Dominion Day (now Canada Day) started with sound of cannon in Chapleau's early years

Dominion Day was a time for a "great holiday" celebration in the early years of Chapleau's history from six a.m. when a cannon sounded until a dance ended the festivities in the evening.

Actually, Dominion Day, now called Canada Day on July 1 was a major celebration to mark Canada's birth as a nation, for many years, first sponsored by the municipal council after 1901 when Chapleau became a municipality, and later Branch No. 5, (Ontario) of the Royal Canadian Legion.

According to Vince Crichton in his book 'Pioneering in Northern Ontario' the six a.m. salute to mark the beginning of the day's actvities was fired from an old cannon owned by Tom Lonergan. Mr. Lonergan had served in the military in India and Canada.

Dominion Day 1911

This tradition lasted many years as I remember the cannon sounding during my growing up years in the 1940s and 1950s.

As well as celebrating Canada's birthday, another main objective was to get everyone out to enjoy themselves and participate, and the program involved activities for all ages.

Dominion Day 1903

In the early years a giant parade formed at the rink located on Lorne Street at nine a.m. It was led by the Chapleau Brass Band.

Vince shared details on one parade. The children followed the band some being pulled in small wagons and each carrying a Union Jack or Red Ensign. As an aside I just recalled that houses and stores were decorated with flags for the occasion.

Dr. J.J. Sheahan organized this part of the parade and all children got five cents to spend. In later years J.M. 'Jack' Shoup, veteran of World War I and II, and long time principal of Chapleau Public School was in charge. I think we got ten cents. Mr. Shoup also was in charge of children's races.

J M Shoup far right 1950s

Horse drawn floats all decorated were in the parade and top prize was about five dollars.

Parades in Chapleau were always awesome.

Vince summed up those early years: "The enthusiasm and happy holiday spirit was further enhanced by the music of the band at intervals throughout the day and above all the shouting and huffing of the citizens,"

There were always sports activities including ball games between Chapleau teams and others who came from Schreiber, White River and Fort William. 

They may even have had their own car on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Common in those years. In fact, I recall our Bantam hockey team had our own car for  a trip to Sudbury in the 1950s.

There were also water sports and in the evening the day ended with a dance usually in the Town Hall basement.

I've kinda gone back and forth between the very early days, and later years in Chapleau, but I really wanted to share some photos from the early 1900s to Mr. Shoup's time in the 1950s. 

Dominion (Canada) Day celebrations were always such an important part of community life. Happy Canada Day. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

NAMES OF BAND

The Chapleau Brass Band taken at south-east corner of Birch and Lansdowne Street, 1905. They are as follows: 1 Mickey Lanigan, 2 Max Brunette, 3 Joe Windburn, 4 Dr. Jim Gillie, 5 Harry West, 6 Stanley Dexter, 7 J.B. Dexter, 8 unknown, 9 Tom Lonergan, 10 unknown, 11 unknown, 12 Fred Burrows, 13 D.O. Payette, 14 Alec Sweezy.

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St Jean Baptiste Day celebration rocks Town Hall walls with "excitement and merriment" with 800 suppers served to end day's activities

Gilbert Chevigny with his lamb

On St Jean Baptiste Day activities to mark the occasion sponsored by Chapleau's French Canadian Association attracted hundreds and the day was a great success, according to  Sudbury Star report. 

The report included in the Richard Brownlee papers does not have the year, but judging by the people in the photos, my best guess is around 1959 or 1960. The younger folks were among by good friends growing up in Chapleau in the 1950s. If anyone knows the exact year, please feel free to let me know.

Headed by association president A. R. Morin, the day began with High Mass sung by Rev. Father R. Marchand at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church with special music under the direction of Robert Labelle, with Gaetan Roussel at the organ.

Although rain interrupted the plan momentarily, it did not spoil the pleasure of the hundreds of children and their parents who packed the Town Hall to capacity, following the parade.

A highlight of the parade was St. Jean and his lamb, a real one, with six-year-old Gilbert Chevigny playing the role of St. Jean. There were seven floats plus hundreds of children in the parade.

The parade went from Sacred Heart Roman Catholic School to the town hall where Paul Belair took over as master of ceremonies.

names below

Singers in solo and groups included Jeannine and Rita Morin who also played the piano. Daniel Lemieux, Cheryl Martin and Mrs. Charles Ouellette played selections at the piano while the Frappier sisters entertained with their singing, as did Norman Bosse. Group members included Jacqueline Broyeau, Rejeanne Roussel, Rita Morin and Denise St. Jacques.

The article noted that "After the concert the real uproar began in the basement and the old town hall's walls rocked with excitement and merriment of hundreds of children in high spirits. A supper of beans to end all beans was served as the final event. It was estimated that 800 suppers were served not counting those who returned for seconds."

