Chapleau 1976: laughter at high school, comic athletic prowess, ball hockey squeakers and the circus tent

Jamie Thibault, who was president of the Students Council at Chapleau High School in 1976-77, reflected on the importance of laughter as part of everyday life at the school when he was attending it in the Seventies.

Writing in the souvenir newspaper for the school's 75th anniversary in 1997, Jamie says that while laughter was never really given the respect it should have received, "it was a something, a quality perhaps, that everyone possessed whether they were aware of it or not."

Reflecting on his high school days Jamie still heard laughter in the hallways, classrooms, gymnasiums, library, on the hill as students told jokes. passed along secrets, and pulled pranks amongst one another.

"I hear the comic anecdotes of Mr. (Bryan) Kuehl to drill home a point in his Biology class; I relive the hockey tales from Mr. Morris in Man and Society; I visualize the comical actions that Mr. (Alex) Babin used to illustrate the use of a verb in French class: I hear Mr. (George) Evans using comic relief to get the class through another session of Greek mythology; I hear Mr. (Ross) Hryhorchuk laughing at another display of comic athletic prowess..."

On the 1976-77 CHS Students Council with Jamie were Tom O'Shaughnessy, Willie Date, Tim Morin, Jean Doyle, Francois Tremblay, Elaine Travis, Mike Serre, Joan Payette and Anne Marie Payette.

Thanks Jamie for the memories.

Also at the high school in 1976, Guy Bazinet was the valedictorian, while recipients of the Ontario Secondary School Honour Graduation Diplomas included Gilles Babineau, Richard Barrer, Guy Bazinet, Heather Beacock, Andre Bedard, Angelo Bucciarelli, Doris Delaney, Russell Deluce, Linda Dingee, Michelina Frattaruolo, Luc Gauthier, Michelle Jacques, Guy Martel, Keith Travis and Andre Tremblay

RECREATION ACTIVITIES UNDERWAY

Meanwhile, in the Spring of 1976, recreation activities were getting underway for the summer season.

Little League Baseball was getting underway at Grinton Park, where the Chapleau Recreation Centre opened in 1978, and with repairs to the field having been completed, under the capable guidance of president Bill Chambers, Chapleau would be hosting the District Four Little League playoffs.

At the beach Paul Richardson would be returning for his second year as the swimming instructor and lifeguard.

Over at the Chapleau Memorial Community Arena, the newly formed men's ball hockey league was getting underway with four teams participating -- Chapleau Lumber, The Hustlers, Ministry of Natural Resources and the West Side Boys.

In the opening games, the Ministry of Natural Resources squeaked by Ron Larcher's Hustlers, scoring in the dying seconds to win 5-4. Chapleau Lumber built up a 3-0 lead but couldn't hold it and lost by an identical score to the West Side Boys. I remember attending the ball hockey league games and found them so relaxing after a long winter of coaching the Chapleau Intermediate "A" Huskies in their first season in the Northland Intermediate Hockey League in 1975-76. I sat in the stands and enjoyed the ball hockey games.

75th ANNIVERSARY PLANS FINALIZED

In the Spring of 1976, plans were also being finalized for Summerfest and Old Home Week to mark the 75th anniversary of the incorporation of Chapleau as a municipality to be held from July 1 to 4. Led by Festival Chapleau co-ordinator Eileen McCrea, a group of volunteers was working to finalize the activities -- and bring the circus tent to town for activities in the beach area.

Manlio Spessot and the Boy Scouts were organizing the canoe and kayak races while Dorleen Collings, who was often fondly called "Chapleau's cook" was planning the menus for the meals that would be provided. Recreation Director Terry Bryson was overseeing all the recreation activities for the celebration.

Plans were also being made for a visit to Chapleau by the Hon. Rene Brunelle, chairman of the provincial cabinet, who would participate in the sod-turning ceremony for Cedar Grove Lodge for Senior Citizens which would be located on the old separate school site on Pine Street. During Senior Citizens Week, the Chapleau Senior Citizens Club saw plans for the new complex and made their comments.

