Chapleau Moments created a 'dominant sound' in Michael's life for 10 years in Chapleau Express

As newspaper reporter 1960s

I am one of those most blessed people who have never really worked one day because I have been able to spend it living, in the words of Reynolds Price, the American writer, with the sound of story as the dominant sound in my life.

Since I was a child growing up in Chapleau, story has been central to me whether I was playing in the living room or creating my own plays for the Junior Red Cross Society performances in Grade 4 at Chapleau Public School.

Thanks to my mother, Muriel E (Hunt) Morris, who instilled a love of reading in me before I could hardly walk, and gave me the freedom to explore all the great children's literature of my time, story has been the place where I have lived. My grandfather George Hunt taught me the story of England while I was playing on the living room floor and my other grandfather Harry Morris, the story of the Canadian Pacific Railway from train timetables.

When I was attending Chapleau Public School, along with Alison (McMillan) McMullen, Brian and Teddy Demers we  did a play, a real swashbuckler which we wrote, produced and acted for the Junior Red Cross Society. Mrs. Madeleine Pellow was our teacher. Mrs Marianne Demers created the costumes.

Before I go any further let me explain. On July 18, I will have been writing Chapleau Moments for 10 years in the Chapleau Express. Publisher Mario Lafreniere sent me an email asking if I would consider writing a column. I agreed thinking it would run its course within six months or so.

But here we are 10 years later thanks to some awesome people who have provided assistance. In the beginning, I had my mother's (Muriel E (Hunt) Morris) book of clippings, and shortly thereafter, I inherited four boxes of Chapleau files from my aunt Marion (Morris) Kennedy.

I am forever indebted to the late Anne (Zufelt) McGoldrick and the late Doug Greig who were always there when I needed information. 

My best friend from childhood and throughout my life the late Harry 'Butch' Pellow was always there to provide assistance as well as contributing some of his Chapleau moments in articles. 

Harry Pellow 2012 at CHS reunion

Michael McMullen, my cousin, and Ian Macdonald, retired head of the department of architecture at the University of Manitoba have been awesome column contributors and researchers. Thanks so much.

Little did I realize that my experience as the Chapleau High School reporter for the long gone Mid North News with Joy (Evans) Heft, and a television program on CHAP TV in 1958/1959 would lead to a lifetime spent telling stories and talking about the stories of others in classrooms in Ontario and British Columbia. And people even hired me to write stories about people and events for daily newspapers, television, magazines and the internet.

at Cocoa Beach FL a Michael Pelzer photo

I recently calculated that I have been doing and teaching communications, journalism, media and  creative writing for about 61 years. It seems like only a moment has passed.

I  worked as a reporter and/or editor at several daily newspapers including the Star-Phoenix (Saskatoon), Kingston Whig-Standard, Timmins Daily Press, Chatham Daily News, Brampton Times, Calgary Albertan  and was northern Ontario correspondent for the Toronto Star.

And yes, as any of my students would  tell you, I loved to tell stories. Not all were necessarily appreciated of course and I was once criticized in student evaluations when I was at College of the Rockies for talking too much about my beloved cat Buckwheat. A student wrote that he/she got nothing from my course because "All he ever did was tell stories about his cat Buckwheat." Even I could not spend 15 entire weeks of a semester talking only about my cat. On second thought .... !!!

And yes, I admit that I told hockey stories while I was at Chapleau High School but only when we won!!!!

in my office at COTR 

At College of the Rockies I was so privileged to have been part of the founding of a graduate New (Social) Media Communications Program which would seem pretty old fashioned today, but in 1995 was on the leading edge of the biggest revolution in communications since Gutenberg's printing press. Since retiring I have continued to indulge my passion for communications -- for storytelling, both mine and others.

For example, I  listen to the voices of so many former students who are taking time to share part of their stories with me on Facebook, and telling stories about me too.  Yes, for old times sake I still write for a print publication the Chapleau Express.

at Rocky View Ranch  a Jim Roberts photo

I agree with Reynolds Price, the writer, that to "tell and hear stories is essential" -- and he argues it comes second after nourishment and before love and shelter. "Millions survive without love or home, almost none in silence; the opposite of silence leads quickly to narrative, and the sound of story is the dominant sound of our lives, from the small accounts of our day's events to the vast incommunicable constructs of psychopaths."

I agree totally.

