that Bill Groves, "long time organizer and co-ordinator of the derby will once again be at the helm with the help of very capable committee members". They include Michael Levesque, Elizabeth Michaud, Emily Taylor and Roger Perrault.

The Express noted that the first place prize of $10,000 "will undoubtedly sharpen everyone's fishing skills". Second prize is $5,000, the third $2000 and the fourth $1,000.

"There is no doubt as to the derby's popularity," the Express story said. "It's already the talk of the town. We are after all, Canada's Ultimate Fishing Town."

Earlier in 2011, Chapleau won the WFN Ultimate Fishing Town title for Canada defeating much larger communities for the honour. Watch WFN video on Chapleau: http://www.worldfishingnetwork.com/videos/channels/wfn-world-fishing-network/ultimate-fishing-town-2011-chapleau-ontario-144729.aspx

Here is the information on the ice fishing derby. CLICK ON IT TO ENLARGE FOR EASIER READING.

Chapleau Rotary Club receives charter at mammoth banquet as visitors arrive at Town Hall in true northern style on a sleigh in 1951

2011-10-26T15:18:00.001-06:00

The Rotary Club of Chapleau received its charter at a "mammoth" banquet in the Town Hall basement with over 100 Rotarians from all over Ontario attending to take part in the ceremonies in the Fall of 1951.

According to a newspaper report, they made their entry into town "in true northern style" with district governor Kenneth Partridge of Port Credit, Ontario, arriving on a dog sled driven by Adam Andrews of Chapleau. Other visitors arrived aboard a tractor driven sleigh.

Chefs Bubs Zufelt, Art Grout

Reeve B.W. 'Bubs' Zufelt and Councillor A.J. 'Art Grout, both charter members who served as club presidents in 1956-57 and 1954-55 respectively donned chefs' attire to help serve "the sumptuous banquet prepared by camp cooks."

Here is the menu which was really the talk of the town at the time. It included roast beaver, Manitoulin Island turkey, French Canadian pork pies, shanty beans, blueberry pies and rustic log cakes. The ladies of the Senior WA of St John's Anglican Church were responsible for serving the meal, and yes, to this day I remember it. I was 10, and had snuck down the back stairs of the Town Hall to see my grandmother Edith Hunt who was helping, and of course, she fed me.

Chapleau Rotarians with district governor

The charter was presented to Rev. E. Roy Haddon, the club's first president by Mr. Partridge.

Rounding out the club's first pressidents were Dr. G.E. Young in 1952-53, John 'Mac' McClellan in 1953-54 and Don Rose in 1954-55.

In 1964-65, Mr. Grout became the district governor, a high honour for Rotarians. It was a busy time for Mr. Grout as Engine 5433 arrived at its location in the park, and Mr. Grout was largely responsible for bringing it to Chapleau. N.R. Crump, then president of the Canadian Pacific Railway was on hand for the ceremony marking the occasion.

Once established in Chapleau, for the next 60 years, the Rotary Club has been actively involved in community activities plus reaching far beyond its borders with programs. Here is just a glimpse at Rotary's work and some of the people involved. It is by no means complete but shows a continuing commitment to Chapleau and beyond.

Murray Arnill, Peter Elliott, G Evans,Dennis Paplinski, M Spessot

The club become the sponsoring organization for the Scouts in Chapleau and still holds a land use permit for a camp at Gala Lake although there is no longer an active Scout group in the community.

For example, in 1970, at an awards night, tribute was paid to Scouter Manlio Spessot by group committee chair Rev. Murray Arnill, minister at Trinity United Church and Rotary president George L. Evans. Mr. Arnill commented that the "leaders of tomorrow" were being developed "under the capable leadership" of Mr. Spessot who expended "countless hours with the boys in leadership, counselling and outdooor programs".

Major awards were presented to scouts Peter Elliott and Dennis Paplinski in 1970. Both received the Pathfinder Award, the highest level of achievement in Scouting.

The Chapleau club has been actively involved thoughout its history in Rotary's international exchange programs, bringing students from other countries to Chapleau as well as providing the opportunity for local students to travel. Presently it is also involved ina program to increase international understanding and good will whereby professionals from Korea, South Africa and Japan have visited Chapleau and vice versa.

A recent project has been the "adoption" of two kilometers of Highway 101 to keep it clean and it continues to improve the beach area.

Joanne and Dave Laughland with wheelchair boxes

Recently the club had 1300 wheelchairs to be unboxed and assembled before being distributed to needy children and adults in El Salvador.

Rotarians celebrate 5th anniversary

For 60 years now the club has been involved in the life and times of Chapleau as well as participating in projects internationally. Congratulations and all the best for the future!

Bob Warren presents cheque to MJM for rec complex 1978

Thanks to Joanne Laughland, George Evans, Anne (Zufelt) McGoldrick, Doug Greig for their assistance. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Name "The Greasers" from Chapleau High School in the 1970s in the CHS Reunion Quiz

2011-10-25T15:22:00.000-06:00

If you attended Chapleau High School in the 1970s, you will recall Greaser Day. Who are, left to right, 'The Greasers' in this photo?

Answer for last week's quiz.

The famous CHS graduates are Robert 'Bob' Fife, now the Ottawa Bureau Chief for CTV News, and Thomas A. 'Tom' Corston, now the Bishop of the Anglican Church Diocese of Moosonee.

Chapleau Rotary Club celebrates 60 years of service to Chapleau and wider world from E. Roy Haddon as first president to Dave Laughland in 2011-2012

2011-10-19T09:31:00.005-06:00

Rev E Roy Haddon

It seems like only yesterday but 60 years have passed since a group of business and professional men met to establish the Chapleau Rotary Club sponsored by the Sudbury club and united by the 'Ideal of Service'.

During the past week, I have been receiving news clippings and photos about the Chapleau club as it enters into a year of celebrating its 60th anniversary in Chapleau. For me, who was only ten when Rotary came to Chapleau, it has been a journey into the mothballs of my memory, and I am delighted to share some of the history of the Chapleau Rotary Club. Obviously I am at least a couple of years older now.

The founders of the Chapleau club read like a who's who of Chapleau in 1951, and all of them were so very much involved in the life of Chapleau as the community experienced expansion and growth. At the time there were no women in the Rotary club.

The club's first president was Rev. E. Roy Haddon, rector of St. John's Anglican church, World War II veteran and padre to Branch No. 5 (Ontario) of the Royal Canadian Legion. Vice president was Dr. G.E. Young, who became the club's second president, while, Newt Pellow, a local businessman was secretary; J.R. Serre, the township clerk was treasurer and B.W. 'Bubs' Zufelt, the reeve of Chapleau and owner of Chapleau Bakery was sergeant at arms.

The first directors were local businessmen E.E. 'Ernie' Collin ands Harold Cahill, Royal Bank manager G.F. Bailey and pharmacist J.R. 'Ross' Thornton.

Other founding members included Angelo Bucciarelli, Charles W. Collins, Dr. William Young, A.J. Grout, R. James, John McClellan, F.L. Moorey, Wilf Simpson, Earle Sootheran, C.A Smith and J.M. Shoup.

When the Chapleau club was founded, Rotary had about 350,000 members worldwide while today Rotary International is made up of over a million men and women of all races and religions, found in all parts of the world who accept its motto “Service above self”. As such, Rotarians do not allow politics or religious issues to interfere with striving to make this world a better place for all. Rotary was founded as a service club in 1905.

In Chapleau, as the club celebrates its 60th anniversary, the members include Jocelynne Bernier, Twyla Berry, Lucy Bignucolo, Lynn Bignucolo, Richard Bignucolo, George Evans, Dave Laughland, Joanne Laughland, Jim Shearer, Luc Tessier, and Natalie Tessier. Dave Laughland is the president for 2011-2012.

Once established the new club met weekly in Renison Hall of St. John's Anglican Church where the church ladies provided their meal for many years.

In 1952, the club held its first 'Ladies Night' where Mr. Haddon gave an address and Mr. Zufelt proposed the toast to the ladies, responded to by Mrs. C.A. Smith.Bob Serre provided entertainment on his accordion and Mr. and Mrs. W. Bernhardt gave a number of dances. Games and dancing followed --- and the usual close to reports of such gatherings, "a good time was enjoyed by all".

