In the blink of an eye, everything can change...

"In the blink of an eye everything can change..."

I went for my morning walk here in Cranbrook, and met the manager of the local Save On Foods store who told me that I could go shopping between 7 and 8 am, a special time for the elderly during the Corona virus crisis. (Yes, I have reached that age where I am considered elderly ... 

The streets were very quiet unusual for a Friday morning and there were signs in many windows along my way announcing they were closed indefinitely.

On my return home I said hello to the guard in front of the liquor store who was limiting the number of customers who would be admitted at any one time.

From what I have been reading, similar scenes were taking place across Canada, and indeed the world.

"In the blink of an eye.."

I decided to take a look backwards to the early beginnings of Chapleau.

in my book, "Sons of Thunder ... Apostles of Love' which I wote to mark the 100th anniversary of St. John's Anglican Church in 1985, I wrote "The winter of 1885 was very strenuous for the early citizens of the fledgling community. It must have been for they had left their old way of life to build a new one far from any comforts they might have known. Apparently it was a bitterly cold winter and disease was rampant,"

In 1885 instructions were given to put a spur for a boxcar to be set out at mileage 615 on the Canadian Pacific Railway line which was in the centre of the present community of Chapleau. The boxcar became the first station, office building and train dispatcher's office... A station and office building were under construction and Chapleau had become a town  made up of surplus boxcars and tents. The population consisted of about 400 people, ninety five percent of them men.

Not quite like the health care crisis we are facing today perhaps but the illness of the winter of 1885-86 most assuredly frightened these good people.

There was no hospital in Chapleau until 1914 when the Lady Minto Hospital opened and medical doctors would come and visit periodically. 

But these good people overcame the challenges and by the end of 1886 permanent structures were beginning to appear and the thoroughfares w er being being blazed replacing the forests. General stores were being built as well as churches and private residences.

In 1888 a major health care crisis occurred. Life was not easy for the early inhabitants. An outbreak of diptheria of a most virulent type inflicted the residents. Several including young children died from the disease.

But Chapleau survived the threat presented by the  diptheria epidemic, and other scares throughout its history, up to and including today. I follow Chapleau on Facebook and daily see the efforts in the community to deal with the threats posed by the Corona virus.

Updated third edition of 'The Chapleau Boys Go To War' as legacy to Chapleau boys who served our country now available

Ongoing research since the first edition of 'The Chapleau Boys Go to War' was first published in 2015 has led to a third edition being made available, according to co-author Michael McMullen.

I co-authored the book with Michael who is my cousin through our paternal grandparents, May (Mulligan) McMullen and Lil (Mulligan) Morris. We trace our Chapleau connection to 1885 and the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway when Patrick Mulligan, their uncle arrived in the community.

"As a result of our on-going research of the past several years we felt we had enough information to produce the third edition",  Michael said.  " This is our legacy for the Chapleau Boys who served in uniform and we wanted all our information in print." 

The third edition contains updated information of the Chapleau boys, particularly in World War One including the names of four additional deaths (up from 32 to 36), additional names of enlistments (up from 283 to 293), and more letters from overseas.

There is now a separate chapter on the 227th Overseas Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, (Men of the North). Of the 293 volunteers with a Chapleau connection who enlisted for World War One with some exceptions they joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force .

By mid-1916 a Chapleau platoon had been formed with over 50 enlistments. Had we never undertaken our book I would not have  known that my grandfather Harry Morris was the first recruit to complete his attestation form on April 16, 1916. He was 26 and a railroad conductor. He never talked much about his experiences overseas in World War One. He also never said too much about his son, James Morris, my father, who was killed on active service in the RCAF during World War Two on July 16, 1943.  My grandmother and I would have chats.

Michael K and Michael J

In April 1916 after a visit to Chapleau by Lieutenant Colonel Charles Hugh Lepailleur Jones the Chapleau Citizens Recruiting Committee was formed. One of its members was William McMullen, Michael's grandfather,

Of the 62 who served in the platoon seven died during or soon after the war due to war related activities or disease illness suffered while on active service.

The third edition also contains more letters from the boys on active service to the folks back home. It is  truly a moving experience to read these messages from a battlefield in Europe.

