"Fingers were never idle" as Chapleau Red Cross Society branch served on home front in World War II

Work report more at http://www.chapleau.com/

Shortly after World War II started in September 1939, the Chapleau branch of the Canadian Red Cross Society was once again active and sending "comfort" boxes overseas to local troops.

At a meeting held in the Town Hall in January 1940, Mrs. Pierre Tremblay reported that she had inspected 1,127 pairs of socks, 156 sweaters, 128 pairs of mitts, 46 pairs of gloves. 36 helmets and 52 wool caps -- almost 1, 400 items in total all made by volunteer members of the Chapleau branch. It had also been very active in World War I.The auditor's report for the past year presented by Harry Searle, a World War I veteran after whom Branch Number 5 of the Royal Canadian Legion is named showed that the local Red Cross had received $4,446.46 all in donations and an amazing amount for 1940 from people in a small community like Chapleau and the surrounding area. The report was signed by T.R. Serre and John 'Mac' McClellan.

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Mrs. Allen Austin, convener of sub branches reported there were 54 members in Dalton, 30 each in Lochalsh and Missanabie respectively, 12 in Nicholson, 53 in Sultan and one in Amyot.

As Remembrance Day nears, our thoughts turn to the men and women who served in our armed forces, and rightly so, but on the home front in Chapleau and many other communities across Canada were doing their part for the war effort through branches of the Red Cross Society, and other groups. As I looked though names of members of the Chapleau branch from information on www.chapleau.com, I realized that many of the workers had family members serving in the armed forces -- and some would not be returning home. Others had served in World War I. For example, there were 39 workers at a meeting in January 1944, and I recognized 25 of them at least as having family in Canada's armed forces in World War I or II.

Mrs. Maud Hands, who in 1947 became the first woman to be elected to Chapleau council was very active in the branch and served as its president.

In a report dated October 1943 to the Red Cross Society headquarters, the Chapleau branch called attention to the "wonderful work" of some of the local members who were over eighty and ninety years of age.

It noted that Mrs. McNair of Missanabie, 91, had knitted 150 articles while Mrs. Thrush, 92, had "made a knitted article for every week of the war" adding that "finding sweaters and scarves too heavy for her frail hands, Mrs. Thrush knit smaller articles" including 125 pairs of baby bootees for the British bomb victims.

Mrs. Anne H. Bell, who the report says was "shut in because of high blood pressure" had knit 180 pairs of socks. Another person mentioned was Mrs. McQuaig, Sr. 84, who was "a faithful worker for the Red Cross. Her fingers were never idle." Mrs. McQuaig also inspected work and made corrections as required.

At the annual meeting of 1945, Mrs. Boyd reported that in the past year the branch had provided 634 pairs of socks, 783 surgical pads, 400 mouth wipes, 867 suits of pyjamas, 189 pillow cases, 20 personal property bags, 34 surgical coats, six kit bags, 12 hot water bottles, eight day shirts and 17 pieces of children's underwear. The underwear was made by Mrs Flannigan and Mrs. Brownlee from odd ends of flannelette left over from pyjamas.

At the weekly work sessions there was often entertainment and one noted that a presentation was given by the local Glee Club under the direction of Miss Ruth Wedge. They sang 'O England'. Tea and cookies would also be served.

The Chapleau branch met weekly throughout the war in the Town Hall, except when a flu epidemic swept Chapleau and meetings had to be cancelled.

And so, when we pause to reflect and remember on November 11, let us include those dedicated citizens, volunteers all, who spent countless hours preparing comfort boxes not only for those who were serving in the forces, but for victims of war too. As I think back, I recall going to meetings of the Chapleau branch with my grandmother Edith Hunt, after she returned from England near the end of World War II where she had served as a nurse. Today I remember many of the members who were active in Chapleau life after the war, and the veterans, and I wonder why!

The best answer I ever got that explained how these ordinary people from communities like Chapleau became the exceptional generation came from Frank Coulter when I once asked him why he had served so long on the local school board. His answer was profound but simple. J.M. Shoup, a veteran of both world wars and long time principal of Chapleau Public School had said they had a "duty to serve." Frank, a World War II veteran , along with so many other men and women accepted the duty to serve, to make Chapleau a better place. Lest we forget! My email is mj.morris@live.ca

NOTE: Hugh McGoldrick sent me the following information. Thanks Hugh.

"Many years ago as I and my friends were exploring the soon-to-be torn-down town hall we found the book. It looked interesting so I took it home to my mother, (Anne (Zufelt) McGoldrick) who as a young girl was also noted as attending some of the meetings listed therein. Later she donated it to the Chapleau library. I am glad to see it being referenced today.


"Had we not been exploring that day that formal record would have surely been lost forever."

Men O' the Northof 227th Battalion head off to World War I from Chapleau while local Red Cross Society supports effort and community holds reception for soldiers when war ends

Members of Chapleau Platoon, 227th Battalion at station

Recruiting for the 227th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War I was underway in Chapleau in May 1916 after its commanding officer Lieut-Col. C.H. LeP. Jones had paid a visit to the community.