Jimmy Purich, Angelo Bucciarelli

To provide the necessary funds to carry out its good works, over the years, Rotary undertook many projects as fundraisers. In its early years in Chapleau was the annual car draw, and Pat (Purich) Russell and her brother Charlie kindly provided information about it. Their father, Jimmy Purich was very active in the Chapleau Rotary Club and it is fair to say, the car draw was one of his favourite projects.

Pat advised that Mr. Purich was Chairman "Ways and Means", and organizer of fundraisers such as car raffle draws and bingos.

"For car draws he would set up on the main street and had a little black book to keep the names of those requesting tickets and he would make sure those folks did get their tickets."

Charlie added: "Five Hundred tickets would be sold on e.g. a 1959 Pontiac. Tickets were ten dollars each and all were sold. Dad would love to stand outside of the Dominion's Store and sell them to passerbys, with Charlie Law's permission of course. (Mr. Law was manager of the Dominion store.)

"Once all tickets were sold, the big draw would take place at the scheduled bingo in the basement of the old Town Hall. Each and every ticket was drawn and each person's name was placed on a huge chalkboard, numbered 1 through 500. The ultimate winner would be the last name drawn.

"On a number of occasions, when only two tickets remained, the Rotarians would check to see if both parties were in attendance. If they were, they were asked if they wanted to split the cash value or take a chance on the last name out. Back then the car would cost approximately $2500 thus yielding a profit of $2500 for an upcoming worthwhile causes".

Pat also said that her father would grow tall gladiolus and take bunches to Rotary meetings and auction them off to the highest bidder. "One year he took one of his prize pumpkins to have the Rotarians guess the weight of the pumpkin....original ideas adding to the coffers of Chapleau Rotary Club".

Names at bottom

Over the years, the fundraising projects may have changed but members still devote much time on them -- two more recent ones by the Chapleau club have been an annual curling bonspiel with profits split between the favourite charity of the winning team and Rotary, while another major one has been an annual Rotary Trade and Sports Show in the spring.

The Chapleau Rotary Club meets twice a month. Here are some of the things it does in the community, according to an information bulletin.

"We offer scholarships and awards to students in all the schools of Chapleau. We annually send a high school student for an “Adventure in Citizenship” offered by the Rotary Club of Ottawa.

Fund raising bonspiel

"We built the Rotary Pavilion on Chapleau’s waterfront and we are continuing to beautify the area with planters and trees. We continue to make major contributions to the Chapleau General Hospital Foundation, and the Bignucolo Residence, including the Standing Garden in the latter’s courtyard, the chapel and, RED program for future development. We support the Chapleau branch of the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and other specific projects for local groups..."

Next week, I will continue with more about the Chapleau Rotary Club, then and now! Congrats on the occasion of your 60th anniversary.

Sport and Trade Show

Thanks to all who contributed to this article: Joanne Laughland, George L. Evans, Pat (Purich) Russell, Charlie Purich, Anne (Zufelt) McGoldrick, Doug Greig. Any errors are mine.My email is mj.morris@live.ca

NAMES FOR COOKING PHOTO

Chapleau Rotarians in the 1960s cooking for community function. Front row l to r D.O.Payette, Jim Keddie, Bob Warren. L to r back row, not identified, Jim Lane, Gene Bernier, Ray Ouellette, not identified, Jim Purich, Ross Perrigard, Jack Shoup, not identified.

Name the famous graduates in Chapleau High School 90th anniversary reunion quiz

2011-10-18T12:55:00.000-06:00

WHO ARE THEY?

This week let's see how good you are at recognizing two former Chapleau High School students, both of whom served as Student Council president, and today are famous Canadians.

Identify each in the photo and tell us their respective positions in 2011. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Here are the answers to the nickname quiz

1. Ted Collins (Gunner)

2. Gerald Pilon (Tonto)

3. David Doig (Picket)

4. Estelle Morin (Pootch)

5. Harry Hong (Boo)

6. Gerard Bernier (Moose)

7. Elmore Leigh (Sparky

8. Donald Jardine (Flappy)

9. Harriet Chambers (Buttons)

10. Patricia Purich (Pappy)

Match the nicknames in WEEK FOUR of Chapleau High School 90th Anniversary Reunion Quiz

2011-10-13T03:48:00.001-06:00

The Roman Catholic Convent at Chapleau

Nicknames have always been popular in Chapleau so here is your chance to match up Chapleau High School students with their nickname. Proper names are in column one and nicknames in column two. Match them up correctly. Enjoy. This is WEEK FOUR. Answers to Week Three are below.

Proper Name Nicknames

1. Ted Collins Sparky

2. Gerald Pilon Pootch

3. David Doig Boo

4. Estelle Morin Tonto

5. Harry Hong Gunner

6. Gerard Bernier Flappy

7. Elmore Leigh Buttons

8. Donald Jardine Moose

9. Harriet Chambers Pappy

10. Patricia Purich Picket

Here are the answers for Week Three.

1. Margaret Rose (Payette) Fortin and Alex Babin were co-chairs of the 60th CHS anniversary reunion in 1982.

2. Jamie Thibault was president of the CHS Student Council in 1976-77.

3. Susan Cecile was editor of CHS 'News and Views' in 1958-59

Reeve B.W. 'Bubs' Zufelt led Chapleau during boom years of early 1950s while Chapleau Bakery famous for honey dipped doughnuts

2011-10-12T11:01:00.003-06:00

Reeve B.W. Zufelt

When B.W. 'Bubs' Zufelt, who went on to become reeve of Chapleau during some of its most progressive years, opened Chapleau Bakery with his partner and brother Elvin 'Ebby', on April 20, 1931, he had a lot of faith in the future of Chapleau, despite the hardships presented by the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Writing in the Chapleau Post, on the 25th anniversary of the bakery in 1956, Wilf Simpson wrote that the "weak infant bakery business" had grown "into healthy manhood".

With limited capital and their faith in the future, the Zufelt brothers launched their business which became famous for not only the quality of its bread, but also buns, and the extremely popular honey dipped doughnuts.

"Of course," Bubs Zufelt told Wilf in an interview, "the cash represented our tangible assets. We had arranged for the business which included an ancient Chevrolet sedan, and we were loaded with stock -- 30 bags of flour received from Charles W. Collins on credit."

Born in North Bay, he learned the trade of baker there, and arrived in Chapleau about 1927 where he worked for Henry Pellow who was operating a bakery. When the brothers opened their first bakery, it was located at the back of the D. Pilon house on Pine street, almost adjacent to the old Chapleau High School.

Soon afterwards, the honey dipped doughnuts were introduced and he told Wilf that "In those days there were many days when the doughnuts were late getting into the store.

"Our first batch was generally finished about 10:30 in the morning -- just about recess at the high school about 50 feet distant. Those kids would pile into the bakery until you couldn't move and with doughnuts selling at two for five cents, the batch didn't last long".

By about 1936, Chapleau Bakery relocated to Birch Street next to Henry Pellow's log home near the intersection of Birch and Grey Streets.

Shortly after he arrived in Chapleau, Bubs Zufelt met Elsie Hunt who was working in the post office, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Hunt, my grandparents, and sister of my mother, Muriel E. (Hunt) Morris. They were married in St. John's Anglican Church on December 30, 1931.

1948 Council Walter Steed, J.A. Cahill, Reeve Zufelt, Mrs. F.M. Hands, J.M. Shoup

I extend my most sincere thanks to my cousins Betty (Zufelt) Gartner and Anne (Zufelt) McGoldrick for providing me with newspaper clippings and family history of their father who was my 'Uncle Bubs', but for the first time in my life as I share his time in Chapleau's public life I will refer to him as Reeve Zufelt. Like many Chapleau people, he had a nickname, in fact he had many - Bubs, Bub, Bob, and my Auntie Elsie mostly called him Zuie. They had four daughters, Betty, Anne, Joan and Leslie.

His brother Ebby died in 1942.

