Fond memories of growing up Chapleau return for wonderful moments at Harry 'Butch' Pellow party

I took a course in twentieth century European history from Dr Jacques Goutor more than a few years ago ago now, and the first thing I learned from him was that hockey kept Canada together. Well, he didn't actually come out and say that exactly, but on the first day of class he told us about his arrival in Canada from France.Dr Goutor told us that upon arriving in Toronto, he went out and bought the newspapers and the headlines were LEAFS WIN STANLEY CUP! It was 1967, our Centennial year as a nation, and the Toronto Maple Leafs had defeated their arch rivals the Montreal Canadiens in six games. It was the last time the Leafs would win Lord Stanley's mug. As an aside Dr Goutor was one of the best professors I ever had and went from Wilfrid Laurier University to the University of Western Ontario. He died recently.

Tee Chambers, Butch, Aldee 1954 & Aldee and Butch 2014

All so typically Canadian for our Centennial year in 1967-- a team from the heart of English Canada wins the Stanley Cup but the focus for the celebrations of the centennial is on Montreal, the major French Canadian city which hosted Expo '67, and the cup is named after an Englishman who was Governor General at one time. Trust me on this one! It is such as this that has contributed  to keeping the country together and safe-- the invisible hand of Canadian compromise!

Dr Goutor, who at the time had little knowledge of hockey and its importance to Canadians, said he decided to stay here because it had to be a safe place if the headlines were about a sporting event. He was raised in France and lived through the horrors of World War II and its aftermath.

To this day, I watch the headlines of Canadian daily newspapers, and headline writers are ecstatic on those days they can proclaim victory for their local hockey team when it wins a title, and are beside themselves with joy when Canada wins internationally. In Chapleau, hockey often has dominated the front page headline from the Chapleau Post to the Chapleau Sentinel to the Chapleau Express.

Fast forward to Toronto, October, 2014. The Leafs have still not won another Stanley Cup, but there we were, more than 60 present and past Chapleau residents, gathered for a party at the home of Brigitte and Harry 'Butch' Pellow. We had travelled from many places for this occasion, and of course, when two or more Canadians meet together, two topics arise -- hometown hockey, and that other great Canadian unifier, the weather.

Chapleau hockey players from Yen Hong who was playing Intermediate hockey in 1949, to his brother Jim, to their respective sons Bill and Geoffrey, who played at home in the late 1970s, to representatives from the 1950s of my vintage in minor hockey and Chapleau High School teams were all there. (They even let me be in the group photo as a hockey player as knowing I was not headed for the NHL, I gracefully retired after one year and became a referee. Thanks guys)

 Baisel C, Mike McM Mrs Broomhead, David Mc, Richard Pilon,Tim Goodwin Charlie White, Ken S, Boo Hong

Jim E, Butch, Ian Macdonald, Dr Frank B

Imagine, 60 years later, the "famous" game for Chapleau Bantam supremacy was still on the agenda. Mike McMullen, who was there with his wife Alison (McMillan), had scored the winning goal in overtime. Frank Broomhead, was there and later I was able to send him a photo of his grandmother, Mrs. Broomhead presenting the Algoma Dairy Trophy to the winning team.

But we also played road hockey and river hockey, and for some reason I was a much better player in those venues.

In a story Butch Pellow wrote a while back, he captured the Hong brothers and others so well and I share part of it again with you.

"

Jim E on left, Mike McM, Yen

Think of that slap shot by Hong, Hong, Hong, or one of the really big guys when it accelerated over the ice ridges and soared away out over the river; or at you directly, then veered away as it embraced the ripples. Can you recall the sound of the skates cutting through the crisp surface as they raced for the puck, can you recall the whack, slap, and clicking of sticks on each other and on the ice? 

"What about the yelling and chanting and the code words that defined the play. “..over here” “…pass it, pass it”; “…go, go go”; “he scores!” etc….; wild enthusiasm and true abandonment because it would be dark very soon and there were very few lights to mark the way home.

Tout le gang

"Do you remember how the Hongs played hockey and skated? Yen sprinted, was light on his feet, very fast and dipsy-doodled like no one else (except maybe Max Bentley). He even bore the nickname “Ziggy”. Jim was a powerful steady and fast upright skater and a great stick handler as I recall; and our friend Boo skated low, took long steady deliberate strides and always made skating fast look easy; he also had his skates rockered so there wasn’t more than a couple of inches touching the surface."   

Harry 'Boo' Hong was not with us as he has passed away, but we remembered him, and it was delightful that his wife Donna was with us from Vancouver. Of course the conversation turned to so many other topics. Some of us had not seen each other in more than 50 years since our days at Chapleau High School.

