Chapleau Curling Club holds Centennial Bonspiel in 1986

The Chapleau Curling Club celebrated its 100th anniversary with a Centennial Bonspiel to mark the historic occasion in November 1986.

Reeve Ken Russell was on hand to present incoming club president Wilma Schmidt with a plaque from the Township of Chapleau recognizing 100 years of curling in the community.

Although there appears to be very little information available on the beginnings of curling in Chapleau, in 1886, one sheet of ice enclosed by boards was located on Lorne Street where the "old old rink" was eventually built. Sheets of ice were in that rink until about 1928 when the curling rink was built on Pine Street, and there it remained until 1978 when it relocated to the Chapleau Recreation Centre.

The Chapleau Sentinel reported that 52 rinks from Chapleau, other communities in Ontario and Quebec participated in the centennial bonspiel with additional sheets of ice created in the A.W. Moore Arena.

To launch the bonspiel, two of the oldest members of the club were selected for a ceremonial throwing of the first stone. Olive Card threw it while Syd Roffey swept.

At a banquet Master of Ceremonies Albert Tremblay extended thanks to the bonspiel committee on their efforts to make it a success. Members included Margaret Rose Fortin, Monica Tremblay, Joan Longchamps, John Longchamps, Tina Cappellani, Doug Prusky, Rita Mitchell, Twyla Berry, Jim Hong, Paula Hughes and Lorna Martel. Draw master was Trevor Riley while Roy May and Peter Archambault were the ice committee. Prize committee members were Jean and Carmelle Martel.

Albert also extended thanks to the Air Cadets and the Fitness Club for operating the lunch counter, Carl Nyman and Richard Beaudoin for making the scoreboards, Roger Mizuguchi for selling tickets and the United Church Men's Breakfast Club for catering the meal

The rink travelling the farthest to participate was Paul Richardson, Denise Richardson, Diane Richardson and Harry Richardson from Ottawa and Montreal.

And the winners were!

Top honours in the A Event went to a rink skipped by Ed Rioux. Team members were Freda Rioux, John Young and Debbie Young.

In the B Event the rink of Walter Telik, Oriette Telik, Linda Martel and Denis Martel were the winners.

C Event winners were the rink of Jack O'Connor, Doug Prusky, Tina Cappellani and Monique Landry.

Consolation winners were Paul Antoniazzi, Nadine Antoniazzi, Gordon Welch and Jill Welch.

The Chapleau Town Band, which was also first established circa 1886, was present to march the winners around the ice surface before prizes were awarded.

To conclude the bonspiel incoming club president Wilma congratulated the winners and all who were involved in making it a success.

Bishop Tom Corston was in touch responding to my column on the Algoma Dairy and the Broomhead family. Tom wrote in part: "Great story on the Broomheads. Did you know that prior to the Broomhead dairy business my Grandfather, Jack Corston, had a dairy business delivering milk to much of 'lower town'. My father (Henry 'Chicken') often talked about delivering milk with his brothers."

 I knew There was a Corston's farm but was not aware Mr. Corston had a dairy business.   Thanks Tom.

Also, Ann (Bedford) Midgley reminded me that her grandfather Simon Kruger, after retiring from the CPR worked in the Algoma Dairy convenience story. That I do recall. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Algoma Dairy had enviable record of milk delivery in Chapleau starting with 'pony express' in 1921

From its "pony express" which brought milk to its first customers until it ceased deliveries, the Algoma Dairy in Chapleau had an enviable record of never missing a day, according to newspaper articles about the family business that served the community for just over 75 years.

On July 4, 1921, the first delivery of milk went out to a few customers of the business established by Walter and Emily Broomhead with total assets of one cow, a cart and a Shetland pony.

The steady growth over the years was "not achieved by chance" but by the efforts of Mr. Broomhead, his wife and their three sons, Jim, Walter and Arthur, according to a newspaper report about the family business 35 years later.

In due course they eventually had a herd of 84 cattle,  a farm, where two of their grandchildren still live today, and the pony express delivery gave way to an insulated milk truck. By 1939, they had the Algoma Dairy  building at the intersection of Birch and Young Streets.

As the business had grown they dispensed with the herd of cattle and had milk shipped from the Larchwood area which was processed at the dairy. One newspaper story relates that during a Canadian Pacific Railway strike, they had a truck travel over Highway 129 daily to Blind River to pick up the milk and return to Chapleau same  day.

They kept pace with modernization, and added the latest in equipment. Sons Jim and Walter joined the business and when their younger brother Arthur did a bit later, Margaret Costello asked what he did.

Jokingly, the older brothers replied, "Well he's supposed to do as he's told but generally ends up doing what he pleases." Arthur became the last brother to be actively involved with the family business.

When Mr. Broomhead died in 1940, Mrs. Broomhead and her sons continued the business.

In 1956, Margaret Costello paid tribute to Mrs. Broomhead for her "tremendous vitality and indomitable spirit that pulled her through early struggles (including the death of her husband) -- combined with a lively sense of humour".

The story also noted that in 1956 that Algoma Dairy would be one of the oldest family owned businesses in Chapleau that had never changed hands having been established in 1921.

The Boston Café owned by the Hong family would be another. Charles W. Collins stores celebrates 90 years with the Collins name in 2018, and still operated by family members.