Even though in the early years, running a bakery was very hard work, up early in the morning to get the ovens going and the bread mixed and rising, delivering bread to stores and customers, then getting boxes of bread on the trains for communities along the CPR line, he started to become involved in the community.

He served as a township councillor from 1943 to 1947, and after defeating two opponents started his eight consecutive one-year terms as Reeve in 1948 which in one year terms was only surpassed by G.B. Nicholson, the first reeve who served from 1901 to 1913.

In 1948, Chapleau was threatened by a devastating forest fire, but fortunately an evacuation was not required although all the preparations were made for it. The fire did directly lead to the completion of Highway 129 the next year and the resultant economic stimulus with the arrival of new lumber companies to the area. At the same time Reeve Zufelt, his council and the Chapleau Board of Trade were actively pursuing having the Trans Canada Highway go directly through Chapleau.

They were also working to get a highway link between Chapleau and Timmins which in 1962 would become Highway 101 after he was no longer in office.

Councillor George Young with Reeve Bubs Zufelt

The failure of Chapleau to be on the Trans Canada Highway even after Welland S. Gemmell, the local MPP and cabinet minister, told 2,200 Chapleau citizens at the official opening of the Chapleau Memorial Community Arena in February 1951, that it would be "definitely located" through the community was a major disappointment. The Chapleau Post had declared "WE GOT IT!" in a headline and schools were closed in celebration. The new arena as well as the formation of the Chapleau Recreation Commission were among the achievements of the Zufelt years.

In fact, Reeve Zufelt had a photo taken pointing to where the highway would go to Schreiber, and The Globe and Mail said he was "jubilant" that "half the world" would be driving down Chapleau's main street.

Despite Chapleau's best efforts, the Trans Canada went along the much more expensive route along Lake Superior from Sault Ste, Marie. Politics at play of course.

Although Chapleau had a water plant and distribution system by about 1910, a sewage system had been rejected by the ratepayers by one vote in Mr. Nicholson's time as reeve -- which greatly disappointed him.

However, such was not the case in Reeve Zufelt's time and by November 1950, the plant and system were completed, just before winter set in. But, the council ran into trouble when one citizen vigorously complained that crews were working on a Sunday, contrary to the Lord's Day Act. Maybe so, but the project was completed, and Reeve Zufelt was re-elected for another year.

In the early 1950s, Chapleau appeared to be heading for a prosperous future as the Canadian Pacific Railway was establishing diesel repair shops, two soft drink bottling plants were soon in operation, retail stores were expanding and renovating, the Fox theatre replaced the Regent, a new state of the art post office was opened, new housing was under construction, the Bank of Montreal arrived, World War II had ended and many who served in Canada's armed forces were now home, married and raising families.

Although Branch Number 5 (Ontario) of the Royal Canadian Legion had been using the hall, it was Reeve Zufelt who negotiated the final terms that gave the branch ownership of the building for which he was made an Honourary Life Member.

To me, one of my best memories of those years was the paving of many Chapleau streets by about 1950, and as I had graduated from my tricycle to a two wheeler, I still remember the official opening. For some reason, it was held at the intersection of Grey and Birch streets with Grey Street North having been paved. After the official opening, we had bicycle races on the new pavement, organized, by who else, Councillor J.M. Shoup, also the principal of Chapleau Public School, who looked after all races, or so it seemed.

As Chapleau expanded, Joseph Shilliday arrived as chief of police, and the force doubled to the chief and three officers who got a cruiser -- the first one I think was a black 1952 Chevrolet with a little red light on top. Prior to this time, I recall that if the police had to get somewhere in a hurry, they would take a taxi or call the one Ontario Provincial Police officer who had a vehicle.

Bubs Zufelt also found time to be involved in other aspects of community Life. He was an avid curler and at one time was on a rink with Vince Crichton, Borden McLeod and Newt Pellow that won the NOCC championship. He sat on the board of St. John's Anglican Church for many years, served as president of the Chapleau Rotary Club and the local Progressive Conservative Association, as well as being a member of the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen. He had worked for the CPR at one time.

He was also a member of Lorne Lodge AF and AM and a past district grand master of the Independent Order of Oddfellows.

By 1950 he had purchased a new oven described by Wilf Simpson as "one of the most beautiful pieces of automatic baking equipment ever", a new oven at Chapleau Bakery. By this time the bakery was putting out about 1,000 loaves of bread a day. He worked full time at the bakery as well as serving as reeve.

When Wilf asked him about the difference in equipment over the years, Bubs Zufelt replied, "Well, we have only gone forward with the town as a whole and it is by the support of the people .. that these things are possible. We could not foresee it (years ago) when things were pretty grim at times. Wilf added that Bub Zufelt's "faith in the town has been exemplifed when he modernizes his business and expends his capital to give Chapleau an even better product".

'Uncle Bubs' , Bertram William Zufelt, died in Chapleau in 1975. Again my sincere thanks to his daughters Betty and Anne for sharing their father's story. Also thanks to Doug Greig for his assistance. Any errors are mine. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

IAN MACDONALD VIDEO ON THE ROYAL HUDSON AS UNIQUE MASTERPIECE OF ENGINEERING DESIGN AND CPR AT CHAPLEAU-CARTIER IN 1957

2011-10-07T06:02:00.001-06:00

Ian Macdonald, who worked on the Canadian Pacific Railway before attending university, and graduating in architecture, shares moments of railway history in this video with CPR activity as well as hostling in Cartier in the summer of 1957.

Ian became an architect and is now Professor Emeritus and retired head of the department of architecture at the University of Manitoba.

The video is a must see for railway buffs everywhere, Please feel free to share with those who may be interested. Thanks Ian.

CPR Activity in the Mid-Fifties

The video begins with a shot of CP diesel locomotive 4089. This was an Alco FA-2 unit built by Montreal Locomotive Works coming into Chapleau from the east. Yard engine engine 6527 was an MLW S-2 type, which eventually wound up assigned to the Schreiber yard.

We then see eastbound passenger train Number eight slowly cruising into Chapleau. The footage was taken shortly after “the Canadian” was added to passenger service in 1955. One can see some of the CPR’s new stainless steel Budd passenger cars that began being introduced into service during 1954 and 1955. We also catch a glimpse of a young Darryl Dowsley who had just started working as a fireman that year climbing out of the GMD FP7B unit. The “Dominion” was subsequently eliminated in 1966 leaving the Canadian as Canadian Pacific’s sole transcontinental train. The Canadian unfortunately ceased operation on Canadian Pacific tracks on January 16, 1990.

Hostling in Cartier, summer 1957

CPR Firemen in those days learned their trade through working as hostlers in the shops at Chapleau and Cartier combined with experience on main line trips working the spare list when more senior running crew booked off. Steam engines required heavy maintenance at the end of each run and were brought over to the shop track where they were handed off to the hostler.

Hostlers would move the locomotives into the roundhouse where they were turned around, serviced and prepared for their return runs. Cartier was a particularly busy divisional point as it was the western terminus for rail traffic originating in North Bay, Sudbury and Mactier. While the Schreiber Division had been priorized for dieselization in the mid 1950’s, steam locomotives of every possible size and class were still being used on the subdivisions east of Cartier and eventually wound up at the Cartier shops for servicing.

In addition to a diesel consist of 2 Alco RS10 units (8572 and 8478) and Cartier yard engine No.7094; the video includes some footage of iconic CPR steam locomotive 2841. This was a Montreal Locomotive Works Hudson Type H-ic that was built in 1937 and ultimately scrapped in March 1961. These locomotives were originally assigned to CP’s high profile transcontinental passenger trains 3,4,7 and 8 but were eventually replaced with diesel power and relegated to milk-run trains 1 and 2 in the final days of steam power on the Nemegos subdivision. It was amongst the last steam locomotives operating out of Chapleau and I had the good fortune to work on one as fireman from Cartier to Chapleau with engineer Harold Dowsley.

Dr. Bill Pellow provides an interesting, albeit erotic, description of the Royal Hudson in his Overalls to Scrubs book in Chapter six, which successfully captures the essence of those beautiful machines. They were unique masterpieces of engineering design. Diesel locomotives, although built under licence in Canada, were designed and developed in the United States and simply modified to suit Canadian conditions. Canadian Pacific steam power, on the other hand, was conceived, designed and built in Canada by Canadians to meet the specific challenges faced in the Canadian environment.