Terry Bryson announced that a picnic for senior citizens would be held during the Old Home Week, while Councillor Ernie Gilbert outlined grants for Senior Citizens centres.

CENTENNIAL MUSEUM OPENS FOR SUMMER

Robert Andras, who was the minister of Manpower and Immigration for Canada was in town in June and officially opened the Chapleau Centennial Museum for the summer season by raising a new Canadian flag on behalf of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

Under the capable supervision of Dorleen Collings, The Chapleau Sentinel reported that the museum had been a "beehive of activity with flowers blossoming and the fountain "spattered with the pennies of those seeking luck." Inside many displays were being restored. The rock collection, stuffed birds and animals and the famous Rotary table were all in place.

Seems like only yesterday.

King George VI meets George Fife at the Chapleau CPR station at two a.m. in 1939 without his chain of office

By Bill McLeod



In the late 1930s there was a lot going on in the world. King Edward VIII had abdicated in December of 1936 and was replaced by his brother Bertie who took on the new name of George VI. The official reason for Edward’s abdication was that he was messing around with an American divorcee named Wallace Simpson and wanted to marry her. Since the British sovereign is also head of the Church of England, whose crank was not turned by divorce, Edward chose Wallace over the throne.

But there were other issues that were causing great concern to the British establishment. Apparently Fast Eddie the King wasn’t too swift. War was looming on the horizon, and Eddie didn’t seem to be twigging to the gravity of the situation. Also, the British Government was worried that he was getting a bit too chummy with his German cousins and with senior members of the Third Reich. Getting rid of Eddie solved a number of problems but created some new ones. They sent him off to be Governor of the Bahamas – out of sight and almost out of mind. While Eddie was presiding in the Bahamas, Harry Oakes, the fabulously wealthy discoverer of Lakeshore Mines was murdered. No one was ever charged with Oakes’ death, but rumors swirled for many years that Eddie the Governor might have known a bit more about the case than he let on.

If all this seems like it has no connection with Northern Ontario, bear with me.

In 1939, the new King and Elizabeth, his Queen were sent on a tour of Canada. In addition to introducing the new royal couple to Canadians, the junket had another purpose. Since Bertie and Liz had not been trained or groomed for the throne, they needed to get accustomed to all the scraping and bowing. If they goofed, the bumpkins in the Canadian boondocks might not even notice.

Fast forward to July of 2000. The Queen Mother, now well into her nineties, gave a rather extensive interview to the Globe and Mail. One of the events the old Queen related to the interviewer was the 1939 tour of Canada. She specifically mentioned Chapleau.

Apparently the Royal train had to stop in Chapleau at 2:00 a.m. to take on water. The reeve of Chapleau at the time was a highly regarded man named George Fife. For many years Mr. Fife ran the town’s hydro generating plant and power distribution network. I remember him as a jovial man who liked to tease kids. He was the grandfather of Phyllis Crang of Sudbury, one of Northern Ontario’s best ever athletes. And one of his grandsons is Bob Fife, CTV’s Ottawa Bureau Chief.

When word came to Chapleau that the Royal Train would be stopping there, George Fife sent word to the crew that he would like to meet the King. Probably without much enthusiasm, George VI hauled his butt out of the sack, put on his suit and tie and went out on the station platform to meet Mr. Fife. After making some small talk, the King asked the reeve (mayor) if he had a chain of office. Not a man to pass up the chance to have a little fun at the expense of the sovereign, Fife replied that he did have such a chain “but he only wore it on special occasions”. That cracked the King up and, sixty-one years later, the Queen Mother laughingly told the Globe and Mail about her brief visit to Chapleau and about how funny the King found Mr. Fife’s comment.

There may well be another version of this story as I found out when I read Jean Chretien’s memoir, My Years as Prime Minister. Over his long career Mr. Chretien became quite close to the Royal family. One of the reasons they liked him and Mrs. Chretien was that they could speak French with them. On page 243 Chretien describes a January, 1994, luncheon with the Queen Mother at Sandringham. The old Queen got to reminiscing about the Royal tour of 1939. She recounted a dinner one evening with Camillien Houde, the colorful mayor of Montreal. She inquired as to why he wasn’t wearing his chain of office. Like George Fife, Camillien told the Queen that he did have one but wore it “only on special occasions”.

