Updates on the power and forest fire situation at Chapleau

POST SIX: BULLETIN  Jeanette Wright from Chapleau posted on Facebook: "Monday 3pm Hydro is back on hoooray."   Anita Stephens also posted that power is back on at her home and office.  Other contacts have reported that the power is now back on in Chapleau area, and the community is returning to normal after more than 90 hours without power.

However, the forest fire named Wawa 18 is not out yet.

POST FIVE:
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2010/30/c8127.html  Full details

Monday May 31 at 8 a.m ET: Hydro One reported on Monday morning that: "Seventy-five workers and support staff and one helicopter and off-road equipment have been mobilized to undertake power restoration work which involves clearing conductor; removing and replacing burnt poles; and, the restringing of conductor. Based on the current damage assessment, it is expected that full power restoration will not be complete until late Monday. "





POST FOUR:
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2010/30/c8127.html  See full details

7 p.m. Sunday May 30: Today, Hydro One crews commenced power restoration activities in the Chapleau area. A power outage, which began on Thursday, May 27, was caused by a forest fire that started Thursday, May 27 in the Chapleau area near Wawa, Ontario.






POST THREE:
3 p.m. Sunday May 30: Here is link to video of the Wawa Fire 18, which I believe was taken on May 28   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2HjuF0YTHI&feature=player_embedded


http://www.soonews.ca/viewarticle.php?id=26313  Click on link for full story from Soo News.
 Soo News is reporting today that the fire has grown to 2300 hectares and MNR’s priority is to suppress the fire, maintain safety procedures and enable Hydro One power line crews and equipment access for Sunday morning to repair the damaged transmission lines and restore power to the town of Chapleau. MNR is providing fire engine support and emergency medical support to Hydro One for their efforts if required.





POST TWO:
9:30 p.m. Saturday May 29:  CBC NEWS is reporting tonight that Chapleau Mayor Earle Freeborn said the town may be without power until early next week, but  backup generators will keep the hospital and water running.
Read more:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/05/29/toronto-forest-fires-blackout.html#ixzz0pN7vajXa

The fire is not threatening any populated areas at this time, according to all reports.

POST ONE:
Chapleau was still without power and the forest fire near Highway 101 was still burning, according to my contacts at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Saturday May 29.

The power disruption occurred on the afternoon of Thursday May 27 when a forest fire along  Highway 101 near the turnoff to Hawk Junction destroyed at least 22 hydro transmission poles. Hydro One crews have been unable to work in the area because of the fire.

I will post further information as I receive it. If you have information please email me at mj.morris@live.ca

Hockey keeps Canada together

Chapleau Int A Huskies in 1970s

I took a course in twentieth century European history from Dr Jacques Goutor more than 40 years ago now, and the first thing I learned from him was that hockey kept Canada together. Well, he didn't actually come out and say that exactly, but on the first day of class he told us about his arrival in Canada from France.

Dr Goutor told us that upon arriving in Toronto, he went out and bought the newspapers and the headlines were LEAFS WIN STANLEY CUP! It was 1967, our Centennial year as a nation, and the Toronto Maple Leafs had defeated their arch rivals the Montreal Canadiens in six games. It was to be the last time the Leafs would win Lord Stanley's mug.

Dr Jacques Goutor

All so typically Canadian for our Centennial year -- a team from the heart of English Canada wins the Stanley Cup but the focus for the celebrations of the centennial is on Montreal, the major French Canadian city which hosted Expo '67, and the cup is named after an Englishman who was Governor General at one time. Trust me on this one! It is such as this that contributes to keeping the country together and safe-- the invisible hand of Canadian compromise!

Dr Goutor, who at the time had little knowledge of hockey and its importance to Canadians, said he decided to stay here because it had to be a safe place if the headlines were about a sporting event. He was raised in France and lived through the horrors of World War II and its aftermath.

To this day, I watch the headlines of Canadian daily newspapers, and headline writers are ecstatic on those days they can proclaim victory for their local hockey team when it wins a title, and are beside themselves with joy when Canada wins internationally. But they know their audience. Hockey keeps it all together in this vast and magnificent land where we will travel great distances for a hockey game, and complain about that other great Canadian unifier, the weather.

MJM in 1978 at Chapleau Carnival

Tee Chambers, Butch Pellow, Aldee Martel, circa 1954

Our passion for hockey of course begins at the local level. I was raised in the northern Ontario town of Chapleau, where the Chapleau Huskies, in various incarnations were  the pride and joy for much longer than I have been around. Growing up there in the 1940s and 50s my hockey heroes were local, especially the late Garth ''Tee" Chambers, who to this day I believe was better than any NHL player who ever donned skates.

When I returned to Chapleau to teach, shortly thereafter I was "hired' by the 1970-71 Midgets to coach them. Yes, they actually "fired" their coach and I took over, and that is a story in itself. At that time though, the focus was on the Chapleau Junior "B" Huskies who played in a Junior league, and in 1967 won the league title, as well as NOHA title.

Chapleau Jr B Huskies 1966-67

 The coaches of the day were the late Keith 'Buddy' Swanson, Lorne Riley, who had been an outstanding goalie and Earle Freeborn, one real tough defenceman in his playing days who also served as the Mayor of Chapleau. Saturday nights were hockey night in Chapleau, and the great community unifier, especially when the Wawa Travellers were in town.

A few years later, again after receiving a visit from hockey players, the Chapleau Intermediate "A" Huskies were born and our arch rivals in the Northland Intermediate Hockey league were the Timmins Northstars. For three years it was a struggle to beat them in the league semi-finals but in our fourth year we did, and it was like we had won the Stanley Cup. We won in Timmins but soon received reports that back in Chapleau, the celebration had begun with horns honking and a party underway.

And so, from local unheated hockey rinks, many of them called barns, where rivalries among communities bring people together to cheer on their own team, to national and international championship series, Dr Goutor was right. It is a safe country in which to live

I welcome your comments. Please feel free to add them or email me at mj.morris@live.com