Chapleau High School 90th Anniversary Reunion Quiz for WEEK THREE

2011-10-06T07:57:00.000-06:00

Chapleau from air by John Theriault

Here are the questions for WEEK THREE in the Chapleau High School 90th Anniversary Reunion Quiz and the answers for Week Two. Feel free to email me your answers: mj.morris@live.ca
WEEK THREE QUESTIONS
1. Name the co-chairs of the Chapleau High School 60th anniversary reunion in 1982.

2. Who was the CHS Student Council president in 1976-77 school year?

3. Who was the editor of the CHS newspaper 'News and Views' in 1958-59?

Answers for Week Two

1. Robert Fife was Student Council president in 1972-73.

2. The CHS Winter Carnival King and Queen in 1973 were Richard Rioux and Helene Fortin.

3. Claude Fortin was skip of the CHS curling team in 1972-73.

IAN MACDONALD SHARES CHAPLEAU HIGH SCHOOL 1956 INITIATION AND FIELD DAY VIDEO IN A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

2011-10-05T18:08:00.003-06:00

Ian Macdonald, now the retired head of the department of architecture at the University of Manitoba, then a student at Chapleau High School, brings us a video of moments from the CHS Grade Nine Initiation and Field Day in 1956.

With the 90th anniversary reunion of CHS in 2012 rapidly approaching now, for me and I am sure so many others, who were CHS students in 1956, thanks for the memories Ian. I am sure we will all be viewing it over and over again until we identify everyone in it,

For those who were not with us at CHS in the 1950s, you may recognize friends and family. Ian's notes provide a glimpse, and a wonderful trip down memory lane.

Whatever, Ian has provided us with a great look at CHS as it was in those days when we were students.

Please feel free to send me comments and names of any you can identify: mj.morris@live.ca

Here are Ian's comments:

Chapleau High School Grade Nine Initiation, September 1956

The initiation of students entering Chapleau High School in September 1956 was a mandatory rite of passage and pretty much accepted in good humour by all participants. The video begins with a group of new grade nine students on the Chapleau Post Office steps attired in specified initiation costume and paying due homage to Grade 13 student Doug Slievert.

The grade niners included Fern Lavoie , Joey Steen, Bill Cachagee, etc. etc. The video goes on to capture the parade of students proceeding from the old High School down Pine Street led by the CHS drum and bugle band. Fred Barty and Ross Broomhead are seen bringing up the rear of the parade.

Chapleau High School Field Day 1956

A sanitized tartan running track, manicured grass and Nike gym wear were not even a remote possibility for CHS students in the fall of 1956. Blue jeans, tee shirts and/or sweatshirts were the common attire for an afternoon of various athletic events to celebrate the CHS athletic program.

The sandy 1956 Field of Dreams was more of a nightmare by to-day’s standards but nobody really thought much or cared about it. Staff members overseeing activities in the video include Clarence Fiaschetti, the first CHS grad to return as a teacher; Dr. Karl Hackstetter and a brief glimpse of Gerald Mino, who taught French and latin, at the long jump event.

Mansel Robinson of Chapleau named to short-list for 2011 Elinore and Lou Siminovitch Prize, the largest in Canadian theatre

2011-10-05T02:55:00.000-06:00

Chapleau's Mansel Robinson has made the shortlist for the 2011 Elinore and Lou Siminovitch Prize in Canadian Theatre, the largest prize in Canadian theatre.

BMO Financial Group, the sponsor of the prize announced that Mansel, a graduate of Chapleau High School, is one of six playwrights who have made the short-list.

The winner will receive $100,000, of which $25,000 will be awarded to a protege or organization of the recipient's choice. The prize will be presented on November 7, 2011 at a ceremony in Toronto.

Mansel has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario and a Master of Arts Degree from Concordia University.

In an interview with Dan Davidson of the Klondike Sun in 1999 after he became writer-in-residence at Berton House in Dawson City, Yukon, Mansel said he had done many things including working in a lumber mill, fighting fires, running a blast furnace, working the rails and doing a lot of backstage work at theatres.

Mansel told Davidson in the interview that, "I grew up listening to my father tell stories and his father and great uncles and stuff."

When I read this comment, I immediately recalled the time I first heard his father, Mansel Robinson, tell a story to a group, and sat in wonder as he told it. His father was an amazing storyteller.His father, a CPR railroader, who served as chair of the Chapleau Board of Education for many years, was also not keen on having his son work on the rails.

He also related that his father was a "history freak" adding that "his trick was to send me to the library to find some history books he hadn't read. But he had read everything..."

Mansel also gave credit to his mother, Isabel (Collinson) for creating his interest in stories, saying, "Even as a kid I could sit and listen to my mother and her friends have a coffee and a chitchat".

However, in his own right, Mansel has achieved great success. His plays include Bite The Hand, Scorched lce, Street Wheat, Downsizing Democracy, The Heart As It Lived, Collateral Damage and Colonial Tongues. He has won the City of Regina Writing Award, Geist Magazine's Award for Distance Writing and the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild Manuscript Award.

He is a two-time winner of the John V. Hicks Award, most recently for Two Rooms, which also won the 2010 Uprising National Playwriting Competition.

In 2007, Picking up Chekhov was selected as one of five Canadian plays to be introduced and promoted into the German market. In 2008, Prise de Parole published Roc & Rail, Jean Marc Dalpe's French translation of Ghost Trains and Spitting Slag - the work was short-listed for the Governor General's Award for Translation.

Mansel has been writer-in-residence at the Berton House in Dawson City, Northern Light Theatre in Edmonton, the University of Windsor, the Regina Public Library and the Surrey Public Library. He is a past president of the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre and is a member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada and the Writers' Union of Canada.

"The jury was thrilled with the range and quality of the work of all the playwrights nominated this year," said jury chair Maureen Labonte in a news release announcing the short-list.. "The finalists demonstrate passion and imagination in their writing, as well as extraordinary voice and vision all of which contribute to building a strong Canadian theatre scene.

"The Prize recognizes both excellence within an evolving body of work as well as innovation, exploration and risk-taking. It opens up the possibility of making a real difference in the recipient's art and help further their pursuit of creativity and excellence."

The Jury reviewed nominations of professional Canadian playwrights who have advanced Canadian theatre through a body of work achieved in recent years while influencing and inspiring younger theatre artists. The jurors assessed the nominees' originality, sense of evolution, growing maturity, continuing experimentation, impact upon audiences, and/or influence upon younger artists. They also considered whether the artists were at a point in their professional career where the recognition and resources associated with the prize would make a significant difference, allowing and encouraging the artist to go further in the pursuit of his or her craft.

The Siminovitch Prize in Theatre was introduced in 2001 and dedicated to renowned scientist Lou Siminovitch and his late wife Elinore, a playwright. Sponsored by BMO Financial Group, Canada's largest annual theatre arts award recognizes direction, playwriting and design in three-year cycles.

The other finalists of 23 nominated are Robert Chafe, Newfoundland; Jasmine Dube, Quebec; Greg MacArthur, Alberta/Quebec; Joan MacLeod, British Columbia; Larry Tremblay, Quebec.

Congratulations Mansel and all the best. Somewhat ironically, Mansel and one of his team-mates on the 1970-71 Chapleau Midgets, Armand Ruffo, a hockey team I coached, have both been very successful in the arts community achieving national and international recognition for their work. Nobody from the team played in the National Hockey League, but to this day, all the players, are still among my favourite people. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Bill GROVES PRESENTS THE AWESOME WONDER OF CHAPLEAU AREA IN THE FALL

2011-10-04T12:22:00.002-06:00

Barbara (Bowland) Groves enjoying Fall in Chapleau

Bill Groves has once again provided some of his amazing photos from the Chapleau area -- the awesome wonder of Chapleau in the Fall By Bill Groves. Thanks Bill

Chapleau High School 90th Anniversary Reunion Quiz with Questions from 1972-73 for Week Two

2011-09-29T11:02:00.001-06:00

First school in Chapleau circa 1890

Here are questions for WEEK TWO In the CHS 90th Anniversary Reunion Quiz, sponsored by the Chapleau Express. See the answers for WEEK ONE below. Feel free to email me your answers at mj.morris@live.ca Each week there will be questions or photos to create some interest!

