Algoma District School Board urged to delay action on Chapleau Public School demoliton pending public consultation process

View of CPS from toboggan slide across river circa 1957

Here is text of a letter sent to Ms. J. Sarlo, Chair, Algoma District School Board on behalf of the Save Chapleau Public School Working Group on September 15, 2014.

Harry Pellow, a member of a pioneer Chapleau family signed letter on behalf of group. Harry was architect for Chapleau Civic Centre, Chapleau General Hospital, Cedar Grove Lodge and Chapleau Recreation Centre.

Feel Free to send me comments at mj.morris@live.ca, and I will forward them to the group.

Dear Ms. Sarlo:
We understand that the Algoma District School Board has decided to proceed with the demolition of the Chapleau Public School, a process that is apparently being undertaken without public consultation. We have been unable to find any indication that the board followed the normal process under Ontario legislation to deal with property in excess to the Board's needs. We understand that the school is currently surplus to your needs; however we respectfully suggest it is not surplus to the requirements of Chapleau and no consideration seems to have been given to alternative uses, many of which can provide economic benefit to a community already sorely in peril.
Since there has been no apparent consultation and because there has been no open discussion on this matter, the citizens are unable to contribute to the furtherance of this matter to nurture public benefit. We heartily recommend you seriously consider delaying or recalling the bid, revisiting the requirements of the community, and reviewing alternative uses for this important historic building and site in the town.
As elections are currently underway for a new municipal council in Chapleau and for the district school board, we respectfully recommend that no further action on the planned demolition take place until after the new council and board have an opportunity to revisit other possibilities for the school.
We do not know the extent of the additional time required to revisit this decision, but we can't believe that you would jeopardize economic, social and a planning opportunities that can be easily identified if the process you have currently undertaken is delayed. 
I am writing on behalf of, and with the support of, several present and past citizens of Chapleau. There are several members of the community who believe there is merit in this building being retained and we would like the opportunity to review them with you. Considering this is a very, very important political period in Chapleau (local election), careful consideration needs to be given to the outcome that may arise from a bad judgment (if it is a bad judgment) of the demolition that we read about in the Chapleau Express.
We also strongly believe that the wider Chapleau community must be given the opportunity to express their views as part of a consultation process. We are well aware that the public and secondary school taxpayers in Chapleau no longer have direct representation on the school board, so they do not have a local trustee to whom they may address their concerns.
Copies of this correspondence are being directed to the present mayor and council in Chapleau, the local MPP, the premier of Ontario, the minister of education of the province of Ontario, editor of the Chapleau Express, and other interested parties.
We would appreciate your acknowledgement of this letter and urge the board that the current decision with respect to the demolition action and announcement that is already in play be delayed until the voice of the citizens most affected can be heard in a public consultation process.

Thank you. Sincerely

Harry Pellow FRAIC
On behalf of Save Chapleau Public School Working Group

Transforming Chapleau Public School into "something significant" in community heritage enclave

Ever since I heard the news that the Algoma District School Board had called for tenders to demolish the historic Chapleau Public School, I have been suffering a wide range of mixed emotions.

 I'm not alone, it seems, as I have heard from so many folks over the past few weeks -- the consensus being that "something" must be done to save it much like Ian Macdonald has so passionately expressed, and continues to do so. Ian, as many readers will know attended Chapleau Public and High Schools. He is the retired head of the department of architecture at the University of Manitoba and Professor Emeritus.

Ian has written extensively on Chapleau buildings.

Before I go any further though, let me explain my mixed emotions. I attended Chapleau Public School, as did my parents.  but more importantly in my life, it was likely the reason that my mother and I stayed in Chapleau after my father Flying Officer Jim Morris was killed on active service in World War II in the RCAF.

Mom, (Muriel E. (Hunt) Morris) had to decide what we would do. Mr. George Young, the father of Dr. G.E. Young, the chair of the school board at the time solved it. Mom had taught at the school in the 1930s before she was married and Mr. Young offered her a position to return. In all, she taught 32 years at CPS and it became a central part of our lives.... much much more than a place where she went to work daily.

I have also heard from other former pupils, and although I promised to keep the name of the following  "musings" anonymous, she sure sums up life at CPS.