It’s difficult to figure out how the Queen Mother could confuse George Fife with Camillien Houde. But maybe this was an “all purpose” story she used whenever what she deemed an appropriate occasion arose. Who knows? It is a very funny tale.

On a more serious note, Camillien Houde was interned during World War II probably because he wasn’t as sympathetic to the war effort as he might have been. Something like Pierre Trudeau, only Trudeau wasn’t incarcerated. One of the jobs Houde was given involved dismantling some urinals to be melted down and used in the war effort. He was quoted as saying that he was required to “turn urinals into arsenals”. A pretty good line.

Bill McLeod has a new book coming out in 2010. For details email Bill at wemcleod@sympatico.ca

A potpourri of stories from working with Tee Chambers to Junior Red Cross play at Chapleau Public School plus the 'devilish deed' and more from Chapleau

Let me begin with a definition. As I was going over my notes for this column, I immediately thought of 'potpourri' but wasn't exactly sure what it meant. I recalled that the late J.M. "Jack" Shoup, the longtime principal and teacher at Chapleau Public School, township councillor and veteran of World Wars I and II, once wrote a column with that title in the Sudbury Star.

I went to dictionary.com and the first definition I saw said it was a mixture of dried petals of roses or other flowers with spices, kept in a jar for their fragrance. That wasn't the definition I was looking for. The second one came closer: Potpourri is a miscellaneous anthology or collection: a potpourri of short stories...

So, with thanks to Mr. Shoup for the idea I am going to share some of the stories and comments I have been receiving recently from readers of Chapleau Moments in the Chapleau Exoress and my blog plus the story of the "devilish deed."

WORKING WITH TEE
Michael Cecile, formerly of Chapleau, now living in Calgary wrote after seeing the column with his sister Susan's comments on rock and roll and a photo of Garth "Tee' Chambers with Harry "Butch" Pellow and Aldee Martel.

Michael wrote: "Like all the others I’m really enjoying your articles!

"You’ll be pleased to know I get the Chapleau Express by a method something like a portaging trip on the Chapleau River. Marie Fortin has the Express sent to John Champion. He passes them on to me when we meet in a park, walking our dogs in NW Calgary. Not technically sophisticated like email, but it works, and I get to talk with John, his family and friends (he's a Grand Dad now!!).

"I really enjoyed the ‘53-‘54 picture of Tee Chambers! I worked with Tee’s Cartage one summer (like many others). We unloaded box cars and transported goods to the Dominion Store.Then we delivered groceries to Dominion customers around town. If you worked for Tee you’d know he had a great sense of humour and I was the recipient of one of his favourite jokes. We had formed a chain, moving boxes person to person from a box car to his truck. When we came to heavy cases with cans, Tee (next to me) called out “Heavy”, and again “ Heavy”...etc. I of course adjusted my catch-lift accordingly.

"Then Tee called out “Extra Heavy”, I adjusted my lift even more and ended up smashing the box of Kleenex, or something
lighter, right into my face. Of course we all had a good laugh, especially Tee!

"I also enjoyed reading a quote from my sister Susan’s article on “ the mostest rock and roll”. Your readers might like to know that Susan had a stroke in December but is recovering very well with great support from her kids."

Thanks Michael and all the best to Susan.

Louis Fortin's sister Muriele wrote to provide interesting comments on her brother working on the ice gang and Dr. Bill Pellow's memories of the ice house in the winter. Louis worked on ice gangs in the summer and Bill spent winter weekends at the old ice house across from the Boston Cafe. Both graduated from university.

THE RACONTEUR
Muriele wrote: "Mike you are such a great 'raconteur'. As I'm reading Bill Pellow's and Louis' details of ice gang and pre ice work, I'm thinking what physically demanding work that was for young people. Is it any wonder they and many others went on to futher education and successful careers, less physically demanding. For several years I raised my two sons in a rural setting where their summer jobs entailed washing milking cows, haying, cleaning barns etc. I believe it was during those gruelling summer jobs that they decided to pursue higher education. It happened. I'm happy. They are happy."