1. Name the Chapleau High School Student Council president in 1972-73.

2. Who were the CHS Winter Carnival King and Queen in 1973?

3. Name the skip of the CHS curling team in the 1972-73 season.

Week One Answers:

1. George Lemon was CHS principal in 1956-57.

2. Margaret Rose Payette and Mary Serre were the CHS Bugle Band Commanders

3. Stanley Barty was the CHS Cadet Corps Commander

Dr. Karl Hackstetter directs 'Dough Crazy' while Clarence Fiaschetti returns as teacher and coaches Chapleau High School hockey team in the 1950s

2011-09-28T09:46:00.002-06:00

'Dough Crazy' a delightful comedy in three acts, directed by Dr. Karl A. Hackstetter, was presented by Chapleau High School students as part of the annual commencement held in the Town Hall auditorium in March 1956.

Running for two nights, the play by Don Elser, centred around the efforts of Dolly Ransom, played by Margaret Rose Payette, and her brother Ted with Robert Glowacki in the role to save their doughnut business from rival doughnut maker Mr. Manners, with Michael Leigh as the richest man in town who wants to control the doughnut business.

Rounding out the cast where it all ends well with the discovery of the formula for Giant Doughnuts which saves the business, and were actually made by B.W. Zufelt, the owner of Chapleau Bakery at the time (remember the honey dipped doughnuts?) were Phyllis Chrusoskie, David McMillan, Harry Pellow, Lorraine Leclerc, James Evans, Donna Viet and Mary Serre.

The prompters were Nancy Honda and Rita O'Hearn while the stage crew included Stanley Barty, Daryl Dowsley, Neil Ritchie, Dennis Schafer, Terry Shannon and Ron Watson.

Dr. Hackstetter directed all aspects of the production.

Another highlight was a musical presentation by the Chapleau High School Choir directed by Miss Joan Lee of the teaching staff.

The soloist was Carmen Pilon while a duet was given by Rita O'Hearn and Bill Kemp.

Choir members included Theresa Donivan, Anne Marie Goldstein, Anne Lemieux, Shirley Potts, Madelene Carroll, Gail Lion, Naomi Mizuguchi, Audrey Newman, Marion Pellow and Pauline Pilon, Brian Boucher, Charles Byce.

Pianist was Alison McMillan.

As I was working on this piece, I could not help but reflect on how active those involved in this production were in their respective churches and elementary schools while growing up in Chapleau. I have many fond memories from those years. in 1955-56 I was in Grade Nine at CHS.

During the commencement part of the program, John Futhey was presented with the Mrs. J.W. Austin Award as the student with the highest standing in eight Grade 13 subjects after five years attendance while Phyllis Evans received the Mason Foundation Scholarship for a student attending the ontario Teachers' College by John McClellan, the school principal.

Opening remarks were given by Dennis Schafer, president of the student council.

Mr. McClellan would retire at the end of the school years after 30 years as a teacher and principal.

Honours Secondary School Graduation Diplomas (Grade 13) were presented by Clarence Fiaschetti, a graduate of CHS, who was back as a teacher. Mr. Fiaschetti was the first grad to return as a teacher.

Recipients were Sadie Doyle, John Futhey, Phyllis Evans, Richard Leclerc and Gaetan Rousel.

Receiving Secondary School Graduation Diplomas (Grade 12), presented by D.O. Payette, chair of the school board, were Stanley Barty, Ina Mae Fraser, Rita Gilbert, Marlene Iserhoff, Gerald McAuley, Leona Paquette, Dennis Schafer, Terry Shannon and Michael Leigh.

Mr. McClellan's retirement brought George Lemon to CHS as the new principal, and a highlight of the 1956-57 school year was a trip to Terrace Bay by almost all the students who boarded a CPR passenger train for a trip to Terrace Bay for a weekend of athletic competitions against that community's high school. Mr. Fiaschetti, who was a graduate of Chapleau minor hockey and had played for the Chapleau Trappers and Huskies was the coach.

In fact, he was so well known as Clarence and some students played hockey on the same team he did, that it took time for some to start calling him Mr. Fiaschetti, but for those of us who were at CHS during the two years he taught there, he could really fill detention books.

High school hockey was really popular at the time and the team played in the full body contact town league as well as against teams from other communities. Members of the 1956-57 team included David McMillan, Doug Slievert, Stan Barty,Thane Crozier, Clarence Fiaschetti (teacher and coach), George Lemon (principal), Doug Espaniel, Roger Mizuguchi, Bill Cachagee, Jim Hong, Bert Lemon, Harry Pellow, Ken Schroeder, Robbie Pellow (Mascot) Marc Boulard, Harry Hong, Jim Machan, Ron Morris.

One of the great delights in writing Chapleau Moments is that I get to relive so many fantastic "moments" about the people, the lives and the times in the community from its earliest beginnings onwards. Thanks to David McMillan for providing me with the details for Dough Crazy and CHS in the 1950s. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Test Your Memory in theChapleau High School 90th Anniversary Reunion Quiz

2011-09-22T11:40:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the Chapleau High School 90th reunion anniversary quiz. It will run weekly in the Chapleau Express and I hope to post it here too. You can email me your answers if you wish. This is Week One. Enjoy!!!..mj.morris@live.ca mjm

Austin, Nicholson lumber company becomes largest supplier of railway ties in the British Empire in the 1930s from mills near Chapleau

2011-09-21T10:33:00.003-06:00

Photo courtesy Brian Westhouse

At about the same time that Chapleau was becoming incorporated as a municipality in 1901, George Brecken Nicholson, its first reeve was embarking on a business venture with James McNiece Austin which would eventually become Northern Ontario's largest lumber firm mainly from a contract with the Canadian Pacific Railway to provide it with ties.

Brian Westhouse, in an excellent article about the community of Nicholson and the Austin and Nicholson lumber company wrote that in the 1890s James McNiece Austin, a Chapleau general merchant, took tie cutting and delivery contracts from the CPR. Mr Austin had taken over the store from his brother T.A. Austin, who had established it in 1885.

Mr. Westhouse wrote that Mr. Nicholson who had been a locomotive engineer left the CPR in 1901, entered into a partnership with Mr. Austin and became full time manager of the tie cutting opoerations. In 1902 the railway agreed to a three year contract and Austin, Nicholson Company guaranteed to deliver 200,000 ties a year for three years. Mr. Nicholson also became reeve of Chapleau on February 15, 1901, being re-elected each year by acclamation until he retired from the position in 1913.

Photo courtesy Brian Westhouse

How Mr. Nicholson found the time to do all that he did for Chapleau, as well as pursue his business interests, continues to amaze me almost 30 years after I first wrote about him in my book, 'Sons of Thunder ... Apostles of Love'.

Their first mill was under construction on a point of land between Lake Windermere and the CPR, 22 CPR miles west of Chapleau, and the community of Nicholson developed at this site including boarding houses, cottages, warehouses and other structures necessary to support the logging operations of the company.

According to an article on the community of Nicholson,on the web site Ghost Towns of Ontario, by 1914 a town site had been laid out and the company had built a general store which included post office and grocery delivery. A bunkhouse and cookery were built which could accommodate 60 men, and a school established which was eventually able to include 80 students. Describing Mr. Nicholson as a "fervent Anglican" he established a church in 1914 but allocated a former schoolhouse to the larger Roman Catholic congregation who quickly refurbished it and added a steeple and bell.

Many homes were built during this time and residents paid a monthly rent of $5 for a single family dwelling or $7 for two stories.

The company's head office was in Chapleau.