Members of the executive committee who worked with Mr. Morin to make the day a success included Paul Belair, A. Leclerc, Claude Bourget, I. Charlebois, M. Carbonneau, Maurice Chevigny, N. Roussel and Maurice Levebvre. 

Women also "shared the load in the preparation for the celebration and in carrying out duties to make the day a success," the Sudbury Star article noted. See photo.

names below

Once again I thank Margaret Rose (Payette) and Bobby Fortin for loaning me the Richard Brownlee papers. In working on this column I realized that Mrs. Jeanne Brownlee, the wife of Mr. Brownlee added to the papers after her husband died in 1951.  Mrs. Brownlee was a member of the St. Jean Baptiste Day committee. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

PHOTOS

Organizers included front row left to right: Napoleon Roussel, Paul Belair, Gaitan Rouseel, Father R. Marchand, A.R. Morin, R. Noiseaux. Second row: I. Charlebois, R. Charbonneau, O. Landry, R. Morin, M. Lefebvre. Back: E. Pineault, Claude Bourget, E. Leclerc, Lionel Ouellette

Ladies group members who also assisted: Front left to right Rejeanne Roussel, Ghislaine Longchamps, Lorraine Cormier, Rita Morin. Second row: Jeanine Morin, Mrs. Eddie Gionet, Mrs. Thomas Rioux, Mrs. J. Charlebois, Mrs. Andre Morin. Third row: Mrs. N. Roussel, Mrs. Aldred Leclerc, Mrs. Albert Longchamps, Mrs. Lorenzo Longchamps, Mrs. E. Pineault, Mrs. Jeanne Brownlee, Mrs. A.R. Morin.

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'Enough publicity may do the trick' Arthur Grout suggests when Chapleau Post got a linotype machine

When Arthur Simpson, editor and publisher of the Chapleau Post got a linotype machine, it prompted Arthur Grout to write a letter to him entitled "Enough publicity may do the trick" referring to the completion of Highway 129.

Mr. Grout wrote that when Mr. Simpson started the newspaper, "Your main idea was to focus attention on Chapleau by publicity so that our claims and hopes for a highway into, and perhaps through Chapleau might be realized."

Writing the letter in the 1940s, Mr. Grout added, "You, and perhaps others had high hopes that when we had accomplished our objectives, that our town would grow, many with businesses would be attracted to the place."

Although the highway was not yet completed the letter noted that "Well -- half your dream has come true. You have the machine installed and running while we are still waiting on our road. But we still have the hope that our highway will be a reality in the very near future."

Always the Chapleau booster, Mr. Grout noted, "This district with its forests, water power storage, timber limits, mineral possibilities, tourist attractions, trapping and hunting areas, has everything and its opportunities are recognized by many. It needs a road to open it upand that can  not be denied much longer."

Mr. Grout revealed that he had been in Blind River where "all the talk is about how much is expected to be done on development work along the Mississaugi. Contracts had been awarded.

Returning to the subject of the newspaper's new linotype machine Mr. Grout encouraged Mr. Simpson, "So get that linotype hot. Tell more and more people about how Chapleau needs the road -- about what it can mean to our young people in new opportunities, and if you make it loud enough and strong enough, we may be able to drive in and out of Chapleau before the linotype has its first birthday."

Well, maybe pretty close, as the first vehicles to travel over Highway 129, did so in bitterly cold weather, and tragedy on January 23 and 24, 1949. The tragedy was that Thomas Godfrey who had been a major supporter of the highway for many years died of a heart  attack while making the first trip by car from Chapleau.

Chapleau had its highway, although many referred to it as a "turkey trail" through the bush. Mr. Simpson had his linotype and in 1950 was able to declare that Chapleau was also going to be on the Trans Canada highway.

The headline blared "WE GOT IT" in three languages on April 24, 1950 in three languages in the only Extra ever published by the newspaper in its history.

Schools were closed to celebrate the news, and Reeve B.W. 'Bubs' Zufelt appeared in a photo in The Globe and Mail pointing off in the distance to Schreiber.

Politics intervened and Chapleau was never directly on the Trans Canada highway but in the 1960s was linked to Timmins and Wawa.

I had missed the letter to the editor linking the linotype machine to the highway in the Richard Brownlee papers, kindly loaned to me by Margaret Rose (Payette) and Bobby Fortin. It was well done, and I have to disclose that it brought back memories of my own days as an editor at daily newspapers in the days of the linotype machine.

Mr. Grout concluded with a tribute to Mr. Simpson, giving him credit and congatulations on having the courage to invest so much in new equipment for his business. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

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