OFF ON A GOOD TALE
Steve Degeer, a former student from my time at Chapleau High School wrote after paying a recent visit to Chapleau. "I just recently returned to Chapleau for a visit with my parents and I read your article in the paper and I love it! I can remember that you loved to tell us stories about the old days! Someone would bring you a Mars bar and start talking about hockey or chapleau and you would go off on a good tale! You were one of my favorite teachers! And that's to date! Well I'll be looking forward to your next article! Keep up the good work!!!"

Thanks Steve, and yes, I have enjoyed stories and story telling for as long as I can remember. Since I was a child growing up in Chapleau has been central to me whether I was playing in the living room or creating my own plays for the Junior Red Cross Society performances in Grade four at Chapleau Public School. If I remember correctly Alison (McMillan) McMullen, Ted and Brian Demers starred in the first play I created. We rehearsed in the basement of Demers' home on Beech Street at the time.

Thanks to my mother, Muriel E. (Hunt) Morris, who instilled a love of stories in me before I could hardly walk, and gave me the freedom to explore all the great children's literature of my time, story has been the place where I have lived. And I very much appreciate all the kind comments that I receive from so many of you who were her students over the 32 years that she taught at Chapleau Public School.

Michael Cecile shared the following about his mother Renee Cecile who also encouraged a love of reading and music and recipes in her children: "Some parents balked at their kids reading Classic Comics and comics in general but Renee was happy to see us read and encouraged that too. She liked to try new foods and recipes but my Dad was only liked well-done meat and potatoes, but she did experiment on us!" Those of us who worked with and knew Mrs. Cecile, through her years of devotion to the Chapleau Public Library and as school librarian are well aware, of her love of books and music.

FROM MID NORTH NEWS TO THE INTERNET
Little did I realize that my experience as the Chapleau High School reporter (with Joy Evans) for the long gone Mid North News, and a television program on CHAP TV in 1957- 1958 (with Phyllis Chrusoskie, Bill Mcleod and others) would lead to story telling and talking about the stories of others in classrooms in Ontario and British Columbia. And people even got me to write stories about people and events in daily newspapers, for television, in magazines and the internet and books.

THROUGH THE EYES OF A KID
Yvonne (Fournier) Kohls, sent me comments from her brother Rene Fournier who also loves storytelling. Rene wrote in part to his sister: "Thanks for sending M.J. Morris's stuff, I enjoy some of these that I can connect to. The Yen Hong and family article was interesting because Dad was close to the elders and of course I was the same age as Yen's sister (Jean). In fact at some tender age I asked dad if I could marry her. He suggested I should wait till I was ten, but it was O.K. with him if it was O.K. with her mother....

"I will say this, I actually do tell stories about life in a small town through the eyes of a kid such as the morning all the men and boys of Chapleau went to the freight shed to see ten wheel truck unloading. A huge Event! On par with the day the King and Queen's train passed through Chapleau. (they slept while we watched the silent event with our hats off)"

Thanks Yvonne and Rene. Great memories. The Yen story to which he refers is the one about the seven members of the family appearing on the game report of a hockey game at one time and the game played in the Boston Cafe.


THE DEVILISH DEED
The other day Hugh McGoldrick posted on Facebook that he had been talking with Lynn Hazen about the possibility of reunion in 2011 of the the 1976 graduating class of Chapleau High School. I immediately thought of a story that Lynn told about me in the newspaper marking the 75th anniversary of the school in 1997.

Lynn wrote in part that in 1972, two grade niners who had never done anything wrong took the plunge. "When Mr. Morris momentarily left the classroom, the wall clock came down. As they turned the time forward, it slipped from their hands and landed in several pieces on the floor. The two niners slinked to their seats just before Mr. Morris came through the door.

"The longer he grilled us about who had done the devilish deed, the more we dug in our heels and adhered to a new found code of silence. We all stayed for detention. We were together on this one."

To this day I have no idea who did this devilish deed. Perhaps if I attend the reunion, someone will confess.. Contact Hugh or Lynn for more information on their plans.