Cannon being fired launched celebration while Memegos family dominated canoe races and Rita Desson won Summer Queen Contest on 1951 Dominion Day in Chapleau

Click on image for Beach Panorama. Ian Macdonald collection

When I was a kid growing up in Chapleau, I always made sure I was up to hear the sound of the cannon being fired at seven a.m to mark the beginning of the Dominion Day celebration, organized each year by Branch Number 5 (Ontario) of the Royal Canadian Legion.


School was out, and summer vacation was launched with the July 1 activities all located at the beach area between Chapleau Public School and the field behind the old Chapleau High School, except for the giant parade that wound through the streets ending up at the beech.

Such was Dominion Day for a child who had to get his costume ready and tricycle decorated for the annual July 1 parade that marked one of the highlights of the year for me so much in the years following World War II that I still recall the celebrations like they were only yesterday.


My mother, Muriel E. (Hunt) Morris, and my grandparents (Nanny and Grandpa... Edith and George Hunt) would help me get ready for the parade and off I would go for a day packed with activities for our entire community.



Leading the parade was the Legion Colour Party and the Chapleau Town Band.


J. M. Shoup, a veteran of both World Wars I and II, principal of Chapleau Public School and township councillor would get us all organized for the parade and later the children's races at the beach.

Many will recall that each child in the parade would receive 10 cents which was quickly spent at the canteen or on the midway. More dimes could be earned by participating in the children's races.

I was also proud to see my grandfather Harry Morris, a veteran of World War I, and one of the first group of members of Branch 5 when it was founded helping out at the activities.

Shortly after World War II, Dr G.E. Young, using his own money, had created a truly wonderful beach area on the banks of the Kebsquasheshing River, and it was the scene of swimming and canoe races, as well as canoe tilting contests. The Memegos family dominated the canoe races and canoe tilting competitions for years and William Memegos, the back packing contest. Before Willie, the winner was often Bob Mercier.


For example, at the Dominion Day celebration in 1951, in the men's doubles canoe race, Adam Memegos and Juli Quakagesik won while Joe Memegos and Baptiste Memegos were second and A. McAuley and Ray Barty third.


In the mixed doubles, Joe Memegos and Agnes Minnewesqua were first and Baptiste Memegos and Mrs. Adam Memegos second.


Mrs. Ignace Memegos and Mrs. Adam Memegos won the women's doubles with Mrs. Julie Quakagesik and Mrs. Cryer second.


Dr Young's beach was complete with change rooms, wading pools, a nicely grassed area and each year he had truckloads of beach sand brought to refresh it.


Rita Desson was named the 1951 Summer Queen with Florence Encil and Carol "Babe" Chambers as runnersup.

In the afternoon of July 1, games of chance would be underway while the Town Band would give a concert in the bandstand at the beach area, while over at the ball field there was always an exciting ball tournament.
Sometimes there would even be teams from out of town but to me the only team was the Legion on which Garth "Tee" Chambers played shortstop. Tee was my hero in both ball and hockey.


In the 1951 logsawing event the winners were Pierre Martel, W. Donivan and Paul Seguin.

The celebration ended with a dance and fireworks display at the beach area. The fireworks were really spectacular, at least they were to me as a kid, but everyone agreed and "Wow" was heard as they were set off from the golf course side of the river.

By the end of the day I would head home tired but happy looking forward to my summer vacation, cruising around Chapleau on my tricycle.

There aren't too many of those World War II vets left now, and none from World War I, who gave us the July 1 celebration, but I remember all of them fondly, for in war and peace, they made our town a better place for everyone. As I think back some 60 years to life in Chapleau at the beginning of the 1950s, it was truly a wonderful place to be growing up.


Thanks to Doug Greig, Ian Macdonald and Dr. Vince Crichton for their research assistance. My email is mj.morris@live.ca and Facebook is http://facebook.com/michaeljmorris2

Willie Memegos rose from labourer to Chapleau public works superintendent as well as being winner of winter carnival backpack contests and tour guide for Bill Davis

Bill Davis (hands in pocket), Michael, William Memegos (white hat) and reporters

When William "Willie" Memegos and his brothers started as employees of the Township of Chapleau about 1949, they were working as labourers on the installation of the new sewage system. The pay was twenty-five cents an hour and in those days there were no coffee breaks.