Photo courtesy Brian Westhouse

The Ghost Towns of Ontario article notes that to enhance the social atmosphere Potney's pool hall was set up in the company store and there was also Sheffields boarding house (hotel) a harness maker and blacksmith. By 1915 the community had grown to 350 residents and was fast becoming the largest lumbering settlement between Sudbury and the Lakehead,

A piping system was installed to heat homes with the mill's boilers --- much like the CPR did in Chapleau to heat the Chapleau Memorial Community Arena, YMCA and other buildings. Nicholson also had an internal telephone system and when tied in with the CPR telegraph line, long distance calls could sometimes be achieved.

Brian Westhouse wrote that "in 1920 the company began to plan dor a second mill to satisy CPR's increasing demand for sawn ties... Dalton, 21 and a half miles west of Nicholson, had been the site of earlier axe-tie loading operations. The new plant at Dalton Mills was located on Shikwamkwa Lake, 3 miles south of the CPR and linked to it with a private railway. The lumber storage yard alongside the CPR main line had a capacity of up to 50 million feet".

As I was researching this article, I could not help but recall my own small connection to the community of Nicholson as a young boy growing up in Chapleau, but our family camp was at Healy in the late 1940s until 1957. My grandfather's connection went back many years earlier.

My grandparents Harry, Lil (Mulligan) Morris at Healy circa 1949

A great adventure in my grandfather Harry Morris's freighter canoe powered by a Johnson 5.8 outboard motor (I think) was to make the trip on Lake Windermere from Healy to Nicholson, to visit Chapleau friends with camps there and to shop at the store. To this day those journeys, perhaps prompted by my mother's love of the explorers of early Canada and how she would make them come alive for me, made our trips to Nicholson voyages of discovery. I always sat in the front of the canoe watching as the navigator, even though my grandfather knew the route like the back of his hand.

In fact, he would have preferred to paddle it in the canoe, having little use for outboard motors, but Mom, (Muriel E (Hunt) Morris, and my grandmother, Lil (Mulligan) Morris would have no part of that one.

I went on Google Earth and retraced the journey and about 60 years later, I recalled those trips like it was only yesterday.

What happened to Nicholson?

Brian Westhouse tells us that "in the early hours of Sunday September 13th, 1931, night watchman Sullivan noticed flames leaping up from the roof of the Nicholson sawmill. The Chapleau branch of the Ontario Forestry Corps who with pumps and fire fighting equipment and the CPR fire car were quickly dispatched to the scene

"Fanned by a very high wind glowing embers were hurled across the lumber piles to the station buildings, an eighth of a mile away, setting alight the wooden platform, damage to the latter being negligible owing to the prompt action of volunteer workers.

" As soon as the aroused workers were on the scene a bucket brigade was organized, the women folk courageously taking their places among the men, braving the fierce heat and dense smoke in a desperate endeavour to protect home and employment."http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/logging/austin.htm LINK TO BRIAN WESTHOUSE ARTICLE

The mill at Nicholson was not rebuilt but remained an outpost to supply the logging camps that served Dalton.

Ghost Towns notes that the school closed in 1936, the company store about 1954 and the post office in 1956. By 1956 the station was closed.

In the early 1970s most buildings were still intact and it had been recommended that Nicholson be preserved as an historic site, but a fire destroyed much of the site. There are still a few cottages there.

Austin, Nicholson had mills at other locations, and played a huge role in the economy of the Chapleau area for many years. After James McNiece Austin died in 1922, Mr. Nicholson became president, Allan McNiece Austin and Bill Austin, first and second vice presidents respectively and Reg Thrush was secretary treasurer.

Mr. Nicholson, who served as a Member of Parliament after his service as reeve of Chapleau died on January 1, 1935.

His obituary referred to him in part as "a true son of the north... vigorously fighting to improve the condition of the people of this country".

My most sincere thanks to Brian Westhouse for his assistance and for permitting me to refer to his article, to Doug Greig for his articles in Chapleau Trails and to Dr. William R. Pellow, its editor and publisher as well as to Ghost Towns. Any errors are mine. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

GORDON LIGHTFOOT 'DID SHE MENTION MY NAME?" -- GETTING READY FOR CHS REUNION

2011-09-15T10:24:00.001-06:00

As the Chapleau High School 90th anniversary reunion nears in 2012, I will be posting features to help everyone get in the mood for the celebration. I invite you to contribute with photos, videos, poems, stories. songs -- anything that helps us connect to Chapleau. My email is mj.morris@live.ca or message me on Facebook or Twitter. BE SURE TO VISIT http://www.chs90threunionfestival.com/

Let's get started with Gordon Lightfoot's 'Did she mention my name?" which is sure to bring back memories!!!!

Chapleau Senior Bantams became part of NOPHA, 'biggest hockey league in the world' winning Division A championship in 1967-68 season

2011-09-14T08:19:00.002-06:00

Whenever I returned home to Chapleau while at university and later as a daily newspaper reporter in the 1960s, one of my regular stops for a visit to catch up on local hockey news was the home of L.D. 'Don' and Olive M. Card, both of whom were involved with the Chapleau Minor Hockey Association for many years.

When I was a kid in the 1950s, Don and Garth "Tee" Chambers were the main minor hockey coaches while also playing in the town league and for the Intermediate Huskies.

Olive (Schroeder) Card served as secretary-treasurer of the minor hockey association for more than 20 years, and was known as 'Mrs. Minor Hockey', a title she richly deserved for her years of dedication to minor hockey. She also became a member of Chapleau Township council, the second woman after Mrs. F.M. Hands, to be elected. Olive was deputy reeve for several years.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Olive and Don would share news on up and coming hockey players and how teams were doing.

I learned about the players who would eventually become the 1966-67 Chapleau Junior 'B' Huskies, who under the guidance of Lorne Riley and Keith 'Buddy' Swanson, would win the International Junior 'B' Hockey League and Northern Ontario Hockey Association championships in 1966-67, their first year in the league. Except for John Loyst, the goaltender who came from Timmins, all the players were graduates of Chapleau minor hockey.

But Olive and Don would tell me over coffee in their kitchen about another group of players who were destined to make a very significant mark in the annals of Chapleau hockey history -- the players on the Senior Bantams between 1965 and 1968, first coached by David Mizuguchi who became the manager, and was succeeded by David Futhey.

Little did I know when I first heard about the Bantams across a kitchen table talking Chapleau hockey while visiting my mother Muriel E. (Hunt) Morris, family and friends, how huge a role many of these players would play in my life in years to come. When I first heard great things about them I was living in Saskatchewan working as a reporter, later editor at the Star-Phoenix in Saskatoon.

In fact, their success between 1965 and 1968 before many of them went on to play for the Junior 'B' Huskies has only struck me in the past year or so after being back in touch with David Mizuguchi on Facebook.

It all started in the 1965-66 season, just as the Chapleau Memorial Community Arena was getting artificial ice, and the team went to a hockey tournament in Lasarre, Quebec. They emerged as the Division B champions with David Mizuguchi as coach. They repeated this success in 1966-67 with David again as coach --- a year of champions for Chapleau hockey with the Junior 'B' Huskies winning too.

However, it was in the 1967-1968 hockey season, the last for most of them as Bantams, that they really excelled. They were moved into Division A at the Lasarre tournament but won the title and they also won the Northern Ontario Playground Hockey Association (NOPHA) 'A' championship in the Bantam category with David Mizuguchi as manager, David Futhey as coach and Doug Prusky who was now overage as trainer.

Chapleau minor hockey had a long history with the NOPHA founded in 1951 by Sam Jacks shortly after he became the first recreation director in North Bay. After the NOPHA was founded, the Manitoba Ensign reported in a story from North Bay that it was the "biggest hockey league in the world" and was supported by communities throughout Northern Ontario.

In the early 1950s I was on a Chapleau Bantam team in the NOPHA that played in Sudbury, making the trip on one occasion in our own railway car on the CPR singing 'Heart of My Heart' over and over and over again.

As I really had no future as a hockey player despite my love of the game, Tee, Don and Olive were instrumental in having me attend an NOPHA referees school in North Bay, and as a result, I refereed my first out of town games in North Bay and Sudbury. Mr. Jacks conducted the referees school.

In 2012 Lasarre will celebrate the 49th anniversary of its Bantam hockey tournament.