In 'The Chapleau Boys Go To War' we recognize that  World War One and World War Two resulted in Canadians from all walks of life served in our country's armed forces. Our story is about the contributions and sacrifices made during these two wars, at home and abroad, by the people of Chapleau, Ontario, a relatively small community in northern Ontario in World War One and World War Two.

There are 18 more pages than in the previous editions.

Michael and I extend our most sincere thanks to Lucy Bignucolo of Chapleau Village Shops for all the assistance she had provided in promoting and sellling the first two editions of our book. The third edition is also available at Village Shops. It is also available at amazon.com and amazon.ca. You can also email me for a copy at mj.morris@live.ca..Thanks to all who have supported this project.

Dr J.J. Sheahan referred to as "great soul and great man when memorial plaque unveiled at Lady Minto Hospital in 1963

When the Lady Minto Hospital honoured Dr. John Joseph Sheahan with a memorial plaque and officially opened the new childrens' ward in 1963. Rev. Gaston Lampron of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church  referred to him as a "great soul and great man' adding that the occasion  was a fitting tribute to his memory.

In dedicating the memorial plaque, Rev. J.G.M. Doolan of St. John's Anglican Church mentioned the affection and respect that Dr. Sheahan Was held since his arrival in 1907 in Chapleau until his death in 1942. Mr Doolan added it was in both his personal and professional life.

The memorial plaque was unveiled by Dr. Sheahan's daughter, Evelyn.

C.B. Greenlaw, chair of the hospital board welcomed the dignitaries who were present for the occasion on a day with "clear skies and pleasant temperatures which parallled carrying out the dedication service on the hospital lawns, according to Margaret Costello in the Sudbury Star.

Dignitaries included Evelyn, Dr. Sheahan's daughter;Ray Jessup, president of the Ontario Hospital Association; E.P. Everitt, CPR Superintendent; and Mrs. Lionel Nolan, a personal friend of Dr. Sheahan who had a long association with the hospital.

The Lady Minto Hospital was opened in 1914.Mr. Greenlaw outlined the history of the Lady Minto Hospital from 1914 when it was the only hospital between Sudbury and Fort William (now Thunder Bay.

Mrs Nolan commented that Dr. Sheahan's  "ready smile" won the hearts of young patients who considered him their hero"  

She added that until his death he was not only a physician but " but counsellor, father and friend. He was always available in time of need."

Mr, Everitt of the CPR said that every word he had heard would not bring out all the greatness that Dr. Sheahan possessed. His medical practice through the north country was very difficult and he travelled by dog team and horses and sleigh as his transportation.. As an aside the good people of Chapleau had bought him a Ford  to take him around town.

Dr Sheahan 1940 Carnival King, Ina Robinson, Charles Reid, Walter Leigh

Visits to the new childrens' wing were conducted by Mrs. Frances Burrows, Mrs. William Grinton, Mrs. Ross Pellow, Mrs Richard Avison,and Mrs. J.R. Keddie.

There were already young patients in the new wing which was complete in every detail.

The guests then returned to the hospital lawn for refreshments. Pouring tea was Mrs. Elsie Wilkinson, one of the first matrons at Lady Minto Hospital. Many of us will remember Mrs. Wilkinson as the school nurse.  My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Chapleau Hub project wins National Trust Ecclesiastical Insurance Cornerstone Award

The 2019 National Heritage Awards will be presented on October 18, 2019 at the Millennium Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba during a ceremony held as part of the National Trust’s Annual Conference (in association with the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals).

Jason Rioux will travel to Winnipeg to accept The National Trust's Ecclesiastical Insurance Cornerstone Award which celebrates exemplary projects, places and people that contribute to the quality of life and sense of place, and illustrate the viability of heritage buildings and sites for traditional or new uses.

Back in the summer of 2016, Jason and his wife Victoria started the journey of taking on the St. John’s Anglican church building with an unknown destination.  It is Jason’s home town and he wanted to work on something that was good for Chapleau.  So they did a deal with Anglican diocese of Moosonee to buy the church building, which was one of the last historic buildings left standing in Chapleau but in serious disrepair.  The congregation had shrunk to very small numbers such that heating the building and keeping up with the necessary repairs was no longer financially viable.