Here is a sample: "My favourite memory of grade 1 was the sand box..downside was standing in the corner so often and trying to find someone to tie my shoes..."

Art was "always the fave subject..loved when they pulled down the big maps for us to teach us some lesson...Remember receiving my Salk vaccine in the hallway near the auditorium..that was a scary day...just like the days they would take us for a walk and we would end up at Dr Young's for shots...

"I loved assembly when we would sing all the British patriotic songs..in days of yore...hated when they gave us the cod liver caps and we had to go out and try and swallow or give it to some other kid who loved the taste...

"Absolutely hated the bathroom...to go down those dark stairs and run like hxxl to go and get back up before some monster came.

"I remember lining up for class in the basement and marching like soldiers up the stairs...recess was awesome....even with the cinders...loved the swings...later loved the baseball..would race home...eat in a flash and be back to be first batter up..

lol..

"Fave time was when your mother would read to us at 1..we would all put our heads down and rest and listen..

"I remember the time they gave us huge pieces of broken glass to use to scrape the varnish off our desks as they would refinish them in the summer..can't tememebr anyone getting cut but all that crap we inhaled..can u see that in this day..

"I  remember going to school with handicapped kids who were not teased..we went out of our way to include them and treat them special..

"I had a hard time in school till grade 3 when Mr. Shoup (J.M. Shoup) personally took me under his wing...omg I was so scared..I graduated with 98.5..average...I think we had a great education..sad to see the building go...thanks for stimulating my memory before it's gone."

Fast forward to now and the present situation regarding the school. Ian Macdonald has been in touch and makes some excellent points.

He submits "CPS is an integral part of the heritage enclave precinct extending from the Town Centre to Grey Street. Demolition of CPS or substitution of an inappropriate/ foreign  buidling  typology will corrupt this important historical civic asset."

Former CPS pupils V Crichton, MJ, N Ritchie, D Mizuguchi at CHS reunion

It sure is an important historical asset and I searched for some photos to give a glimpse of some activities at the beach behind the school over the years.

 Ian submits that  "Public consultation on demolition of CPS was minimal or non existent. (transparency). Public awareness of demolition intent was minimal to non existent."

" Exploring all possible options for a sustainable solution is a public responsibility. (sustainability - resourceful and responsible use of public assets - ). The Public is entitled to be made aware of what a refurbished CPS has the potential to be before opting to destroy it, " Ian wrote in an email.

He added  that Economic benefits to community from tax revenue and business activity are significant if handled responsibly and creatively. Fiscally responsibility and sustainability, like politics itself, is ALL LOCAL and begins at home. Chapleau has the potential to provide a good example of this.

"Elected bodies such as Municipal Councils and School Boards have the moral responsibility to do the right thing,.  Demolition of CPS is not the right thing."  At this point, just to be clear I would just add to Ian's comment that direct responsibility for CPS rests with the Algoma District School Board  not the council of the Township of Chapleau.

He concluded that anyone can tear down a building but responsible people working together can "transform it into something significant."

A Save Chapleau Public School Working Group has been active in recent weeks, and has decided to send a letter to the Algoma District School Board, the premier and minister of education, requesting that the decision to demolish it be put on hold until the citizens of Chapleau have an opportunity to be consulted and offer their suggestions.

With municipal and school board elections now underway. it would be reasonable to undertake the consultation process after they have been completed. On a very personal note it would be totally awesome to see CPS "transformed int o something significant again" in the life of Chapleau as Ian suggests. However, that is a decision Chapleau citizens must make.  My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Chapleau Public School Demolition "Missed Opportunity" Ian Macdonald Writes

CPS 2014 Vince Crichton Photo

With the announcement by the Algoma District School Board that it had called for tenders to demolish the historic Chapleau Public School (CPS), there was bound to be discussion inside and outside the community. CPS was merged into Chapleau High School after structural problems were revealed.

Ian Macdonald, who attended both Chapleau Public and Chapleau High schools in the 1950s, and recently retired as head of the department of architecture at the University of Manitoba, and was awarded the prestigious position of “professor emeritus” contacted me about doing an article calling the proposed demolition a “missed opportunity”.