In 1969 when I started teaching at Chapleau High School, the Bantams were now the Juniors, attending the school, and over the next few years many of them would be in my classes. I came to know them well, and we also met at the Chapleau Memorial Community Arena on weekends where I would be refereeing games.

As I have been looking backward a bit while thinking about, and doing this piece, it struck me that many of these players defined Chapleau hockey for about 20 years, and deserve a vote of thanks for their contribution to many great hockey nights in Chapleau --- and on the road too. And yes, after playing their minor hockey and junior hockey for their home town, along with some from the championship Junior 'B' Huskies, and the others who joined us, they became part of the Intermediate 'A' Huskies for five years --- and that is a story for another day. Thanks guys!

Thanks to David Mizuguchi too.My email is mj.morris@live.ca

CHAPLEAU HIGH SCHOOL MASONIC BURSARY RAISED TO $5,000 IN 2012 TO MARK SCHOOL's 90th ANNIVERSARY

2011-09-10T09:42:00.000-06:00

The Chapleau High School student who wins the Dr. William R. Pellow Masonic Bursary in 2012 will receive $5,000 to assist him or her with post secondary education, the bursary committee has announced.

To mark the 90th anniversary of the school in 2012, the committee will increase the bursary to $5,000 for one year only - from the $3,000 that is usually awarded. On June 27, 2005, the committee increased the annual bursary from $300 to $3,000.

"The Dr. William R. Pellow Masonic Bursary Committee raised the annual bursary award from $3,000 to $5,000 for one year only...", the committee announced in a news release, in recognition of the 90th anniversary of CHS.

It noted: "This is the largest bursary on record at Chapleau High School administered and registered bursary by any one Chapleau group or single individual".

The news release also said that all proceeds from Chapleau Trails, edited and published by Dr. William R. Pellow are directed to the Masonic Bursary Fund. The price for Chapleau Trails is $50.00. It is a great read about the life, times and people of Chapleau.

To purchase a copy of Chapleau Trails or make a donation to the bursary fund, please contact Dr. Bill Pellow at drpellow@rogers.com

Canadian film producer Peter Elliott launched career with 'horror films' featured at coffee houses in Trinity United Church basement in Chapleau

2011-09-06T20:57:00.001-06:00

Peter Elliott, writer, documentary film producer, director, editor, screen writer, cinematographer says "some of my most creative and prolific moments were spent in the basement of the old Trinity United Church" during the years he lived in Chapleau.Rev. Murray Arnill, who was the minister at the church in those years, was the guiding hand behind the very popular coffee houses in the early 1970s where Chapleau youth and many local school teachers and others would gather on a weekend evening. The coffee houses were the place to be and Peter who has now been doing media for more than 30 years, started his career there and at Chapleau High School.

Recently, Peter, who now lives and works in Newfoundland and Labrador, took time to answer my questions, on his life and work and this week, I am delighted to share his answers about living in Chapleau and the role it played in leading to his career in media production. I

Michael: Share memories of growing up in Chapleau.

I have too many memories of my five and a half years in Chapleau. Chapleau is the place of my formative years; my sense of humour, my love of the outdoors and my film video career all originated there. I was lucky to be part of an incredible scout troop led by Manlio Spessot. We won every competition in scout events around Sudbury and the Soo. With the scout troop and later through work with the MNR I think I saw the entire district around Chapleau.

My family moved to Chapleau in 1969 from Cochrane. I was eleven years old when we drove south on the the partially paved Timmins highway in the middle of winter. My first impression of Chapleau was a steaming railway town bisected by mile long freight trains passing through. The town was beautiful to my eyes since it was laden with CPR colours. There still was equipment in the railway yards dedicated to servicing steam locomotives. The old ice house, the YMCA, the Horseshoe Bridge and the coaling tower still stood. The CPR shops were still in full operation and the whistle would blow at noon, for fire alarms and on Remembrance Day. And of course the treasured sight was the old steam locomotive number 5433 in front of the museum patiently waiting to be steamed up again.

The frozen river in front of our new home at the Forestry Point was busy with bush planes taking off and landing. I would purposely walk the frozen river to school to make life interesting. On especially cold days you could hear every train wheel squeak by the station from a kilometre away. The chimney stacks spewed smoke straight up resembling a scene out of Victorian London.

I would navigate my way through the mist until I arrived at the old high school which was defined by four rooftop air vents that resembled Mickey Mouse ears. My grade six teacher was Zita Evans.

We played slot ball in the world's only slot ball court. Since the stone walled basement gymnasium was only about eight feet high there was nowhere to hang a basketball net so two opposing window wells were covered with a sheet of plywood with a square hole cut into it. There was a canvas flap in the back of the hole that the ball would be thrown into.

We would have our teeth checked at school. After my checkup I was given a note that said 1 EXT on it. Deep inside I knew what it meant. One extraction; but I translated that to mean "number one excellent teeth". I wanted to avoid going to the Dental Car. I loved old tuscan red CPR railway coaches since I am a train buff but not one with a foot pedal operated drill in it. At least that is what I was led to believe. I never went inside it. Somehow my dental checkup notes would get blown away across the frozen river on my walk home.

Some of my most creative and prolific moments were spent in the basement of the old Trinity United Church. Those memories resonate with Led Zeppelin's "Going to California" blaring full volume while a group of us set up coffee houses that comprised of a "Monster Chiller Horror" crypt we created to entertain the local youth. During the coffee houses we took turns being the guide into the "crypt" where a wall full of hands would feather you. The guide would bang a steel pipe on the cement floor and lead you to a decorated room full of nylon cob webs amongst the dry ice fog and lurking creatures. If you weren't afraid of the haunted house sound effects then the site of David Doig as a vampire would have you running. On special days you could be treated to a screaming Rusty Deluce rigged up on a faked hangman's noose.

We also made three horror films to show during the coffee houses that starred Ken Lane as a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde character. In one film Ken quickly kills his lab assistant, Rob Jardine then ventures out to kill others before being shot by Officer David Doig who is wearing my father's vintage Department of Lands and Forest uniform. That film titled "A Change of Terror" made it to the big screen in the form of the Fox Theatre on Birch Street as it was shown as part of the Last Quarter Rock Festival which featured Kebesquashising Riverboat.

The sequel called "The Occult" was shot in the back field at CHS. That film never made the big screen due to the fact I forgot to write an ending or let alone a script. The film was shot at night and it featured Don Warren as a villain, and if I believe Rob Jardine, Teddy Burns and Janice Robinson were suppose to be put in a trance while Janice's sister Cheryl played a good victim. "The Occult" did make it to the coffee house screen, though "A Change of Terror" and "Hike to the Vampire" were the big hits. I had a entire collection of vintage cartoons we used to show between musical performances by Kebesquashising Riverboat.

The coffee houses were unique in the world I'd say. We gave the youth of a small town in the north something to do. It was better than hanging out in front of the pool room.

When I travel to the James Bay Lowlands to teach media skills to kids, I speak of those coffee houses and our unofficial film club as an example where you can do things on mosquito sized budgets. I try to inspire the youth to - just do it!

Michael: Related question -- CHS celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2012.. Favourite memories?

Chapleau High School was a real inspiration for me and to my present career. I had fun there and I learned. The grade eleven history class was the best one in the country since George Evans taught it. He would glance at my notebook and just smile at my drawings of Ionian, Doric and Corinthian architecture. Because of that class I eventually went to Greece and saw many of the things that George Evans taught.

Grade nine history class was the start of making audio tapes for all my history projects. I remember when my grade nine history teacher Michael J. Morris (thanks for this blog Michael) shared my first tapes with others and it became the norm to produce these for class presentations. We would form into groups, write scripts, edit music, create sound effects and perform the voices for theses tapes using Pink Floyd as the background music.

I got involved in some school variety nights, I played some lacrosse and liked running cross country on a track through the bush. We had a large curling club mainly due to the successful recruiting tactics of Donald Warren. Don made membership in the CHS curling club mandatory, so to speak. Don was polite but persistent. He should of been a union organizer.

Michael: After Chapleau, where did you go -- education, work, etc.