At the same time the Chapleau branch of the Canadian Red Cross Society was active, and after the war ended the community held a Reception to Returned Soldiers.

Immediately after the visit the Chapleau Citizens Recruiting Committee was formed and by August, 62 volunteers had signed up to join the 120 Chapleau persons who were already in the forces. Quite an achievement for a small, isolated community of about 2,500 people although some of the volunteers came from nearby communities like Missanabie and White River.

In Snapshots Of Chapleau,'s Past on www.chapleau.com George Evans noted that on Saturday, August 12, 1916, the First Chapleau Platoon of the 227th Battalion of the Sudbury, Manitoulin, and Algoma Overseas Battalion paraded from the YMCA building on Lorne Street, down Birch Street, over the tracks, to the railway station.

George added: "As described in Vincent Crichton’s Pioneering in Northern Ontario, it was 'a red letter day.' The Town Band led the way and the whole town turned out to support the 'Men O’ the North' as they set out to do battle with 'the Hun' in fields of northeastern France. Six officers, fifty-three enlisted men, a bandsman and two buglers marched in full gear to the cheers of the patriotic people of Chapleau..."

Some would not return.

A Wikipidea entry says thats "The 227th Battalion, CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and Camp Borden, the unit began recruiting in early 1916 on Manitoulin Island and in Algoma . After sailing to England in April 1917, the battalion was absorbed into the 8th Reserve Battalion on April 22, 1917. The 227th Battalion, CEF had one Officer Commanding: Lieut-Col. C. H. LeP. Jones."

Meanwhile, on the home front in Chapleau the local branch of the Canadian Red Cross Society was also very actively involved in the war effort. As I was browsing through Hugh Kuttner's immensely interesting web site, http://www.chapleau.com/
  I was sure that I recognized the handwriting on the minutes of a meeting of the branch in 1917 that had been made available and are on Hugh's site.

Reading the minutes, I realized that Edith Hunt, my grandmother, was the secretary, referred to in the minutes as "Hon. Sec." She had arrived in Chapleau from the United Kingdom just before World War I with her husband George, my grandfather, and their two daughters Elsie, and my mother Muriel.

The minutes were from an executive meeting held on October 22, 1917, in the council room in the Town Hall, which had been opened in 1914, one of the many projects in the early years of Chapleau led by its first reeve G.B. Nicholson, who had retired as head of the municipality after serving from 1901 to 1913 but was in attendance at the meeting.

Mr. Nicholson's only son Lorne, a member of the Chapleau Platoon was one who did not return home from World War I. He was killed on November 4. 1918.

From the minutes I was also surprised to learn that May (Mulligan) McMullen was the president of the Chapleau Red Cross Society at the time. I contacted Michael McMullen, my cousin and our family historian to see if he knew that his grandmother had held this position. It came as a surprise to him too. Michael's grandmother and mine, Lil (Mulligan) Morris were sisters. They were members of the Mulligan family after whom Mulligan's Bay is named.

The first vice president was Father Romeo Gascon, of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Parish and second vice president was Mrs. M.L. Copping, while Mrs. H.B. Pelton was the 'Hon. Treas.', the treasurer.

Wikipedia notes that the Canadian Red Cross was established in the fall of 1896 as an affiliate of the British Red Cross Society (then known as the National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War). Colonel Dr. George Sterling Ryerson spearheaded the organization's founding; he was earlier responsible for setting up Canada's St. John Ambulance Association in 1895. The Canadian Red Cross Society Act (1909) legally established the Red Cross as the corporate body in Canada responsible for providing volunteer aid in accordance with the Geneva Conventions

The Chapleau branch was busy during World War I assisting with the preparation of packages to be sent to the troops and others being affected by the war. Mrs. Copping was the general supervisor of the effort while Mrs. Cochrane was sewing convenor, Mrs. Ferguson packing convenor and Mrs. White surgical supplies convenor.

On April 21, 1919, Chapleau held a reception for returned soldiers chaired by Reeve J.D. McAdam with T.J. Wolfe as secretary of the organizing committee. It was held in the Town Hall which, with its theatre and downstairs hall, had become a centre of community life.

According to the official program, which is also available on http://www.chapleau.com/
 music for a concert was provided by Comte's Orchestra under the direction of Mr. Alf Comte, who I remember from the many years he operated the barber shop on Birch Street. The orchestra also played for a dance following dinner. As I reflected on growing up in Chapleau, it seemed that major celebrations included a concert, dinner and a dance all held in the Town Hall.

The concert program included a quartet, violin solo, flute solo, vocal solo, a reading and the overture by Comte's Orchestra.

The dinner menu included oysters in shell, roast turkey with cranberry sauce, tomatoes a la mode and a variety of deserts.

I have always been intrigued by the formality of dance programs in years gone by and the one at the reception was no exception. Divided into two parts, it began with the grand march around the hall, followed by two step, waltz, quadrelle, fox trot, barn dance, Paul Jones, one step and fox trot. Part two varied slightly but of course ended with the Home Waltz.