Bill C, Butch, Joy (Evans), Jim H on right

But it seemed like only yesterday since we were growing up Chapleau, hanging out in the Boston Café, going down the lake, attending dances at the Legion or Town Hall basement, travelling over the gravel road to Racine Lake for awesome parties the home of the Martel family, preparing for the annual Cadet inspection, banquet and dance, cheering at hockey games in the old old rink and Chapleau Memorial Community Arena, in the electrifying atmosphere of home town hockey, driving around the streets of Chapleau aimlessly in the evening but never too far from Main Street just in case something really big happened, going to house parties, attending church services on Christmas Eve, and the list is really endless.

Ken S, MJM , Yen, Dr Bill Pellow

We were growing up Chapleau and at Butch and Brigitte's party, all were discussed as laughter abounded all day. Those were the days my friends and we thought they would never end, and just maybe for another moment they came alive again at this party

On a very personal note, it was the highlight of 2014 to be with so many old friends as the song says "to pass the time of day" knowing that the greatest resource a community has is its people. My friends -- throughout its history, that has been and is the Chapleau brand. I extend my most sincere best wishes for the holiday season and Christmas to all. Every blessing, and my apologies once again for mixing metaphors!  My email is mj.morris@live.ca

HOCKEY PLAYERS 2014 pic  Back Jim Machan, Vince Crichton, Ian Macdonald, Geoffrey Hong, Mike McMullen, Seated MJM, Frank Broomhead, Bill Cachagee, Butch, Jim Hong, Bill Hong,  (kneeling) Yen Hong, Aldee Martel, Ken Schroeder

 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.

.The CHS team of 1956-57. Back row from left: David McMillan, Doug Slievert, Stan Barty,Thane Crozier, Clarence Fiaschetti (teacher and coach), George Lemon (principal) Second row: Doug Espaniel, Roger Mizuguchi, Bill Cachagee . Front are Jim Hong, Bert Lemon, Harry Pellow, Ken Schroeder, Robbie Pellow (Mascot) Marc Boulard, Harry Hong, Jim Machan, Ron Morris. Note that Clarence was playing on the 1949 Junior team, and was also first CHS student to return as teacher.

Thanks to Harry Pellow, Ken Schroeder, Diane (Dowsley) Richardson, Mike McMullen for photos

Martel family made significant contributions to Chapleau since arriving in 1951 to establish lumber mill

The Martel "Kids" from Larry Martel collection

When Joseph Egide Martel and his wife Yvonne moved to Chapleau with their family in 1951 it marked the beginning of a long family relationship with Chapleau, Jim Prince wrote in the Chapleau Express after they were honoured at a civic reception in 1998.

In another report on the reception, perhaps Dan Lemieux, speaking on behalf of the Chapleau Ski Club, summed it up best on behalf of all those who were touched by the Martel family. Dan said: "Whenever we were in need we just had to go to the J.E. Martel company office and we never came away empty handed."

Richard Bignucolo, representing the Chapleau Airport Commission thanked them for their contributions to the airport. Yvon Martel, along with Gene Bernier, were particularly instrumental in getting an airport at Chapleau. Yvon, in an aircraft piloted by Stan Deluce, made the first landing at it in 1970.

Earle Freeborn, then the reeve of Chapleau, said that "Since 1951, you have provided employment for our community," adding that they had supported sports and many community projects.

The eight children of Mr. and Mrs. Martel, Lise, Solange, Suzanne, Oriette, Yvon, Aldee, Denis and Jean, all contributed to the community.

They were great supporters of hockey and Suzanne Turcotte noted that Denis had coached a Midget team to an Northern Ontario Hockey Association championship. Aldee was a great supporter of Junior "B" hockey and was part of the 1953- 1954 famous Chapleau Bantam team.

Tee Chambers, Butch Pellow, Aldee Martel in Sudbury Arena 1954

At the civic reception, Mme Yvonne Martel and the four Martel brothers who had taken over operation of J.E. Martel and Sons Lumber Ltd. after Mr. Martel, its founder died in 1972, were presented with tokens of appreciation by the Township of Chapleau, flowers to the ladies and certificates of appreciation to the brothers.

The reception honouring them was held after they had sold their operations in 1997 to E.B. Eddy Lumber Ltd.

 They even had a fastball team at one time, and Larry, Aldee's son, shared an anecdote about making games on a Friday night. In the summer months while attending university, Larry worked for the company, and worked stopped at noon on Friday. His girl friend, now his wife would be coming for the weekend, but Larry also had to play ball.

So he would drive to Sault Ste. Marie, pick up his girl friend, and make it to the game on time, and be a quick change artist to be in uniform at game time.

The Martel "Boys" Larry Martel collection

Writing in Chapleau Trails, edited and published by Dr. W.R. Pellow, Doug Greig notes that J.E. Martel and Sons Lumber Limited was one of the first independently owned and operated manufacturing firms to situate in the Chapleau area.

Joseph Egide Martel moved to the area from Lasarre in 1951 to salvage the standing timber that burned in Fire Number Six at Racine Lake.

 A supply of green timber limits with a allowable cut of 7,500 units from the government of Ontario after the salvage operation resulted in a permanent operation at Racine Lake until 1959 when a portable sawmill was dismantled and by 1960 a new mill one miles west of Chapleau was up and running with a production capacity of 7,000,000 board feet annually.

