Dakotah Woods of Quebec Remparts gives motivational talks to youth at Brunswick House First Nation and Chapleau Cree First Nation

Dakotah Woods, who plays hockey for the Quebec Remparts, says that a highlight for him at his motivational talks was "seeing all the kids with smiles on their faces."

Dakotah, who was born in Chapleau and started his career in the Chapleau Minor Hockey Association returned home to speak to youth at Brunswick House First Nation and Chapleau Cree First Nation. 

The son of Isabelle (Saunders) and Gordon Woods, he is a member of Brunswick House First Nation.

 His talks focused on dedication, commitment and determination to achieve goals. "It's what you need, not only in sport but in life overall.

However, twice in our texting interview he mentioned the "special feeling" he got in seeing smiles on the youth's faces.

"It was a great experience for me. going back to my community and putting smiles on the kids' faces", adding that it is  "always good to share your story with others as well".

Dakotah signing rookie cards

Dakotah added: "It was a great opportunity for me to share my story with people back home, to let them know there's more out there than getting into trouble and going down the wrong road".

He was pleased with the response to his talks where he also signed Rookie cards for each of the attendees who also received a cap, puck and Quebec Remparts hoodie.

He plans to continue his talks with young people sharing "what's going on" from his point of view.

"I had a great time doing this. It was very good for myself as well as for the people listening and good for the people in the community. It's always s special feeling seeing all the kids with the smiles on their faces."

Dakotah with from left Christine Redbreast, Angela Saunders and Margaret Quakagesik at Brunswick House First Nation

His hockey career actually started in the Mrs. A.W. Moore Arena when he was four years old with figure skating lessons. In an earlier interview, he explained that figure skating had helped him a lot. 

"You know you learn all your edges and have to stay balanced or you fall. Strapping on a pair of skates at young age is tough. Figure skating taught me a lot."

Dakotah with from left Tracy Martin and Peggy Domingue at Chapleau Cree First Nation

He played minor hockey in Chapleau until his family moved to North Bay in 2008. Before joining the Remparts of theQuebec Major Junior Hockey League for the 2015-16 season, he played for the Elliot Lake Wildcats of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.

He also played several exhibition games with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League, so has the distinction of playing in two of Canada's major junior hockey leagues.

Dakotah is already preparing for the upcoming hockey season. He advised that he is in the gym five or six days a week, working on his weaknesses as well as his strengths. "Foot speed is the biggest weakness I am working on now".

"I am getting the proper rest and enjoying the rest of the time with friends and family before this upcoming season."

Dakotah added: "I thank both reserves for welcoming me to come and visit and hear what I had to say. I also thank everyone who has supported me. I wouldn't be where I am today without thrm".

His father Gordie extended thanks to Mervin Cheechoo who is helping Dakotah with his motivational speaking, and also to his agent Adrian Gedye for all his help. Gordie also thanked Dakotah's  personal  psychological and physical coach, Chris St. Marseille, who deals with these aspects of his son's game.

I extend my most sincere congratulations to Dakotah for taking time to chat with the youth and Brunswick House First Nation and Chapleau Cree First Nation, and yes, it is always a great feeling when we can put smiles on people's faces. All the best for the upcoming season Dakotah. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Reflections on Chapleau Moments: "With old friends, you've got your whole life in common"

Reflecting on having written Chapleau Moments for seven years now, increasingly I agree with a comment once made by country singer Lyle Lovett about old friends.

"You don't have to have anything in common with people you've known since you were five. With old friends, you've got your whole life in common." the singer wrote.

For example, when Kevin Walker contributed his "I'm so Chapleau" anecdotes, others commented, all having Chapleau in common, no matter where they may live now.

In 2015, after Dakotah Woods started to play for the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, it resulted in much hockey talk, mostly about who (in my opinion) was Chapleau's greatest hockey player. 

As an aside Dakotah has visited Chapleau and met with youth from Brunswick House First Nation and Chapleau Cree First Nation... Watch for details!

That's one I wouldn't touch although several who played on teams I coached and managed in the 1970s would most assuredly be in the running -- "homebrew and otherwise" -- which incidentally was the title of a column written by my father Jim Morris in the Chapleau High School magazine circa 1932. How do I know as there was no byline on the story -- the late D.J 'Jim' Broomhead, a friend of my dad's told me so.

My personal favourite hockey player as a kid was Garth 'Tee' Chambers. 

When I was 'home' in 2015 for the launch of 'The Chapleau Boys Go To War' which I co-authored with my cousin Michael McMullen, it was a mini reunion with friends who still live in Chapleau and those who came home to show support -- yes, Lyle Lovett was right. As we chatted, I realized we had our whole lives in common.

And, thanks to Jim Hong, whose family has been running a business in Chapleau for nigh on to  100 years, we gathered at the 'Boston' about which at least one book could be written.

A highlight of my visit was the kindness of my lifelong -- at least since we were both five -- friend, Ken Schroeder, who took me on a nostalgic tour of backlanes, pointing out all the backyards and who lived there when we were kids.

Ken has an incredible memory, but I still have not quite figured out why he insisted he take my photo in the rhubarb patch in the backyard of the house where he was raised on Aberdeen Street.