In my life for sure, in the brightest and darkest moments, the sound of story is the dominant sound. Think about it. Now I am off for a walk to hear more of the sound of the  story on Main Street.

Thank you Mario for giving me the freedom to write Chapleau Moments. Thank you as well to all the people I have heard from over the past 10 years. Totally awesome. Next week I will share some of the sounds of Chapleau! My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Chapleau on national sports championship map as Doug Hong curls and Jason Ward plays hockey

See below for details

Chapleau has been on the national sports map in hockey and curling from Whitehorse, NWT to Dundas, ON, in 2014 as Doug Hong and Jason Ward were members of winning teams.

Doug was the lead on the Northern Ontario bronze medal winning team at the Canadian Senior Curling Championship while Jason played for the Dundas Real McCoys who won the Allan cup, emblematic of senior hockey supremacy in Canada since 1908.

Jason and Charlie

Doug, of course, for the few who may not know him, is from Chapleau, a member of the Hong family, outstanding athletes all. His grandfather established the Boston Cafe now the Redwood which is still in the family operated by his father Jim.

Doug has also been a great hockey player and golfer over the years.

As an aside, Doug played on the last hockey team I coached in Chapleau.

When I learned from Doug's cousin Kim that he would be playing in a national curling championship I contacted him.

Doug replied: "The team that represented N.O. last year did not fare so well therefore, we have to go up there early to play in the relegation round.  Double knock out, four teams for two spots. Hope to get through that and play in the round robin Championship."

That proved to be an understatement, according to a Sudbury Star story by Bruce Heldman who wrote: "The Northern Ontario reps won bronze the hard way, playing a possible record 16 games at a national event after three pre-qualifying games, 11 round-robin games, a tiebreaker and a semifinal, all in nine days."

Doug

Doug also won the Most Sportsmanlike Player Award.

“You only have to be around Doug for a short while and you have a smile on your face,” Robbie Gordon one of his teammates told the Sudbury Star. “He keeps the atmosphere light and shoots well and sweeps like a dog and has a great eye for the stone and what it is doing and has physical strength unmatched in any senior curling I have seen. It is important to have someone like that on your team.”

“Doug has been to five Canadian events and that is the third time he has won the sportsmanship award, and that is voted on by the players, so that tells you everything,” Ron Henderson added in the Sudbury Star story.

Turning to Jason Ward and the Allan Cup, Charlie Purich kept me informed on the series played in Dundas where he lives.

After the Real McCoys defeated the Kenora Thistles in the semi final game, Charlie sent me an email, "Jason Ward got one goal and three assists."

Born in Chapleau, Jason played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens and other professional teams. Charlie, who worked as a volunteer at the Allan Cup, had met Jason earlier -- although they did not know each other in Chapleau. Small world!

Charlie still plays hockey and for about 50 years he has been the "catalyst" wherever he played -- and as a volunteer at the Allan Cup too.

In the final game against Clarenville Caribous from Newfoundland and Labrador, the Real McCoys won their first ever Allan cup with a 3-2 overtime win.

Charlie and Ray

Charlie's final sports bulletin: "Ray Larcher, my grandson Finn and I watched Jason and the Real McCoys win the Allan Cup in a thrilling overtime to defeat a strong team from Newfoundland."

Ray, who was a hockey star in Chapleau playing for the Chapleau Junior "B" and Intermediate "A" Huskies had sent me a message on Facebook that he would be there.

Ray "cool" as always

Congratulations to Doug Hong and Jason Ward on their success, and thanks to Charlie Purich and Ray Larcher. That old saying was never truer: "You can take the boy out of Chapleau, but you can't take Chapleau out of the boy".  My email is mj.morris@live.ca

PHOTO CREDIT

2014 Canadian Senior Curling Championships Sportsmanship Awards: Doug Hong (NO) and Catherine Derick (QC) (Photo James MacKenzie) from Canadian Senior Curling

SEE ALSO ICE TIME WITH JASON AND CHARLIE http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.ca/2014/03/ice-time-in-dundas-as-charlie-purich.html

 

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

"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.

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/

Photo by Bill Groves.

Chapleau memorable Christmas moments fondly recalled

Dr Young's original Christmas display

Among the many wonderful memories that folks have been sharing with me about Christmas celebrations in Chapleau, two were recalled by almost everyone who contacted me for this article. However, others shared their stories about family tradition and community celebrations.