When Mr. Martel died in 1972, the business was divided into an equal partnership among his four sons - Yvon, Aldee, Denis and Jean.

Top Yvon and Margot, Aldee and Lorna and bottom Jean and Carmelle, Denis and Linda

Doug Greig wrote: "The new ownership developed the proper quality, customer care and progressive employee relation philosophies that today's major corporations are just now starting to realize as keys to long term success."

Over the years, the company evolved into a modern progressive one responsible for the sustainable management of their forest license, and employment in manufacturing jobs in the Martel woodlands, sawmill and marketing operations.

Doug noted that the company survived economic downturns by continuing to provide quality products, customer service, fair treatment of employees and continued investment in the company.

Among many awards over the years, one that stands out is one from the Ontario Lumber Manufacturers Association. Yvon Martel was presented with the first ever Honourary Life Member Award for his work with the association.

Doug Greig again: "The quiet success of J.E. Martel and Sons Lumber Limited has been rolling along for over 46 years (at time Doug was writing). The company is a solid pillar of the community of Chapleau and province of Ontario...The Martel company could always be relied on to help with any community project..."

A personal note of thanks to Aldee for being the person you are, and to Larry Martel and Doug Greig who were so helpful with research assistance. Congratulations to Larry on his recent promotion and best wishes to all the Martel family on the occasion of their family reunion. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Chapleau Hockey Moments when "Fife, Fife" became "Fight, Fight" and the 1954 Bantams

Coach Tee Chambers with Harry Pellow and Aldee Martel of Chapleau Bantams in March, 1954, Sudbury Arena

By 1890 likely at the latest, Chapleau had its first outdoor skating rink located on Lorne Street across from the Canadian Pacific Railway shops and the YMCA, and by 1904 it had been enclosed and roofed, which seems to have marked the official start of organized hockey in the community. The earliest photos I could find were dated circa 1905, and by 1911 teams were competing for the McEwen Cup, donated by Robert McEwen, emblematic of hockey supremacy in Chapleau.


The rink on Lorne Street, with many renovations and different ownership over the years served the community and was the focal point for many outstanding winter carnivals until replaced by the Chapleau Memorial Community Arena in 1951, The memorial arena built on the site of the old rink was replaced by the Chapleau Recreation Centre which included the Mrs. A.W. Moore Arena in 1978. Mrs. Moore singelhandedly raised thousands of dollars to put artificial ice in the memorial arena in 1964.

Looking at photos of the earliest hockey teams is a real trip into the history of Chapleau as the players also had other roles in the life of Chapleau, and I remember some of them as "oldtimers" when I was a kid. Some were Ovide Payette, Simon Kruger, Omar Royal, Tommy Thompson, Gordon Sheppard, George Collinson, Herb Merrick, Harry Chartrand, Bill Morrison,Tom Godfrey (sr), and yes, even my grandfather Harry Morris. (As and aside I never knew that my grandfather played hockey in Chapleau. He would tell me stories about playing hockey on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa with "King" Clancy later with the Toronto Maple Leafs though.)

Not too long ago, I was talking with my friend Anita on Facebook about Chapleau hockey but reminded her that I did politics in Chapleau too.

"I know you did politics but really you did hockey." she replied quickly. And, you know, she has a point. I was never a very good ice hockey player (road hockey was a different story) but I started my involvement in hockey in the old rink as a goal judge as a kid for the old town league, played Bantam, became a referee and after returning to Chapleau to teach in 1969, started coaching.

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

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

What a sigh of relief. A letter was sent to the NOHA explaining it all and it was accepted. I survived to coach another day.

As I was looking at Chapleau hockey photos I came across one declaring that the Bantam Huskies had won the Algoma Dairy Trophy in 1954 which was presented by Mrs. Broomhead. I know the players on this team well, and understand that through the years when they meet, winning this trophy counts among their great moments in Chapleau hockey. Basil Collings was their coach, and the players were Michael McMullen, David McMillan, Richard Pilon, Tim Goodwin, Charlie White, Ken Schroeder and Harry "Boo" Hong.

In those days when a team travelled to Sudbury to play hockey, as our entire Bantam team did, the CPR on at least one occasion, gave us our own railway car, attached to one of its transcontinental trains. "Tee" Chambers and L.D. "Don" Card were the coaches, and we stayed in the Coulson Hotel, and as the old saying goes, "a great time was had by all." My only memory of the game is that I actually got on the ice for a couple of shifts, managed not to score on my own goal, and completed a pass to Charlie White, who was the star of the team.

There are so many great moments in Chapleau hockey starring the incredibly great players from "Lowertown", the tournaments at carnival time for the Ernest "Sonny" Bignucolo Trophy, the NOHA playoffs, the Chapleau Huskies and their championship year of 1967 in the International Junior "B" Hockey League, the Intermediate "A" Huskies of the Northland Intermediate Hockey League, and so much more.