"It seemed like every year another building was getting knocked down in Chapleau and people weren't trying to repurpose what was there, and some of the character that was in town was getting lost," Jason said.

The building has been transformed into the Chapleau Hub, a community hub to spur and support local entrepreneurs, that now hosts a licensed restaurant in the lower level with a wood fired pizza oven, and shared use on the main floor with yoga lessons, fitness programs, children and youth programming, women’s shelter meetings, weekly movie nights, and most importantly we have kept the church congregation full use on Sundays and special events, so the place of worship has been retained even though now privatized with multiple shared uses. 

The building has also been converted to a modern wood pellet boiler system, getting the building off of diesel and now a proud carbon free building, which sources its wood pellets from northern Ontario supporting the local economy. 

This has been a journey with lots of stories and lessons learned to share, which Jason will share with the rest of Canada at the conference in Winnipeg this month. 

Jason and his wife Victoria are honoured to receive national recognition for the Hub’s successes and would like to thank all the tenants, contractors, volunteers, and people that have touched or had a role to play in the success of the Chapleau Hub coming to be. However, since Jason and Victoria live so far away, they need more help to grow the activities and uses at the Chapleau Hub and manage the building, for the benefit of Chapleau, and encourage anyone interested in getting involved to reach out to Jason.rioux@gmail.com.  They also thank Jason's parents Heather and Robert Rioux.

The 2019 National Heritage Awards will be presented on October 18, 2019 at the Millennium Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba during a ceremony held as part of the National Trust’s Annual Conference (in association with the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals).

I extend my most sincere congratulations to Victoria and Jason on winning this national award, as well as their efforts to "save" St. John's Anglican Church which was consecrated in 1907. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Dr Karl A Hackstetter, John McClellan and Michael on overcoming hate

With a federal election looming on the horizon in Canada, and the politics of hate on the rise, not only here, but in other countries I decided to wade into the issue based on one of  the most significant events in my life. I overcame hate.

Before going any further I need to make it clear that hate of any kind is not part of my life, and other than one attempt at it when I was in Grade Nine at Chapleau High School, it has not played a role.

Those of you who have read 'The Chapleau Boys Go To War" which I co-authored with my cousin Michael McMullen, may already be aware of my "hate event" described in the chapter "Dr. Karl A Hackstetter, John 'Mac' McClellan and Michael" will be aware of it.

I quote from it as I share my story on hate.

Dr. Hackstetter arrived in Chapleau in 1954 to teach at Chapleau High School, nine years after the end of World II. I entered Grade Nine in 1955, and although Dr. Hackstetter was a most intimidating person, from the first day I planned to hurt him.

Dr. Hackstetter had been an officer in the German Army during the war and my father. Jim Morris, as many of you know was killed on active service in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1943. Needless to say perhaps, I was a hurting kid, and he was going to share it ----- even though I thought he was a great teacher.

One day, it struck me how to do it. I would place a photo of my father in my binder, and when Dr. Hackstetter stopped by our desks to look at our work. he would see it. So I placed the photo, and sure enough he made his rounds. As he peered down, I moved my arm so he could see the photo of my father in uniform.

He asked, "Who is that man? I do not know that man".

Dr Hackstetter far right leaving field behind CHS

"My father, I replied. He had fallen into my trap. 

"Where is he?'

"He is dead. He was killed in the war".

Dr. Hackstetter never said a word. He looked at me for a moment, and now I was terrified. He walked over to the window, looked at me again, then looked off outside. He shed a tear and then left the room abruptly.

Dead silence in the classroom.

Moments later, John McClellan, a veteran of World War I, the school principal entered the room and said quietly, "Come with me Michael ."

We went to the office and as best I could told him what I did. He then said, "Dr. Hackstetter wonders if you would be willing to have a talk with him."

I agreed, terrified as I was, in tears as I am at this moment all these years later as I type. Dr Hackstetter and I had a great chat and then Mr. McClellan returned and the three of us went down to the landing where the memorial wall of photos and plaque honouring the 17 high school students, including my Dad was.