Alison (McMillan) McMullen captured the two that were most widely recalled: "The memories I have of Christmas were Dr. (G.E. "Ted") Young's fabulous displays (complete with music over loudspeakers) and also the draws at Smith & Chapples leading up to a big Christmas Eve draw. I see the marketing advantages now, but at the time I thought this was a great thing that the store was doing."

During a conversation on Facebook one afternoon, Raoul Lemieux shared his memories about Dr. Young's displays: "Dr.Young had to have the tallest tree put up at the office and decorated the whole building from top to bottom. It had all the characters from Disney. He had thousands of lights up it would light up the whole street." Mario Lafreniere, publisher of the Chapleau Express joined the conversation and recalled that Dr. Young also put Stars on his T.V. tower. He also had lights on his boathouse.

Erik Collings summed it all up during our Facebook chat: "The Post Office used to put a big tree in front of the building too...before they removed the grass and built the ramp...the town used to hang Holly and lights, not just at the intersection...but the whole downtown was lighted up...there used to be Skating parties on the river, when the town used to build a rink on the ice...i can vaguely remember when there was the town band playing Christmas music ."

Turning to the draws at Smith and Chapple Ltd. Vince Crichton wrote in an email: "Re Christmas in the old home town here is one that I fondly recall. A.J. Grout (the president of Smith and Chapple) used to have draws ... in the store and he had a podium set up in the front of the hardware section. There were numbers placed throughout the store and you had to pick your number and stand by it until he had the draws – lots of folks went to these and I recall going with my Grandmothers Crichton and Morris and your grandmother Hunt and of course my mum. Draws usually took place at about 8pm and we were out and on way home at 9. And, if it was blustery and cold it was a long walk home over the bridge. I recall all 3 grandmothers and my mum wearing fox or mink stoles around their necks – my mum had a silver fox and the others had mink."

Vince lived on Queen Street so it was a long walk home on a cold December night in Chapleau. As an aside my grandmother Edith Hunt and Vince's grandmother Helen "Nell" Crichton were sisters. My Aunt Nell lived in the big red house at Aberdeen and Birch Streets while my grandmother lived on Grey Street south.

Raoul Lemieux commented on the Smith and Chapple draws on Facebook when none of us were talking about them: " Arthur Grout. Nobody is talking about Arthur. All the Christmas decorations and the big give aways to attract customers in his store. It worked very well . Started his tv channel so the people could watch the draws on tv. Hundreds of people exmas week were on the streets.All the stores downtown were busy."

During my high school and university years I worked at Smith and Chapple Ltd. during the Christmas holidays and in the Fifties and early Sixties it was a bustling place on draw days. I recall Dr. Young's wonderful displays from childhood on. Amazing.

Barbara (Bowland) Groves joined the facebook conversation and recalled the old Santa Claus parades. "I remember Santa parades also. I remember then going to the town hall to get something from Santa and Santa knew all the kids' name. Did not know for a long time he was the milk man and delivered door to door so did indeed know lots of us." (Santa at that time was Jim Broomhead who also served as reeve of Chapleau.) Erik Collings had commented: "I have a few Christmas memories of Chapleau. I vaguely remember the old Christmas Parade that used to happen, i was just a young child... and Christmas carolers going door-to-door."

The parade would start at the CPR station and come over the old Horsehoe Bridge into the downtown area. Eugene Bouillon observed about the bridge: "I do remember the Horseshoe Bridge, what a bridge when you think back, today, most of the lumber trucks and delivery trucks would never make it. I remember many stuck at the top trying to make the corner. Memories..." Yes Eugene but the parade always made it.


In an email James Thibault recalled that a Christmas ritual on his mother's (Monique) side "was the family get-togethers at my aunt Yvette and uncle Raoul 'Cack' Fortin's place where the Fortins' and Burns' would all celebrate Xmas with the traditional French Canadian meal of "tourtiere, tarte au sucre (sugar pie) and p'tit Pate (Wild meat stew and dumplings) would be prepared by the women while the children danced and sang to the music played by the men on the fiddle and piano. Shortly before midnight everybody except a couple of the women, who would stay behind to take care of the food for the 'Reveillon' (yes more food and drink!!), would trek off to Midnight mass at the Catholic Church. We would then return and open our gifts and be home in bed by about 2 or 3 in the morning. Those times are behind us, but not forgotten."