Years later, after Willie became the public works superintendent, he would share stories of those days with me always paying tribute to J.M. "Jack" Shoup, a member of council and public works committee chair, who would bring the work crews jugs of water on a hot summer day.

Willie's brothers Baptiste and Adam also worked for the municipality for years, and in the view of many, Baptiste was the best grader operator there ever was. I can still hear the sound of the grader moving snow, clearing the roads in the middle of the night during the winter months. He could also perform his magic with a backhoe.

 Someone once told me that Baptiste was able to "manoeuvre this machinery with the precision of a diamond cutter" and it sure was true

When the Memegos family first arrived in the Chapleau area early in the 20th Century, they lived along the Nebskwashi River, an area where I loved to walk, and I have always felt privileged that Willie had once told me, "You can walk on my land any time."

I used to spend countless hours walking in the bush which some may call the forest, or the woods, but to me it will always simply be the bush. I had started going there  as a young boy, with my grandfather, George Hunt when he would take me along blueberry picking. It continued as an adult. The Memegos family always watched out for my grandfather who was still picking blueberries into his seventies.

For my walks I would leave from our home on Grey Street, go over the "Indian Bridge" across the "back river" (Nebskwashi River) and head off to Pellow's Field  or Corston's Farm, or just walk in the bush.

Rene Serre, Willie Memegos

Shortly after I became reeve of Chapleau, we needed a new township public works superintendent and were not satisfied with the applications we had received. Councillors Ernie Gilbert and Dr. G.E. Young suggested to me that we ask Willie if he would like the job.

Ernie was the legendary public works committee chair of his day on council, who would never hesitate to arouse me on a cold winter's night to accompany him to a home where the water had frozen, and the public works crew was on hand at maybe 50 below F. Willie was always on the scene.

Willie had not applied but when we asked if he would like it with the option that he could return to the position he had as foreman at any time, he accepted the position. And Willie never returned to his old job!

Willie would come to chat with me almost every day that I was at the Town Hall/Civic Centre, and gave me the benefit of his wisdom and guidance on all manner and sorts of things. He was a man of few words but he was always right on.

He would also lobby in his own way for projects like doing sidewalks and having a township crew undertake the installation of water and sewer, and a new road to the new Chapleau General Hospital.

Willie convinced me and council agreed to let the township public works department assume responsibility. The plan had been to contract it out.

One day Willie came into my office and said I had to stop construction according to the engineer's drawings because they were wrong. A change must be made. This led to a flurry of phone calls between us and the engineer's office, and it turned out that Willie was right and the engineer wrong! When I asked him how he knew, he replied simply, "I have a good eye."

Willie and his brothers worked on the original installation of the sewer system in Chapleau  and over the years had become experts from practical experience.

When Ontario Premier Bill Davis visited Chapleau in 1975, Willie conducted the tour which included the premier, members of council and hospital board as well as many members of the provincial news media. The media was really along because Mr. Davis had announced a provincial election that day in Timmins, and then flew to Chapleau for a visit. We did get some coverage in the Toronto newspapers as a result.

Willie and his family members also loved sports and for years totally dominated canoe races and other water sports. Willie also would win the backpacking contests at the winter carnival where participants started with a large canvas pack and walked a set distance where more weight was added. He long outwalked all other participants with weights the most could never lift let alone endure.

They also enjoyed broomball and hockey and one time played on a team called Robin's Hoods. Willie was also an outstanding fastball pitcher.

Although I had walked on the Memegos family land, I had never asked permission to do so. So one day when Willie and I were out on a tour of the municipality I asked him and he gave permission.

On  walks when I would reach the crook in the road entering the Memegos family land I would  think of Robert Frost's poem 'The Road Not Taken' and reflect on  the poet's words that "two roads diverged in a single wood" and think that so often we take  the road less travelled by, and that makes all the difference in our lives.

The contribution of Willie Memegos and his brothers to Chapleau,  made all the difference in the lives of citizens in all kinds of weather. My email is mj.morris@live.ca