Fond memories of Sacred Heart School in Chapleau by Leona (Downey) Murphy from World War I years

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As another school year draws to a close, I discovered excerpts from Leona  (Downey) Murphy's fond memories of Sacred Heart School, which provide insights into school life in Chapleau as World War I began in 1914. It was prepared for the 100th anniversary of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church

Although I have been retired as a faculty member at College of the Rockies for 17 years now, each June, my thoughts return to school, and so I looked for information about education in Chapleau's early years!

Leona was a daughter of Patrick and Annie Downey, a pioneer family.

 They arrived when Chapleau  was "a hamlet with one school, the public school which all students attended, no hospital, a cluster of a few businesses mostly situated near the railway and a few outlying farms. The rest was bush," according to an article by their granddaughter Joy (Evans) Heft in Chapleau Trails, edited and published by Dr. William R. Pellow.

Leona recalled her first day at Sacred Heart School "at the ripe age of five" in 1914 as if it was yesterday. In those days new classes began at Christmas, Easter and in September.

Her first teacher was a Miss Rheaume who she describes  as a "very gentle person who never raised her voice but maintained good discipline in a crowded class."

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She recalled that one day they heard a high pitched sound coming from  a coal bin. "Of course the boys had to ferret it out; it turned out to be a bat. None of us had ever seen one before. We were provided with a lesson in natural science."

During the winter months, the heat was provided from a coal furnace and the temperature was to be maintained at 68 degrees Fahrenheit. However, at one point the school was closed for a few weeks when a caretaker forgot to fire up one evening, pipes burst. "a great mess!"

The school was also closed during epidemics of diphtheria and Spanish flu.

World War I broke out in 1914, and Leona recalled students singing songs including 'Good Luck to the Boys of the Army', 'Men of the North', 'Tipperary', and 'Over There'.

There was no radio in Chapleau then and only a few phonographs, but they learned the words and tunes.

The students were also active in the Chapleau branch of the Canadian Red Cross Society making mufflers and ear tapes to be sent to Chapleau boys overseas.

"The little knitters would sit in the fire escapes with wool and knitting bags."

School principals were able to declare a picnic day or organize a snow shoe tramp.

Disaster struck on Christmas Eve, 1918, when Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church burned down and nothing was saved except the "Blessed Sacrament" which Father Romeo Gascon, the parish priest, entered the church and retrieved it.

For the next year while masses were held in the Town Hall Auditorium fund raising for a new church opened on Christmas Eve 1919 was a priority. As there were no telephones at the time in Chapleau, students became church messengers.

World War I ended before she left the school and she recalled that when the news was received that it was over, the school was closed. Again, without radio, news of the events were received at the CPR Telegraph office, and then the recipents would rush out to "Tell Everyone".

Leona also mentions an ecumenical side of life  when the separate school grades 7 and 8 hosted public school to a sleigh ride and bean supper, singing and an impromptu program".

Although I am not sure who actually sponsored it, I recall a sleigh ride when I was a kid, with many Roman Catholic friends and we sang Christmas carols, One of which was 'O Come All Ye Faithful' which Lawrence 'Ton' Comte and Raoul Lemieux taught me it  in Latin as 'Adestes Fideles'.

Leona noted that Chapleau has "always had the ecumenical spirit. It was a great place to spend our growing years."

In 1927 Leona returned to teach at the school. "I had just turned 18 and inexperienced, so it was an interesting an exhausting year --- a large class."

But it all turned out well. She didn't think that any of her pupils "went to jail" and many were successful in their professions and other walks of life."