Ad there we were side by side: World War I veteran John McClellan, me and former German army officer Dr. Karl A. Hackstetter. We stood in front of the plaque in silence for a few minutes, and then quietly went our separate ways.  I was 14 years old and had just learned a lot about forgiveness.

From that day forward Dr. Hackstetter and I were friends, even though I was never very good in Mathematics! In fact at a school dance in June 1957, he came over to me and said, "Morris, you are a lucky ******. It is a good thing I like you,"  We both understood.

1956-57 l to r G. Mino, G. Lemon, J. Riordan, G Bowles, C Fiaschetti, Dr Hackstetter

Dr. Hackstetter left  but returned a principal from 1963 to 1966. We stayed in touch f or many years.

I leave it to Carole Futhey and the staff of CHS yearbook AD ASTRA to sum up Dr. Hackstetter

The Chapleau High School yearbook 'Ad Astra' paid tribute to departing principal Dr. Karl A. Hackstetter for setting a high standard for students and "trying to kick us over it."

The editors of 'Ad Astra', led by Carole Futhey dedicated their yearbook to Dr. Hackstetter as their way of saying thank you for setting high standards, expressing the hope that "we hope that we will not disappoint him. They were exciting years."

The tribute said that Dr. Hackstetter "terrorized and goaded us, stretched us and pushed us. The experience often left us limp, but it also left us stimulated.

"Because he immensely enjoyed every activity, he tried to teach us to find satisfaction in everything we did. He not only tolerated non conformity, he loudly demanded it.

"The greatest crime was shoddiness. the most prized qualities were originality and a sense of style."

Vote as you wish but there is no need to hate!!!!  My email is mj.morris@live.ca

As Chapleau becomes "mining town" prospectors active in the area since the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway ---maybe even before

As Chapleau becomes a "mining town" I decided to start researching the subject of mining in the area -- a subject about which I know very little, so as Philip Graham, the late publisher of the Washington Post once said about reporters, we write the "first rough drafts of history".That is me!!!

In my case, I am sharing information provided mainly by Vince Crichton in his book 'Pioneering in Northern Northern' and research undertaken by my good friend the late Harry Pellow who wrote about his family and Chapleau and area.  Vince noted that actual mining and the recovery of precious metals had been confined to the Sultan, Ramsay, and Missanable-Localsh areas. His book was published in 1975.

Vince told us that "Prospecting in the district had been carried on since the completion of the railroad, (Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885). The earliest know evidence of this activity was found in the vicinity of Stralak eleven miles west of Cartier where shafts had been blasted into the rock for a distance of twelve feet.Other evidence of such work may be found in the Greenhill River area in the township of Amik, north of Missanabie.

However Vince noted that the first recorded claims to be patented in the area were those staked in the township of McNaught north of Nemegos by the McVittie Syndicatre of Sudbury for iron ore in 1913.

Apparently the the first attempts to operate a gold producing mine were made in the area south of Localsh  in township 48. Claims were staked here in 1920.A few years later an effort was made by the O'Brien Gold Mines to extract gold from the ore which proved a failure. This property was later acquired by another group known as the Cline Lake Gold Mine which did operate and produce gold from 1937 to 1942. I believe C.A. "Bill" Pellow, the father of Ross, Bill and Harry may have established a business there as well as Hong Fong of the Boston Cafe, the father of Yen, Jean, Jimmy and Harry.

Other mines in the Localsh vicinity were Edwards Consolidatedand and the Algoma Summit.

In 1931 there was a "gold rush" into Brett and Lee Lakes  and the adjacent townships of Swazyze, Greenlaw and Halecrow. The flurry of Excitement brought three air transport companies to Chapleau -- General, Eclipse and Canadian Airways.

"So sure were some of the merchants in Chapleau that gold bricks would soon be marching to their stores like a company of soldieres that Edgar Pellow received a sum of money from the provincial government to build a narrow bush road to the gold area..."

No one was injured

At this time,  Arthur Grout and D.O. Payette of Smith and Chapple also had workers travelling by canoe. taking orders from prospectors with delivery on many occasions by plane.