Ian has written extensively on Chapleau’s buildings over the years, and has also been awarded the Preservation Award of Excellence from Heritage Winnipeg for his work in preservation of historic buildings. Ian has also written about the CPR in Chapleau.

As always Ian provides an insightful look which may be helpful to the citizens of Chapleau primarily who do not even have a local representative on the school board now…. MJM

Ian on left at Professor Emeritus Ceremony

Chapleau Public School Demolition: A Missed Opportunity

By Ian Macdonald

History often provides interesting lessons for us including those associated with the first Reeve (mayor) of Chapleau, G.B. Nicholson.

The first CPR depot in Chapleau which was opened in 1886 was eventually replaced by a new depot completed in 1909. The usual process in those days would be to demolish the old depot once the new one had been completed and was fully operational. G.B.Nicholson, however, was not your usual kind of individual. He proceeded to purchase the 1886 depot from the CPR and relocated the building to Monk Street.

1909 station

The two storey component of the old depot was refurbished as a two storey house and the single storey baggage room component. became a single storey duplex. These three residential units are still fully functional and useful buildings one hundred and twenty eight years after being originally built and one hundred and four years after being relocated to Monk Street. Fortunately, Mr.Nicholson rejected the easy option of demolition and exercised his creative and innovative instincts to do something that was both socially useful as well as being resourceful and practical.

First station

I understand that the Chapleau Public School is scheduled for demolition and I can’t help but speculate on what old G.B. would have done if he were alive today and confronted with the situation faced by the
Algoma and District School Board. I thoroughly reviewed the engineering report on the Chapleau Elementary School Ceiling Finish Collapse and could easily understand how one might quickly conclude that the prudent thing to do would be to demolish the building and quickly make all the bad stuff go away. It is important, however, to cut through the engineering jargon and focus on the core issues.

The original 1925 Public School building is essentially a wood frame building with timber stud walls and floor joists similar to most residential platform frame construction of the day. The width of the classrooms, however, had to be a clear twenty four feet requiring specially milled 2” x 12” floor joists twenty four feet in length for floor and roof assemblies. The usual maximum length of these kinds of joists to-day is sixteen feet.

Monk Street residences

The main problem with timber joists spanning twenty four feet is that they deflect up and down and eventually cause anything attached to them to gradually fatigue and fail. Those of you who attended Chapleau Public School in the early 1950’s may recall that the plaster ceiling in the semi-circular assembly hall failed and demolished a couple of sturdy wood work benches in the process. Fortunately the students were all in their respective classrooms at the time thus averting a major disaster had all the students been in the assembly hall at the time the ceiling came down.

The deflection problem which was systemic throughout the building should have been rectified at that time through the introduction of secondary structure to reduce deflection and strengthen the floors. If this had been done, there would not have been any of the subsequent problems of future ceilings coming down or over-stressed floors as identified in the Elliot report.

Now let’s get back to what G.B.Nicholson might have done with to-day’s situation. I spent a couple of hours sketching up some plans exploring the potential of converting the original Public School building to an eight unit residential block to see what was possible . All eight units in these sketches were highly amenable, consistent with current building code requirements and each had an excellent view of the river.

G. B. Nicholson

Construction of these units included the supplementary structure necessary to eliminate any deflection or floor strength problems. What do we gain after all this you might ask? The town recovers construction costs through the sale of these units plus the ongoing tax revenue generated by an eight unit residential facility. I’m sure this is the option that G.B. would have looked at and should have been the option that everyone should have considered before opting for the path of least resistance and issuing the RFP for demolition.

 I have a pretty good idea of what G.B. Nicholson would have done and I’m sure you do as well. Unfortunately G.B. isn’t with us to-day to provide the visionary kind of leadership necessary to deal with the myriad of problems facing our communities to-day. He has, however, provided examples for us to learn from that have endured and stood the test of time. The question is whether we have the creative energy and common sense to learn from them and apply those lessons today.

Thanks Ian. As an aside Mr. Nicholson was reeve of Chapleau from 1901 when the community was incorporated as a municipality until he retired from office in 1913. Interestingly, his wife Charlotte Weller was the first school teacher. My email is mj.morris@live.ca