Arriving in Chapleau in 1912, Mr. and Mrs. Broomhead purchased property on King Street which at the time was a "mixture of bush and mud" and built the first house there.

Obtaining milk was a problem for families with young children so they bought a cow to solve it, and their neighbours who faced the same situation became their first customers and their business was started in 1921.

As government regulations increased, the dairy adapted constantly upgrading the business but still never missing a day's delivery.

Like so many Chapleau people I have such fond memories of milk being delivered to our door daily as I was growing up in our home on Grey Street, first by Jim and later by Arthur.

When I was a youngster on my way to visit my grandparents Lil (Mulligan) and Harry Morris on Elgin Street (the other side of town), quite often I would meet Jim on the milk truck. He never failed to tell me to say "hello" to my grandparents from him.

All the Broomhead family have made a significant contribution to many aspects of the life and times of Chapleau for over 100 years now. Grandchildren and great grandchildren of Emily and Walter Broomhead still do.  The Algoma Dairy closed in 1997. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Chapleau headed for some significant moments in its history of the past 100 years starting in 2018

Chapleau will be marking several significant moments in its history of the past 100 years over the next five years.

 Remembrance Day on November 11, 1918, will mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, and Chapleau citizens made a significant contribution to the war effort, both on the battlefields of Europe and at home.

In our book, 'The Chapleau Boys Go To War', Michael McMullen and I produced a list of 283 volunteers, 282 men and one woman, with a Chapleau connection, who enlisted in World War I. That was more than 10 percent of the entire population of the community at the time.

We also identified 32  Chapleau boys who died in World War I, or died thereafter, due to their war related wounds/health conditions.

On the home front, citizens contributed to the war effort through the Chapleau branch of the Canadian Red Cross Society and other organizations. 

On November 4, 1918, just a week before World War ended, Lt. Lorne Nicholson of the First Chapleau Platoon of the 227th Battalion (Men O The North) was killed while on active service overseas. His parents, George and Charlotte Nicholson, both members of St. John's Anglican Church, decided to build a parish house. Mr. Nicholson, Chapleau's first reeve from 1901 to 1913, was in the lumber business while Mrs. Nicholson was one of the community's first school teachers.

The inscription on the front of the building says, "Saint John's Parish House... In memory of Lt. Lorne W. Nicholson and all those who with him voluntarily gave their lives in the Great War. Erected by his father and mother A.D. 1919''.

The parish house, which now houses Branch Number 5 (Ontario) of the Royal Canadian Legion was officially opened on April 19, 1920. It was likely in use as a parish house by late 1919.

The Legion branch was established in 1926, one year after the Canadian Legion was formed at a meeting in Winnipeg with a Chapleau delegation led by Harry Searle in attendance.

Ian Macdonald, retired Head of the Department of Architecture and Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba, writing about the building, wrote in part that the Nicholson generosity "has left Chapleau with what is probably the most elegant and distinctive of all Royal Canadian Legion properties in Canada.."

Just as World War I ended, disaster struck the Roman Catholic Church members in Chapleau when just before Christmas, the church burned down.

According to an article by Father Albert Burns SJ, a Chapleau native, the first church was built in 1885, on the site of what is today Collins Hardware. This church had become too small, and a larger one was built in 1891 with its final touch in 1898 on the site of the present church.

Unfortunately it was destroyed by fire on December 18, 1918 just before Christmas. Under the guidance of Father Romeo Gascon, the parish priest,  the good people of the parish came together, and  Midnight Mass  on December 24, 1919 was celebrated in the new church built on the site where it is today. Father Burns was an altar boy at that Christmas Eve Service. The "new" church will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 1919.

It struck me as I was researching this column that Chapleau was a busy place for construction in 1919 as the Parish House for the Anglicans and a new church for the Roman Catholics were both under construction about a block away from each other.

Finally, in my musings about some important moments in Chapleau history from 100 years ago, in 1922, Chapleau High School will celebrate its 100th anniversary. The first school was on Pine Street until 1966 when it relocated to a new building where it is today.

If interest in a 100th anniversary reunion can be gauged from a Facebook page established by Janice (Corston) Whitely is any indication of support for the idea, it now has 2,065 members.

 I am told by Graham Bertrand that informal chats about the possibility are underway, and hopefully a decision will be made in early 2018. Graham chaired the 90th anniversary as well as chairing and being actively involved in all major Chapleau celebrations for more than 40 years. If interested maybe chat with Graham!

As an aside, I got thinking about Chapleau houses as I have been writing, and when some of them were built. When I was home for the launch of 'The Chapleau Boys Go To War' with Michael McMullen in 2015, Ken Schroeder, my lifelong friend took me on a front street/back lane tour but we didn't establish when houses were built. Story for another day.

Speaking of Ken, he has a remarkable memory for all things Chapleau and here is a note I received about my Alton Morse column: "Good one,.....Loved it,....thanks,....noted the huge size of the logs,....wow,...Remember a school trip to the mill  pond at S&M and watched these logs floating and being pushed to the debarker,....we went for a walk on these floating logs,..could hardly believe they held us up,...You were there and we walked on them,....now,....today the logs are so much smaller,....Take care,.....Ken,......"

I also received a kind comment from Eric Morse (through Donald Swanson), who accepted the Order of Canada on behalf of his grandfather. Thanks Eric and Donald.  My email is mj.morris@live.ca and yes, I am on Facebook.