Canoe travel was actually quite common, and other Chapleau merchants , including Edgar Pellow, used it in their business

The Kinty Gold Mine opened near Bret Lake about 30 air miles from Chapleau. Mr. Payette and Mr. Grout believed it would be a "prosperous town"  and built a few log cabins on the shore of Bret Lake -- one a store with living quarters for the shopkeeper, one for cooking and dining, and one as sleeping quarters for travellers and prospectors.

Then bad breaks --- the mine decided to establish a townsite some distance from their location. By 1933 the mine closed.

As I have shared in other columns about the arrival of the airlines, my father who was a student at Chapleau High School from 1928 to 1933 (I think) learned to fly planes at the Chapleau waterfront. He was really just supposed to be a dock boy but the pilots taught him to fly the planes. He thought my grandmother Lil (Mulligan) Morris didn't know but she did. Mothers always know. I am pretty sure my grandfather Harry Morris knew right away.

My Dad Bush pilot days

Renabie Mines Ltd. was founded in 1949 north of Missanabie. It did become a producing mine. There were other attempts but none really took off.

Growing up in Chapleau I was aware that some of the citizens were prospectors. and the one I recall best was Earle Sootheran, who was also the optometrist and jewelry department manager at Smith and Chapple. I would say hello to him almost every day on my way past his house on Birch Street. One day he invited me into his house to see the "angels in the rocks" There were gold flecks in the rocks in his collection!!!!

I will continue my research into mining in Chapleau and area. I welcome information. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Pioneers carved Chapleau out of wilderness as "ribbons of steel arrived in 1885

If you had been suspended high above Chapleau in 1885, all you would have seen at first glance would have been a virgin forest, many lakes and rivers and two thin ribbons of steel that had been laid in a cleared section and were cutting through this vast uninhabited area of Canada.

Vince Crichton tells us in his book "Pioneering in Northern Ontario" that the ribbons of steel were rails of the Canadian Pacific Railway leading 381 miles west to Fort William and 170 miles southeast to Sudbury.

Recently after ten years of writing Chapleau Moments weekly I have been spending time with Vince's book, the Richard Brownlee Papers as well as material on the  Chapleau Library site, compiled primarily by Hugh Kuttner and the late Doug Greig.

Vince noted that there were very few signs of life except along the railroad, and at the trading posts. You may have seen Cree and Ojibway trappers in canoes going to and from their trapping grounds with their winter's catch of fur.

When it became clear that Chapleau would be a terminal of the railroad some homes were built on the hill in the vicinity of the Lady Minto Hospital, opened in 1914. This was called "Old Chapleau" and a long board walk connected it to the CPR station area. 

Meanwhile, T.A. Austin had opened his store in a tent in that area and Mr. Brownlee who arrived in February 1886 a barber shop. Later in 1886 both had moved to buildings on Birch street which remains the community's main business district to this day. Several stores had been opened by 1887.

public school

Fast forward to 1914 and Chapleau had  two schools, three churches, a hospital, two doctors, an Opera House, three confectionery and ice cream shops and a variety of commercial enterprises to fill the needs of families."  A water works system had been installed and electricity provided. The Town Hall also opened in 1914. The YMCA was completed by 1908.

Vince described heating and cooking in homes.

"All of the houses were kept warm with a pot bellied stove with a large gaping mouth through which the fire was banked for the night with a copious amount of good white birch. The kitchen stove on which the lady of the house cooked and was her pride and joy also burned wood"'

In 1945 when my mother Muriel E (Hunt) Morris and my grandparents Edythe and George Hunt and I moved into our house on Grey Street, a wood stove primarily heated the house and my grandmother did all the cooking on it for several years. The house was never warmer, and her meals were awesome too!! 

Mr. Fortin brought us the supply of wood each year.

first station circa 1886

Mr. Brownlee, in his own handwriting refers to an article about Chapleau written to mark the Royal Tour in 1939.. "Considering its wild surroundings the stranger is agreeably surprised to find a spot so remote from what he calls civilization so completely up-to-date as Chapleau -- no shack town!"

The winters were "long, cold and exhilarating.." according to Vince. Not much change there !!

In a real sense the pioneers of Chapleau carved a community out of the wilderness.

Bill Pellow delivery circa 1911

I was delighted to read the article in the Chapleau Express announcing the completion of the first phase of a Downtown Revitalization Project.  My email is mj.morris@live.ca