Allen Laframboise visit to Chapleau included another photo-op with Engine 5433 48 years later

Allen Laframboise was there on the historic day in 1964 when Canadian Pacific Railway Engine 5433 arrived in Centennial Park. 

On a visit to Chapleau 48 years later in 2012, with his wife, he saw a photo from the occasion, and he and his brother Terry were in it. So, he took a photo of himself under the "5" in 5433 and recently sent them both to me.

He came across a Chapleau Moments column I had written on the engine. He explains: "I was there  that  day it was moved  into its place.  In 2012 I was in Chapleau and visited  the museum with my Brazilian wife. In the museum is  a panoramic photo of that day and when I looked at it closer I realized I was in the picture .  I am standing under the wheel just below the 5 ,  my brother Terry is beside me to the right.   I added the shot of me again in 2012 standing in the same spot  48 years later."

I followed up with Allen and he brought me up to date and shared what he has been doing since 1970-1974 when he attended Chapleau High School. He reminded me I taught him history.

Allen related that he is  an aircraft maintenance engineer on Helicopters ( basically a mechanic on Helicopters),  "since graduating Canadore College in 1979 started my career in aviation in the maintenance side.   

"My first job was in Edmonton and I stayed there until 1981 before moving to the Vancouver area and lived there until 1989.   In 1985 I started working for a company called Okanagan Helicopters based in Vancouver and in 1987 they merged with two other Canadian companies to form CHC ... and I have been with them for 30 years.     Is quite a large company in the Offshore oil and Gas support around the world but not that much work in Canada anymore.   Has been American owned for about the last seven years."

He left the Vancouver area in 1989 and moved to Thunder Bay for just under two years then located in Blind River and lived there until 2008 when he moved to Brazil.    

Brass replica of Engine 5433 Ian Macdonald collection

His work places reads like a travelogue. "In the last 36 years my work has taken me to most places in Canada ,  8 provinces and the territories, only provinces I have never worked in are New Brunswick and PEI.    A few places in the United states,  Wyoming , Utah and a few times to Alaska.  Since 1985 most of my work has been overseas ,  last time I actually worked in Canada was 1991.    I have worked in Greenland, Egypt, India,  Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Georgia,   Azerbaijan, Turkey, Philippines , Norway and currently in Brazil."

"In 2006 I was assigned to Brazil to help support the Brazil maintenance department on a new company CHC had acquired there. I worked touring up until 2008 when I took up a resident position here and have been living here ever since.    We operate 43 helicopters,  all supporting the offshore oil  industry.    

"Since 2006 I have lived in three different cities in Brazil all in the State of Rio de Janeiro,  place called Macae,  Rio de Janeiro ( city) and now a place called Cabo Frio.    

"It is a really nice country,  people are nice, food is excellent,  people love the beach, barbecues and beer  ( doesn't get much better than that).    There are security concerns with people being robbed by the bandits ( banditos as they are called here). Up until now I have not had any problems personally,   just have to stay aware and try to avoid high risk areas.    

"In all this time I am still working on my Portuguese language skills and still have a long ways to go. "

Here is a summary. Engine 5433 is a testament to Chapleau's railroading past. The Iron Horse #5433, was proudly placed in the park in 1964, through the initiative and generosity of Arthur and Nettie Grout. This unit actually worked these tracks for many years west of Chapleau. It weighs 275 tons, measures 95 feet long, and hauled 1900 tons in its prime.

To place the engine on location meant building a special spur, or track, straight across from the roundhouse. A building had to be demolished to make way for the spur, which ran right up to the main line on the engine side, and continued on the other side of the main line. With a gang of trackmen, and everything timed to the minute, the spur was laid across the main line. The steam engine was then pushed across by a diesel. Within 30 minutes, the Iron Horse was in place, and the main line cleared again for service.

Also of historical interest is that J.M. "Bud" Park was the engineer on Engine 5433 for its trip from the roundhouse to the park while Earle Freeborn was the engineer on the yard engine diesel.

Thanks to Dr Bill Pellow for the information on placing Engine 5433 in the park. Allen is another example of that saying, "You can take the boy or girl out of Chapleau, but you can't take Chapleau out of them." Thanks for sharing Allen. Enjoy life in Brazil but stay safe out there. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

P.S. Allen also advised that he got "The Chapleau Boys Go To War" on Kindle. (key words are "chapleau boys war" or you can get a copy at Chapleau Village Shops or www.amazon.ca or www.amazon.com.... thanks Al

Brownlee Memorial Chapel erected in Chapleau Municipal Cemetery in 1936

 

The Brownlee Memorial Chapel was erected in the Chapleau Municipal Cemetery in 1936 by Richard Brownlee in memory of his first wife Ellen.

Mr. Brownlee had arrived in Chapleau in 1885, and established a barber shop. In 1887, he married and he brought his wife Ellen to Chapleau. She was one of the few women there at the time. Both were 19.  Mrs. Brownlee died in 1936, and in 1938 he married Marie Jeanne Leclerc.

In the Brownlee papers which have been kindly loaned to me by Margaret Rose and Bobby Fortin, Mr. Brownlee, in his own handwriting explains why he had the chapel built in memory of his wife..

"This building was erected in memory of the one who was so loving, loyal and congenial; a companion all our married life of forty-nine years. To her kind and intelligent sympathy in my work and welfare, I owe a debt which can only be acknowledged but never adequately repaid. R.B."