Once again, I must acknowledge the tremendous work by the late Doug Greig for his work in digitizing and making available so much of Chapleau's history. Rest in peace my friend. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

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Separate school class picnic 1917. back E. Fortin, B. Martin, A. Petrosky, C. Bouillon, H. Vezina. 2nd row H. Seymour, B. Downey, C. Martin, H. Burch, I. Mulligan, E. Perfetto. Third row L. Brunette, M. Stadnisky, E. Fortin, A. Blais, J. Stokes. Front V. Downey, L. Hertopan

Charles Mulligan takes class for sleigh ride. Charles Mulligan was a relative  of MJM

Draining fine Scotch whisky from keg in boxcar provided booze for Chapleau party

My grandfather George Hunt had store here

Chapleau was a "human anthill, a brushed out speck in hundreds of square miles of threatening northern forest" as the Canadian Pacific Railway arrived in 1885, according to Jim Poling Sr in his fascinating book, 'Waking Nanabijou: Uncovering a Secret Past'.

I came across an excerpt from Mr. Poling's book while researching another subject, and it looks like a great read.

Mr. Poling, an author of several books worked as a journalist with the Canadian Press for many years.

In 1885 he notes that Chapleau "offered little in terms of natural beauty, plopped down on the lowlands beside the slow moving Chapleau river surrounded by swamp and tracts of funereal black spruce and emaciated jackpine."

He contends that the "town went up in too much of a hurry to allow for anything beautiful in planning or significant architecture adding that most houses were "wood frame two storey boxes the shape of the hotels in a Monopoly game".

"Buildings usually were clad in clapboard because sawn lumber from the bush was more readily available than manufactured brick." Zap, but true in Chapleau's early days.

He refers to Chapleau in its earliest years as a "bleak place" aside from railroading "especially during the long winters of snowdrifts, icy winds and freezing temperatures that could kill anyone without heated shelter".

By this point, in the excerpt, I was not too sure I liked Mr. Poling's description of Chapleau, but continued anyway.

Moving to early Chapleau families - LaFrance, Tremblay, Burns and Aquin specifically, - he became kinder and writes about the importance of family and church.

He notes that many families, French and English, were Roman Catholic and they "built themselves what probably was the finest building in town", Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church.

At this point I stopped reading and went to the public library web site, originally founded by Hugh Kuttner, which remains an incredible research tool. After looking at the church built in 1891 and other buildings from early years, I agreed with Mr. Poling.

For many citizens, the church was the "main entertainment place" adding that it was bicultural and bilingual "right down to the stained glass Sacristy windows -- St. Patrick on one side and St. Jean-Baptiste on the other

I did not know that one, and smiled to myself, thinking about all  my Irish and French Roman Catholic friends.

Mr. Poling notes that in 1911 a "young, energetic and personable priest" Father Romeo Gascon arrived who quickly became involved in many aspects of community life  --- for example, in 1916, my grandfather Harry Morris played on a baseball team called the Young Elephants, coached by Father Gascon. Grandpa was Irish for sure, but an Anglican!

I will leave you with one anecdote that likely involved the LaFrance, Tremblay, Burns and Aquin families who became close friends, and in fact, there were some marriages between the families.

Mr. Poling writes that "booze, not often openly used in conservative families made an occasional appearance.

"One memorable appearance was during Christmas holidays when family celebrations broke out all over town. These people then tied to the railway knew all the train schedules down to the minute and the contents of every car.

"One night, one of the Tremblay boys, who had married into the LaFrance family led a party to the tracks with a brace and bit and several buckets.

"It was a bitter night with the white of one's breath barely visible in the fog of blowing snow. One of the boxcars contained a shipment of fine Scotch whisky that was headed west.

"They drilled through the boxcar's wooden floor into an oak keg and caught the whisky in pails as it drained through the hole."

'Waking Nanabijou: Uncovering a Secret Past' by Jim Poling Sr. is available at www.amazon.ca My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Louis and Jeanne Longchamps active in Sacred Heart Roman Catholic church in Chapleau for over sixty years

In the early 1920s, shortly after Jeanne and Louis Longchamps arrived in Chapleau, there were ony four automobiles, one of which the citizens had given as gift to Dr. J.J. Sheahan, who practised medicine in the community from 1907 until his death in 1942.

Dr. Sheahan received his car on July 21, 1921 while the others belonged to Father Romeo Gascon, Edgar Pellow and Len Perfetto.  