For this column, after discovering information about my grandmother and great aunt's involvements in the Chapleau Red Cross at http://www.chapleau.com/
 , I decided to generally focus on parts of community life connected to World War I primarily from http://www.chapleau.com/
 I extend my most sincere thanks to Hugh and all those who have made the site possible. It is an incredibly valuable resource. My only regret is that it was not available when I was teaching history at Chapleau High School. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Chapleau Post declares 'something out of the ordinary seen' as Mrs. Maud Hands becomes first woman elected to Chapleau council for 1948 term; B.W. Zufelt elected reeve

When Chapleau voters went to the polls in 1947 to elect a reeve and council, it followed "the most keenly interested nomination meeting in years", according to a report in the Chapleau Post.

In those days a nomination meeting would be held in the Town Hall on a Friday night in November with those nominated given until nine p.m. on Saturday night to qualify as candidates for a one year term on council. There were 69 people proposed to fill the office of reeve and four council positions for 1948, including Mrs. Maud Hands, who holds the distinction of becoming the first woman to be elected as a councillor in Chapleau.

As the nine p.m. Saturday deadline approached, it appeared that B.W. "Bubs" Zufelt may become reeve by acclamation, as at 8:30 p.m. he was the only one who had qualified. However, the Chapleau Post reported that shortly before the deadline Edgar Pellow appeared and qualified to be followed a minute later by Frank Edwards, who was the incumbent.

"The two, coming so close together and so late in the evening, it looked as though each of them was waiting for the other to qualify," the Post noted.

Referring to Mrs. Hands, the Post said "something out of the ordinary was also seen" as she became the first woman nominated who qualified to run in a Chapleau municipal election.

When nominations closed there were three candidates for reeve and 11 for the four councillor positions.

As the election campaign got underway, the Chapleau Board of Trade published a letter in the Chapleau Post giving its views on the election. Note the emphasis on electing "men" in the following excerpt from its letter.

"Chapleau is now apparently on the eve of one of its most progressive moves in its history; important industries are building up all around us; major adjustments to our townmakes it a better place to live ... matters will require the attention of only the best men we can get, sound thinking men with experience in handling financial matters, and common sense in looking after the welfare of their fellow men.

"Successful reeves and councillors are always men who have progressive ideas and who have made a success of their own life -- they can contribute something lasting to the community."

Major issues in the 1947 municipal election included a new water tank to replace the one built in 1910, a new intake pipe for the pumphouse, a sewage system and a municipal insurance plan. Interestingly, all these projects were undertaken plus some others as Chapleau moved into the 1950s and experienced a boom period.

In the most keenly contested election in years , the Chapleau Post reported that B.W. Zufelt was elected reeve with a majority of 45 votes over Edgar Pellow while incumbent Frank Edwards placed third.

Newcomer Walter Steed led the polls in the race for council seats while J.M. Shoup and J.O. Cahill tied for second place while Mrs. Hands made history, becoming the first woman elected to Chapleau council.

Born in England Mrs. Hands first came to Canada to ber with her husband Ambrose Evans, who was later declared missing in action during World War I. She had returned to England and stayed there training as a nurse and midwife, and nursing wounded soldiers until the end of the war in 1918. According to a piece in Chapleau Trails by Joy (Evans) Heft, she came to Chapleau with encouragement of the Evans family to work with Dr. J.J. Sheehan who was badly in need of assistance. Chapleau Trails was edited and published by Dr. W.R. Pellow.

She later married Fred Hands, a widower, and they lived in a house on Queen Street, across the lane from my grandparents Harry and Lil (Mulligan) Morris in the area that became known as Little England. They raised their family there as well as at Healy where they had a camp for many years.

Mrs. Hands worked with Dr. Sheehan and was also at Lady Minto Hospital for years. She was also very active at St. John's Anglican Church in the Women's Auxiliary and as superintendent of the Sunday school for many years. In 1968, as I wrote in my book 'Sons of Thunder.. Apostles of Love"' it was the end of an era at the church when Mrs. Hands retired as leader of the Junior Girls Group.

The church honoured her by renaming the Senior Women's Group the 'Hands Group.' But Mrs. Hands was not retiring completely as she would continue to visit the sick and shut-in of the parish.

She was also active in the auxiliary to Branch 5 of the Royal Canadian Legion and during World War II and after it was a prominent hard working member of the Chapleau Branch of the Canadian Red Cross Society, serving as its president.

As an aside, shortly after I became Chapleau's reeve in 1974, Mrs. Hands and I were having a chat at a function in the Legion hall. After a few minutes, she put her hand on my arm, and said, "You have my vote but you don't have every vote in this hall. Now you go and work the room." And so, my former Sunday school teacher, a veteran politician, taught me to work the room.

With the election of the council for 1948, Chapleau was headed into some very active years for the municipality, and it was perhaps very fitting that an outstanding citizen like Mrs. Hands, who was devoted to the health and welfare of the citizens was a member of it. My email is mj.morris@live.ca