I attended CHS for three years then moved to Southern Ontario in 1974. My education became so scattered after that. No high school had a real semester system near where I lived so I got all mixed up with half courses, half credits and wasn't allowed to take certain subjects due to a lack of perquisites that begin back in grade nine. I didn't feel like going backwards at the time. A big teachers strike in York Region also ended the rest of my grade eleven school year. I always thought to myself…should of stayed in Chapleau to finish high school, maybe I would of joined the CPR since I loved trains. But the other end of that pendulum was me immersing myself in the film and video world and that is the track I followed and still do.

We lived in Newmarket Ontario where I finished high school. I maintained my involvement with Scouting and attended a world scout jamboree in Norway as a Venturer. I still made Super 8 films and produced Shakespeare's MacBeth with kids playing the roles while working at a day camp. l met my first wife Cathy in a high school musical I performed in and I always found a way to produce Super 8 films with every student job I had or course I took.

In 1976 I spent a great summer in Chapleau. I remember helping Pat Bamford with an official visit from a Federal Liberal Delegation to Chapleau. I was at Pat's house when one member of the delegation called for a ride since they arrived late at the Chapleau airport. On my own accord I borrowed Pat's car and went to pick up the delegate at the airport. I just got my driver's license a week before and never drove power steering before. I remember swerving all over the highway. I'm sure the delegate was as white as a polar bear once I got him to the Hublit Hotel where the delegation was meeting.

After that summer in Chapleau I attended Humber College in Toronto and received an Honours Diploma in Film and Television Production after three years and jumped right into the work world. My summer jobs brought me to Algonquin Park as a canoe ranger and later I worked as a film camera assistant, sound recordist, lighting gaffer and editor on two camping comedy film's for Ontario Provincial Parks. I had a chance to get a degree which would of been helpful in the later years of my career but I was too practical in my thinking. I just wanted to continue learning as I go along. I now recommend to youth I speak to, to work towards a degree if they can, since it opens up more doors for the future.

Michael: Tell us about the early years of your career.

I have shot and edited hundreds of video, films over the years. Mostly documentaries and television episodes. I freelanced for thirty years. It was a boom and bust lifestyle. I would sink all my funds into my documentary films and barely break even in the end. I would sell my films to CBC but never make enough money to keep making films. I would write grant applications and usually get them. But I was a bit of a rebel to my own demise. The film world relies on schmoozing and being in the right group and I refused to do that. I was too "bumpkinesque" or something. I hated big city life but was lucky that most of my work took me to places I would normally not go, like Haiti, Chile, Senegal and Guinee. I had my own 16mm camera equipment and it travelled with me throughout the north as I shot film for my own documentaries.

I specialized in shooting and editing videos and films on topics that dealt with the outdoors, science, medicine, wildlife, tourism and Canadian history. I shot for CBCs Nature of Things, edited and shot for Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and worked on several projects over the years for Science North in Sudbury. As of writing I have three productions now playing in Science North. I also acted sometimes in films, usually playing lumberjacks or paddling a birch bark canoe in a CBC production.

I must admit that my interest in history caused me to have a parallel life as a living history animator at Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto. I would run into people from the film industry and they would say, "Elliott what in the heck are you doing here?" I would say I am stuck in the past or on a Magical History tour.

I later bought a large voyageur replica canoe and ran it as an eco-tourism business in Kingston and Toronto harbours for five years.

But the film television industry was always calling me back. I like the work. I hate the business and still wasn't a "schmoozer". But years later I still love editing, shooting and now writing.

Michael: Share some of your favourite projects from over the years.

I worked on a television series called Exhibit A, the Secrets of Forensic Science. They called me a "renaissance man" because I could do everything. Shoot, edit, supervise post production, act, make props and create special effects.

I produced and directed a dramatic documentary on Jean de Brebeuf, Saint Jean de Brebeuf meant a lot to Pope Jean Paul II because he took my VHS tape back to Rome in his brief case after the World Youth Day celebrations in 2002. I originally had the tape sent to his lodgings on Strawberry Island in Lake Simcoe and heard later he liked it and kept it. The church apologized that they couldn't return it. That was my papal audience, sort of, I guess.

My first real professional film, a short documentary called "The Castle of White Otter Lake" is still my favourite. It was the innocent story of a man who single-handedly constructed a log castle in the wilderness west of Thunder Bay back in the early 1900's. It showed in the British Isles and all over Canada. I made a small profit on that one and even received an award nomination for it.

I edited Deadly Arts for National Geographic, The Surgeons for the Discovery Channel and the Designer Guys series for HGTV. I cut Tow Biz, Austin Stevens Adventures and produced commercials for the Canadian Continence Foundation and Trent University.

I was in Haiti twice last year while shooting a documentary for Vision TV called The Real Voodoo. I was in the middle of over seven Voodoo ceremonies while avoiding the thrust of swords hitting me and the camera, but the music, the dancing and use of rum is fascinating.

Michael: Peter, you seem to really like the railroad.. Explain.

Trains are my first memories. My Great Grandfather was a steam locomotive engineer on the CPR in New Brunswick nick-named Pappa Toot. I remember steam locomotives running by papa Toot's old house in Norton. New Brunswick in 1959. I used to spend a lot of Saturdays in the railway yards in Cochrane, Ontario filming an imaginary television series that existed only in my head. I would hint for rides on the Ontario Northland yard switcher and succeed. I loved trains but wasn't really into the technical stuff. It is the poetry of railroading that attracts me to it.

The railway locomotive is one of the great inventions of mankind. The idea that two accurately laid rails, crossing thousands of miles of our continent, can carry tons of fast moving freight and passengers is what captivates a railway buff. I had a bumpy ride in the cab of a steam locomotive in Alaska years back. It is for me is an everlasting memory.

I volunteered on a tourist steam railway and helped restore two locomotives and five miles of track. It was hard work but I built up my muscles and became accurate with spiking rails the old way. After a hot day of track work I would jump off the speeder and head to a creek for a swim. My boots would be caked in creosote.

But that didn't get trains out of my system. I still build model train layouts and have a nice collection of 1950's CPR rolling stock, a Budd Car set and the Canadian all in N scale. I even have a model of the locomotive Pappa Toot first fired.

Michael: What are your present projects?

I just finished a documentary called "Fill My Hollow Bones" for the organization, Darearts Foundation for Children which is the same not for profit group I teach media skills for. That film is about how an arts program combats a high first nations youth suicide rate. It premieres in Toronto this September.

I now work at Best Boy Entertainment editing a series for the Discovery Channel called PetER which debuts next January. I am also working on scripts and writing kids stories.

Michael: What's next?

When my wife Melissa and three kids join me in St. John's, Newfoundland, I want to focus on having fun, seeing our new province and continue being creative in any way. My daughter is still young and my stepsons will soon attend post secondary education and I have to focus on making money. No more breaking even. Maybe my writing will help me fill the financial coffers. But no more freelancing. I am a staff editor now and love it. I have three dramatic film scripts that I am writing and two are based in Newfoundland. There is a growing television industry on The Rock and I am pleased to be part of it.

Michael: Final thoughts.

My dream is to someday return to Chapleau with a boat or canoe and take the family on a trip to down seven mile rapids to Henderson Lake. I spent a lot of time on the Chapleau River. I also many years ago created three or four false graves out of bear bones. They were convincing on a first glance. They are up behind what we called Doctor Young's Hill. I wonder if anyone ever found them. Anyone?

Years back I had a freelance job to film Bruce Cockburn as he moved from his Toronto apartment to Montreal. In the moving interview he said, "Here I am, a famous rock musician and I don't know where home is." I remembering thinking how sad that was.

When people ask me where I am from, I usually say Northern Ontario. But when they want specifics I say Chapleau. I lived in other places but that damn town represents home. I don't get the same feeling of home when I return to Cochrane, Bracebridge, Parry Sound, Newmarket or Toronto. Just Chapleau.

Right now I live in Newfoundland. I am feeling a sense of home here. Why I ask? Because Newfoundlanders are damn friendly people, just like Chapleauites. Maybe Bruce should move to Chapleau.

There is only one problem about living in Newfoundland. The last train left in '88.