Helen Henderson in an email recalled: "About Christmas in Chapleau.... I remember snow!!!!! and lots of it. Do you recall the really great Christmas Parties put on by the Rotary club? They were focused around the country represented by the current student exchange of the time. Dorleen Collings and her " crew" did a smashing job of researching the menus and cuisine of that country and presenting it to eager participants.

"Another thing I remember and you may not have heard about , was the MNR Christmas Parties Everyone present was anxious to see what" Santa "( Gary Thomson) brought to all the good little boys and girls from" the Point" and beyond.

"From then on, into the New Year just about everyone was involved in preparing for the Winter Carnival."

Erik Collings also recalled a family tradition: "Our tradition was a big dinner, that would rotate between family every year... between Francis and Chicken (Corston) , Doug and Cecile (Jardine), Olive and Bert (McAdam), Elsie and Pat (Pellow), Monique and Andre (Thibault)The best memory was one year when my mother did the party, naturally the best feast...she would cook three types of meat, goose, beef and veal, with all the fixings...the best part was called Dupe Gruta...she would mix all the roasted juices together add a bit of flavouring, reduce the stock, then we would all gather around the tureen and dip homemade rye bread and eat...it a traditions Swedish holiday appetizer...

"Besides that tradition, I remember countless holiday dinners, sitting in the Legion Kitchen, peeling potatoes...while my mother and the Legion ladies cooked."

Many of us will recall the fantastic meals that Erik's mother Dorleen Collings cooked for us at banquets and community festivals That is a story in itself.

Let's give the last word on great Chapleau Christmas moments for this week to Linda (Tebbutt) Kutchaw, Helen's daughter who joined the Facebook conversation: "Wow! I love hearing all these stories. Although I am younger than all of you that have posted so far, but not by much I must add, I do vaguely remember the decorations at Dr. Young's and the post office. As for Christmas memories: getting a Christmas turkey from the Martel family every year, our family would go to the Encil's or the Plouffe's and or the Martel's for Christmas night or Boxing day. Mrs Encil and Mrs. Plouffe sure did serve some yummy treats! I think the visiting between houses went on all Christmas holiday actually. After the kids showed each other what gifts we received, our parents would be visiting for what seemed like forever.. and I would be desparately trying to stay awake in the corner. As for Santa Claus, Mr O'Shaughnessy would be the one I remember at the kids MNR parties and the Anglican church. Graham Bertrand was also Santa CLaus, for the MNR if I remember correctly.

"I was just talking to my brother (Dan) about this recently. I remember the two of us going out to the airport to pick out and chop down a tree. Oh ya.. the size of the Encil's and the Plouffe's trees were huge!! I have many fond memories."


My sincere thanks to all who contributed to great moments at Christmas in Chapleau. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

This article appears in the December 12, 2009 edition of the Chapleau Express.











Michael J Morris

http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.com

Fifty years later Michael writes Chapleau Moments in the Chapleau Express

The wheel, as they say, always comes full circle, and in my life, about 50 years after I started my career in journalism writing a Chapleau High School column for Mid-North News with Joy (Evans) Heft, this Saturday, July 18, marks the launch of a new assignment -- writing Chapleau Moments for a successor to the News, The Chapleau Express. I also had a weekly television program way back then on CHAP-TV, Chapleau on the community channel founded by A.J. Grout, president of Smith and Chapple Ltd. Regular guests were Bill McLeod, Phyllis Chrusoskie and many others whose names escape me now.

When Mario Lafreniere the publisher of The Chapleau Express emailed me with an invitation to write articles on the events and people who have shaped the life and history of Chapleau, I only hesitated for a moment before agreeing to give it a try. Although I have lived away from Chapleau for 20 years now, like so many of those who have moved away readily admit, it remains our home town.

In the past six months or so I have been reconnecting with so many of you on Facebook -- mostly former students from my years at Chapleau High School, although a few more of us 'oldtimers' are now joining the social networking site. It's been great to catch up on all your lives and Chapleau Moments will provide another way to share the stories that have shaped life in Chapleau throughout its history.

I extend my sincere thanks to Mario for providing me with this opportunity.

So, I hope that all of you in Chapleau will take time to read Chapleau Moments in the Chapleau Express, starting this Saturday, July 18.

Please feel free to send me story ideas, suggestions and comments to mj.morris@live.ca or on Facebook.