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.

And that was the week that was ... Levi Johnston vs Sarah Palin and Harper in Europe

What can we expect in the dog days of summer but a media dominated by stories that range from the sublime to the ridiculous with Levi Johnston emerging at the end of the week as a reliable source on the Sarah Palin resignation as governor of Alaska. Levi, the hockey hunk and hunter from Wassila, who also happens to be the father of Palin's first grandchild, spoke out because people want to know why she is resigning, so says his lawyer.

At a news conference at his lawyer's office, Levi, who is now estranged from Palin's daughter Bristol, who is the mother of his infant son Tripp, said the governor wants to cash in on the lure of financial enrichments as the most logical explanation for the governor's sudden resignation.

A Palin spokesperson shot back that Johnston is also trying to land his own deals -- movie, book, modeling. But that is old news already reported in a major, generally favourable feature on Johnston in the July issue of GQ magazine. Meanwhile GQ's sister publication Vanity Fair comes out with an unflattering piece on Sarah Palin.

As many of you know, I was involved in small town hockey and politics for a long time, but the Palin saga, goes beyond anything that was ever in my wildest imaginings, and we were a pretty colourful cast of characters ourselves in Northern Ontario in the Seventies. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, on a much more serious note, if that's possible these days, Stephen Harper, the prime minister, almost missed his second photo op at a meeting of world leaders. But he made it as his peers started to call his name. Harper missed the photo op at a meeting earlier this year of G-20 leaders. Unbelievable. reminds me of that trip Joe Clark, another Tory prime minister took, and lost his baggage.

Then Harper sees an opportunity to lash out at Opposition Leader Michael Ignatieff for remarks the Liberal leader allegedly made. Turns out that Ignatieff never made the remarks, and there we have our prime minister on the international stage forced to formally apologize to Mr Ignatieff.

Want to bet heads will roll in the prime minister's office very soon. Harper tries so hard to come across as a world leader and twice he's blown it. At the next election Canadians will decide if he goes too.

So there we have it. Lots of very important issues out there but it's much easier to bring you the latest on Levi vs Sarah, and Harper blowing it on the world stage.

Cannon sounded to mark Dominion (Canada) Day 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 of the Royal Canadian Legion in my home town of Chapleau, Ontario.

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 in the years following World War II that I still recall the celebrations like they were only yesterday.

Mom 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 of course was the Legion Colour Party and the Chapleau Town Band that has actually been in existence over 100 years now. Mr J. M. Shoup, a veteran of both World War 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. 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 helping out at the activities. (See Mr. Shoup in photo.)

Shortly after the war, 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 boys dominated the canoe races and canoe tilting competitions for years and William Memegos, the back packing contest.

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. A Chapleau boy, Dr Young practised medicine for over 50 years in his home town and at 95 is living there in retirement. As an aside, Dr Young, in my view, should be named Chapleau's Most Outstanding Citizen.

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 Tee Chambers played shortstop. Tee was my hero in both ball and hockey.

The celebration ended with a dance and fireworks display at the beach area.

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, but I remember all of them fondly, for in war and peace, they made our town a better place for everyone.