I have been doing and teaching journalism and communications, one way and another close to 60 years now, and while doing a column on Ernest Lepine, reaiized that one of the stories I covered was the occasion when Mr. Lepine presented eggs to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau at the CPR station in 1982, and I had photos of it. I covered it for CBC Television News, while living in Chapleau.

I am so pleased to have been able to do  a column about the refugee family which arrived in Chapleau this year, and be able to refer to comments made by the late George Evans about why live in Chapleau. Although George arrived as an adult, I am sure all would agree he was so Chapleau!

During the seven years that I am been writing Chapleau Moments, thanks to Mario Lafreniere, it has struck me time and time again, of the accomplishments of Chapleau people both within the community and beyond its borders  -- ordinary people from a community, carved out of the wilderness of Northern Ontario -- doing exceptional things in times of peace and war.  I have only scratched the surface in sharing their success stories.

In  2016, for example, Chapleau can be justifiably proud of Liz Howard, who became the youngest winner of the prestigious Griffin Poetry prize.

Congratulations Liz.

Thanks to Doug Greig for all his help over the years.

Finally, I am so indebted to my friends Margaret Rose (Payette) and Bobby Fortin for kindly loaning me the Richard Brownlee Papers which provide such meaningful insights into the early history of Chapleau. 

Incidentally, Mr. Brownlee became my first real friend before I was five years old. My mother Muriel E. (Hunt) Morris and I were living with Mom's sister Elsie and her husband B.W. 'Bubs' Zufelt on Beech Street. 

I would wander over to Main Street and Mr. Brownlee's barber shop to visit. He would take me for drives in his car. When my grandmother Edythe Hunt came home in 1944 after serving as a nurse in England during World War II, she arrived with her arm in a sling. I couldn't wait to go and tell Mr. Brownlee that "Hitler had wounded her." She had sprained her wrist!

Thanks to all who have been in touch with comment, ideas, suggestions. Yes, we do have our "whole lives in common." 

Thomas Wolfe told us that you, and me, "can't go home to your family, back home to your childhood ... back home to places in the country, back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting all the time -- back home to the escapes of Time and Memory." Sorry Mr. Wolfe but I disagree.

Every blessing!  My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Chapleau railroaders bring honour to community winning first aid awards including national championship in 1927

A "splendid banquet" was held in the YMCA to pay tribute to four Canadian Pacific Railway employees who had demonstrated their skill in first aid which included a  national championship in 1927.
 
The Dominion (as Canada was in 1927 when they achieved their success) championship team was composed  of A.L Smith (captain), Harry Searle, R.K Smith and E.R. Moncrieff, the Chapleau Post reported. 
 
However, the team enjoyed more success in 1927 than winning the Montizambert cup and individual gold medals emblematic of the Canadian championship,  but they also won individual silver medals as runners-up in the Wallace-Nesbitt competition for the best four railroader first aiders in the Dominion, which was lost by the narrow margin of two points; the championship of Algoma district for the CPR,  and the provincial shield for the championship of the province of Ontario.
 
In winning the Algoma district championship they were assisted by V. Goldstein and Ernie Quelch.
 
Before sharing more details, I just have to comment that when I came across the story of this remarkable achievement by the Chapleau railroaders in 1927, I was totally amazed -- not because I doubted their ability, but it was another example of citizens from a small community achieving great success far beyond its borders.
 
The only team member I recall knowing was Mr. Searle who was the passenger agent at the station for many years, and World War I veteran, who became so well known as the first president of  Branch Number 5 (Ontario) of the Royal Canadian Legion, and had led the Chapleau delegation to the Legion founding convention in Winnipeg in 1925. The branch is named after Mr. Searle.
 
The Chapleau Post reported that the team's prowess had been demonstrated at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto in August 1927 at the request of the Ontario Workmen's Compensation Board and had been "highly commented upon" by officials. 
 
The Canadian championship team members were presented with gold stick pins by their friends in Chapleau, while Robert Von Goldstein was presented with a handsome briar pipe in recognition of his interest in first aid work prior to his retirement.
 
Master mechanic T. Hambly "eulogized the team for their brilliant performance and commented on the distinction they had brought to the town of Chapleau, but also to Algoma district (of the CPR)"

When team captain A.L. Smith was called upon to speak, he was interrupted before he could begin when the 100 present arose en masse singing "They are jolly good fellows" followed by three cheers and tiger. Mr. Smith expressed thanks of the team for the wonderful reception and interest in their success.
 
Dr. J.J. Sheahan spoke about the "Safety First" campaign started by the CPR, making reference to the reduction in number of accidents now occurring, adding that efficient first aid could greatly lessen the suffering involved. 
 
Mr. Searle paid tribute to Fred Wilson for the considerable time and effort he had spent on first aid work laying the excellent foundation prior to his departure from Chapleau.
 
Rev. Harold Hesketh, rector of St. John's Anglican Church, spoke about the team's achievements and the "honour which had come to the town and the steady and painstaking work necessary to become the leading first aid team in the Dominion of Canada". 
 
To wind up the the evening a musical program was presented followed by votes of thanks to the YMCA for the splendid banquet. All joined in the singing of "Auld Lang Syne" followed by the national anthem. My email is mj.morris@live.ca