In the spring of 1916, Octave Morin came to Chapleau from Bic, Quebec, in Rimouski County to work as a carpenter for the Canadian Pacific Railway. In 1925 his wife Claudia and children Andre, Albert, Marie, Jeanne, Antonio, Marianne, Gerard, Cecile, Philippe and Lucienne joined him in Chapleau. Their first home was near the old horseshoe bridge where Zenon and Amanda Rioux later lived.

Louis Longchamps, age 19, arrived in Chapleau on August 1, 1922, with his brother Albert while Lorenzo would follow a few years later.

Mr. Longchamps started working for the CPR as a carpenter where his first foreman was Arthur Grenier and then Octave Morin.

But his father Charles Longchamps had earlier worked on the construction of the CPR and was one of the workers present when William Van Horne, the company president, visited the Jack Fish site in 1884.

He became acquainted with Mr. Morin's daughter Jeanne, and they were married on October 20, 1930 at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Chapleau. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1980.

During the first years of his marriage Mr. Longchamps worked at Nipigon on a new bridge there, returning to Chapleau and living at 16 Lorne Street near the present post office from 1940 to 1978. I so well recall that Mr. and Mrs. Longchamps chose to become among the first occupants of an apartment in Cedar Grove Lodge when it opened in 1978.

They had two children Louise, who married Angelo Mione, and Jean Louis 'Johnny' who married Joan Bryson.

Mr. and Mrs. Longchamps were very active in the life of Sacred Heart Parish for more than 60 years.

Mrs. Longchamps was the founding president of the Ladies of Ste. Anne, established in the parish in 1958.

Mr. Longchamps was part of the parish team which dug out and built the church basement when Father Marchand was parish priest in the late 1950s.

In an interview in the Chapleau Sentinel marking the 100th anniversary of the parish, Mrs. Longchamps recalled that envelope boxes that were still in place on church pews at Sacred Heart, were all made by her father, Octave Morin. She remembered that Father Gascon would visit her father as he worked on them and admired his patience.

As I was working on this story, I could not help but reflect on the members of the Longchamps and Morin families, and the contribution they made to life in the community from their arrival in a place with four automobiles in the early 1920s and on. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Alfred and Georgina Leclerc, pioneers in life of Chapleau Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church included replacing rectory veranda after horses went wild and pulled it down

Georgina and Alfred Leclerc

Although Alfred Leclerc recalled the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church that was destroyed by fire in 1918, he was very much involved in the life of the parish after a new church was built, including the replacement of the rectory veranda after his horses "went wild" and pulled it down.
Born in Cartier on November 21, 1892, Mr. Leclerc also lived for a time on the family farm in Bic, Quebec.

He arrived in Chapleau in 1915 and became employed by the Canadian Pacific Railway as a fireman. In 1942, Mr. Leclerc was promoted to engineer and he retired in 1957. An article prepared for the Sacred Heart Centennial notes that Mr. Leclerc was called 'The Engineer' or the 'Iron Duke', "with love and respect" by CPR employees long after he retired.

On January 23, 1929, Mr. Leclerc married Georgina Beaupre from Thunder Bay who was working in the Rexall Pharmacy. They had six children.

RC church on Lorne St destroyed by fire, 1918

Mr. Leclerc related his involvement with the building of the present Sacred Heart Church, a remarkable accomplishment, considering that the old church was destroyed by fire on December 18, 1918, and the new one opened with Christmas Eve Mass on December 24, 1919, conducted by Father Romeo Gascon.

"I helped build that church," he said in the church centennial article. "Also I brought cord wood to heat it up. The tennis court (later located on the rectory grounds) was full of wood for the rectory and then church. This was very hard work.

"I also painted the whole church inside with my painters. I reaired what needed repairing, dug the basement, built and 'rebuilt' whenever necessary."

Throughout his long involvement with the parish Mr. Leclerc was always there when needed -- with his sons, his tools, his skills and his willingness.

He also shovelled snow for many years, and I can still recall him cleaning the steps and walk at the church as I passed by on my way to school.