Following his wife's death, Mr. Brownlee applied to the municipal cemetery board to build the chapel, and T.R. Serre, the township clerk and treasurer, also secretary-treasurer of the board replied on August 25, 1936.

The letter read in part that the board authorized him to proceed with the building of the vault in the centre of the roadway... according to the plan submitted.

The Chapleau Post reported that the building would be about 14 feet by 18 feet. The basement would accommodate 10 caskets equipped with one of the "latest models of lowering devices for lowering the caskets into the basement.

"The main part of the building will be a chapel with an altar in the centre and a vestment room on the side." There would also be a furnace.

The architect was W.C Sylvester and the contractor Albert Tubbe, both of Ottawa.

On November 11, 1936, Mr. Brownlee, in a letter to the cemetery board reported that the project had been completed.  "I now formally turn it over to you to be held in perpetuity by you and your successors in office as a gift from me to the Citizens of Chapleau."

He attached two conditions:

"First that it shall be known as the 'Brownlee Memorial Chapel', and

"Second that you and your successors in office shall always permit the use of the Chapel by all persons, regardless of Race, Religion or Creed, who may desire to be buried in the Chapleau Municipal Cemetery."

His letter added: "I trust that these simple conditions will always be fulfilled, and that the Chapel will prove to be a benefit to the community in which I have lived so long, and a fitting Memorial to my dear Wife in whose memory it has been erected."

In replying to Mr Brownlee in a letter dated November 14, 1936, Reeve Frank Edwards, also chair of the cemetery board wrote.in part "... I wish to convey.. warmest thanks and deep appreciation of your munificent gift of the Brownlee Memorial Chapel.Such a gift is and always will be a visible token of the great regard which you and your wife had for the community in which you resided so long and where you were so greatly esteemed."

Reeve Edwards added that the municipal cemetery board "unhesitatingly accepts the conditions of your gift as outlined in your letter and will loyally and gratefully observe them".

Perhaps the Chapleau Post summed up  Mr. Brownlee best in a comment on his service to Chapleau. "If a man be judged by the extent of the service he renders then Mr. Brownlee deserves special commendation, for during his half century of residence in Chapleau he has always shown keen interest in the welfare of the community and by his enthusiastic and optimistic endeavour he has helped bring success to every undertaking and has promoted a spirit of good fellowship among the citizens."

On a very personal note, Mr. Brownlee also took time for a little boy who would wander over the Brownlee Block on Main Street to chat with the men who would gather in front of the barber shop. My father Jim Morris had been killed on active service in the RCAF in World War II, and of course Mr. Brownlee was aware of it. Mr. and Mrs. Brownlee (his second wife) would take me for rides in their car --- what a thrill as there were few cars in Chapleau circa 1945. He became my good friend.

Richard Brownlee died on August 6, 1951, and is buried in the Chapleau Municipal Cemetery. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Storm brewing as resistance grew to Arthur Grout proposal to standardize store business hours in 1951

Most Chapleau citizens may have been enjoying the summer of 1951, but a storm was brewing in the local business community over a proposal to standardize business hours in stores.

Arthur J. Grout, the president of Smith and Chapple Ltd., had prepared a petition which he planned to submit to township council which would bring about the changes. Mr. Grout, who was also a member of council, wanted a by-law passed.

However, the top story, in the July 26 edition of the Chapleau Post revealed there was "considerable resistance" among smaller merchants in town.

One commented: "We must resist this petition as the passing of the bylaw would threaten our existence."

Mr. Grout's petition called for store openings at 9 a.m. instead of 8:30 a.m, closing for lunch at noon for an hour instead of 11:30 a.m. with afternoon hours remaining the same.  There would still be a Wednesday afternoon closure.

Stores would remain open until nine p.m. on Saturday  in June, July and August but close at six p.m. the rest of the year.

D.T. 'Toddy' Collinson of Major's Cleaners was not in favour. "I have hours which fit with my business and would not be in favour of a change."

However, he saw no reason why other businesses  could not just put new hours into effect for themselves with no bylaw necessary.

Ed Downey of the Chapleau Drug Co. commented it was not good for the drug business.

"Our hours are set to more or less conform with the office hours of the doctors and a change would be disastrous for those in our business," Mr. Downey said.

J.R. Thornton of the Model Drug Store said: "When we are stocked with several thousand dollars of drugs we are expected with doctors' hours.'' He added that if a doctor gave a prescription at eight at night, "we are expected to fill it,"

George Tremblay of Gamma Photo Centre was opposed too, saying that forty percent of his business was night sales. "If we are closed at night, the result will be next to disastrous. We need our night sales."

George McCord of Chapleau Meat and Grocery would only favour a plan whereby all stores closed at six p.m. every Saturday of the year, then "I'll fall in line."

Mrs. Fitch of Fitch's Grocery was opposed as new hours would result in substantial loss of business for their store located near the CPR station. She pointed that that they did "considerable transient business" from the passenger trains arriving in Chapleau between noon and one p.m. and up to seven p.m.

You will have to stay tuned to learn the result of the proposal as I have just started going through digital copies of the Chapleau Post kindly provided to me by Doug Greig when I was in Chapleau recently for the official launch of The Chapleau Boys Go To War. Thanks so much Doug!

As an aside, as I was reading the story from the July 26, 1951 edition of the Chapleau Post, it struck me that none of those business exist in Chapleau today -- other than the name Model Drug may still be used by the pharmacy. My email is mj.morris@live.ca