Many will also remember that Mr. Leclerc rode around town on his bicycle and was still doing so in his nineties. The Centennial article noted that, "Sometimes he huffs and puffs, breaks a few knuckles but always makes it back on the right track."

Chapleau Circa 1915

He said that he and his wife Georgie respected all the priests and some became excellent friends with some of them.

"They used to come and visit us often for wonderful evenings of fun and heated conversation."

But Father Gascon was in a "horrible mood" one day when he came out and saw that the rectory veranda was gone.

Mr. Leclerc related that he "was delivering wood for the church when "my horses went wild and somehow the wagon they were pulling grabbed the veranda pillars and the whole rectory veranda fell down.

"Can you imagine that! It was an awful sight!"

Father Gascon came out and said, according to Mr. Leclerc: "Well, Fred Leclerc, look what your horses did. What are you going to do about that?" He added that Father Gascon was in a "terrible mood" and he told him,"Never mind. What my horses break I repair and I fixed the whole veranda. Monsiegneur Gascon was relieved."

Mr. Leclerc also served as a member of Chapleau Township council for five years. In June 1978, Mr. and Mrs. Leclerc assisted Hon. Rene Brunelle, who was chairman of the Ontario cabinet, at the official opening of Cedar Grove Lodge.

Referring to the importance of the church, Mr. Leclerc commented, "Our parish meant a lot to Georgie and I ... Sharing and giving is what a parishioner must do. This reflects on the whole family. It reflected on ours."

Once again thanks to all those who have been contacting me with Chapleau moments. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

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

D.O. Payette 'catalyst' behind first Chapleau winter carnivals in 1930s was active in business, church and community life

As I was browsing through a wonderful pile of Chapleau material recently received from David McMillan, it intrigued me to discover one clipping noting that D.O. (Ovide) Payette would sing "the Mass of Angels" all in Latin at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church.

I was aware of Mr. Payette's very significant role in the history of Chapleau, but did not know that he had been a soloist and choir director at Sacred Heart church.

Lucien Bouillon, who would become a Roman Catholic priest and the first to be ordained to the priesthood in Sacred Heart Church in 1965, made the observation about Mr. Payette's singing in Latin in an article in The Chapleau Sentinel marking the 100th anniversary of the parish in 1986. Lucien was serving as an altar boy in the fifties when Mgr. Romeo Gascon was the pastor.

From the time Mr. Payette arrived in Chapleau just after the beginning of the 20th Century he was involved in the life of the community and his church. I visited that fantastic resource for Chapleau material, www.chapleau.com, created and maintained by Hugh Kuttner, and discovered photos showing that Mr. Payette was playing hockey on a Chapleau team by 1905-06. As there is a trophy in one photo, it looks like his team had won a championship.

Turning to Chapleau Trails, edited and published by Dr. William R. Pellow, I found that his daughter, Margaret Rose (Payette) Fortin wrote that her father, born in Pembroke, who taught school in Golden Lake, Ontario, came to Chapleau to work in the men's wear at Smith and Chapple Ltd. By around 1930, Mr. Payette and Arthur J. Grout bought the store and started to expand its departments. Mr. Payette became president of the company.

Margaret Rose noted that it was probably one of the first "shopping centres" in Ontario, and it likely was, living up to its reputation of providing "Everything for Everybody." For those of us who grew up shopping and working at Smith and Chapple, it is hard to believe that it closed its doors 23 years ago on April 30, 1987.

During the thirties plans to start a Chapleau winter carnival were made in Mr. Payette's office. He was described as the "catalyst' for starting the winter carnivals, and his business partner Mr. Grout became the chairman.

Mr. Payette was also very active in the Chapleau Town Band and by 1952 took over leadership of it and served in that capacity for 10 years until he retired. I can recall times when Mr. Payette, and three of his sons, John, Billy and George, would all be playing in the band for the July 1 celebration.

He also served as a volunteer firefighter and was Chapleau's fire chief for a number of years as well as being manager of the Chapleau Memorial Community Arena at one time and chairman of the Chapleau High School Board.

Very involved in all aspects of life in Chapleau, Mr. Payette was a member of the Rotary Club, the golf and curling clubs, and at Sacred Heart Church, he was a member of the Knights of Columbus and a Grand Knight. After his retirement from Smith and Chapple, Mr. Payette also served as a Justice of the Peace.

Margaret Rose wrote that music was a large part of the "growing up years" in the Payette family home with both her parents involved in the Sacred Heart church choir, and "as each of us became old enough to contribute, we were part of the choir." In fact, she revealed that her parents met at the church when Mr. Payette was the choir director, and her mother, (Marie Cahill) arrived in Chapleau to become the church organist. She adds, "the rest, as they say, is history. They were married in 1923."

Mr. Payette's contribution, in his church, in business and the wider community, played an important role in the life and times of Chapleau.

MAIL

Commenting on Chapleau Moments about 1976, Eugene Bouillon wrote: "omg, Michael, yes memories (of 1976). I graduated from College and of course worked with Terry (Bryson) helping plan the Celebrations. Also, travelled with Doreen (Collings) to Red Rock to pick up the Pickerel for the Fish Fry and stayed up all night working on the fire for the Beef BBQ. Yes memories."

Father Romeo Gascon 'a whirlwind' coached Young Elephants baseball team in Chapleau in 1916

Romeo Gascon, who served as the pastor of Sacred Heart Church for 47 years was active in Chapleau life far beyond his duties to the Roman Catholic community.


Father Gascon, was elevated to Monsignor in a service at Sacred Heart Church on February 9, 1949 by His Excellency Most Rev. George Leo Landry, Bishop of the Diocese of Hearst. His Holiness Pope Pius XII had made him Monsignor on September 11, 1948, and this was the official induction ceremony conducted by the Bishop.

Referring to research by Gemma Gagnon, Father Albert Burns SJ, noted that the Jesuit Fathers on October 19th 1911, transferred the parish to a zealous priest, who had been two years pastor of Cochrane, Father Roméo Gascon. He died on January 25, 1958.

By 1916 he had become involved in Chapleau sports and was the coach of the Young Elephants, a baseball team that played on a ballfield located at about the present site of the golf course. My grandfather Harry Morris was a member of the team.

In his book "Waking Nanabijou: Uncovering a Secret Past", Jim Poling Sr. notes that he was a "miniature whirlwind" interested and active in everything from architecture to painting to golf as well as hunting and fishing. Mr. Poling, who was at one time the general manager of the Canadian Press came to know about the Chapleau priest as he was researching a history of his family.

He also enjoyed woodworking and had a printing press in the rectory.

Just before Christmas, on December 18, 1918, Sacred Heart Church was destroyed by fire, but Father Gascon went to work right away and within a year a new beautiful church had been built on the same location and its 90th anniversary was celebrated on December 24, 2009 at Christmas Midnight Mass. Father Gascon had sketched out the design for the new church and celebrated the first mass in it.

He was also president of the Kebsquasheshing Gold Club at one time, and enjoyed playing a round of golf with his friends from all denominations, including his good friend George Fife, the manager of the Chapleau Electric Light and Power Company who was also reeve of Chapleau from 1938 to 1942. I can recall saying good morning to both of them as they visited either on the front verandah of the Fife home on Lorne Street or the steps of the power company office on the site of the present Bargain Shop.

As an aside Mr. Fife was the grandfather of Robert Fife, now the Ottawa Bureau Chief of CTV News.

At the service elevating him to Monsignor, the Chapleau Post reported that most of the priests in the Diocese of Hearst attended with the bishop to offer their congratulations. The church was filled to capacity for the occasion, followed by a Civic Reception at the Town Hall which was also packed with wellwishers.

The Chapleau Post also noted that never before in the history of Chapleau had so many priests been present at the same time. Everyone wanted to show their appreciation of the work of Monsignor Gascon in Chapleau and of his work as advisor and counsellor to various bishops and his friendship to every priest in the diocese. Father Regent Marchand of Sacred Heart parish organized the event.