In the blink of an eye, everything can change...

"In the blink of an eye everything can change..."

I went for my morning walk here in Cranbrook, and met the manager of the local Save On Foods store who told me that I could go shopping between 7 and 8 am, a special time for the elderly during the Corona virus crisis. (Yes, I have reached that age where I am considered elderly ... 

The streets were very quiet unusual for a Friday morning and there were signs in many windows along my way announcing they were closed indefinitely.

On my return home I said hello to the guard in front of the liquor store who was limiting the number of customers who would be admitted at any one time.

From what I have been reading, similar scenes were taking place across Canada, and indeed the world.

"In the blink of an eye.."

I decided to take a look backwards to the early beginnings of Chapleau.

in my book, "Sons of Thunder ... Apostles of Love' which I wote to mark the 100th anniversary of St. John's Anglican Church in 1985, I wrote "The winter of 1885 was very strenuous for the early citizens of the fledgling community. It must have been for they had left their old way of life to build a new one far from any comforts they might have known. Apparently it was a bitterly cold winter and disease was rampant,"

In 1885 instructions were given to put a spur for a boxcar to be set out at mileage 615 on the Canadian Pacific Railway line which was in the centre of the present community of Chapleau. The boxcar became the first station, office building and train dispatcher's office... A station and office building were under construction and Chapleau had become a town  made up of surplus boxcars and tents. The population consisted of about 400 people, ninety five percent of them men.

Not quite like the health care crisis we are facing today perhaps but the illness of the winter of 1885-86 most assuredly frightened these good people.

There was no hospital in Chapleau until 1914 when the Lady Minto Hospital opened and medical doctors would come and visit periodically. 

But these good people overcame the challenges and by the end of 1886 permanent structures were beginning to appear and the thoroughfares w er being being blazed replacing the forests. General stores were being built as well as churches and private residences.

In 1888 a major health care crisis occurred. Life was not easy for the early inhabitants. An outbreak of diptheria of a most virulent type inflicted the residents. Several including young children died from the disease.

But Chapleau survived the threat presented by the  diptheria epidemic, and other scares throughout its history, up to and including today. I follow Chapleau on Facebook and daily see the efforts in the community to deal with the threats posed by the Corona virus.

Two rows of boxcars became temporary homes in Chapleau by late 1885

Although Chapleau is located on the Kebsquasheshing and Nebskwashi Rivers, the first site selected for the community was Tawagami, about five miles to the east about where Devon is, according to a long handwritten article in the Richard Brownlee papers.

The Devon site was apparently too swampy for a settlement near the tracks so the Canadian Pacific Railway work camps were moved west to what became Chapleau by 1885. A spur track for a boxcar, which became the first station was set out and Chapleau came into existence.

Before I go any further, and in the interests of full disclosure, I have no idea who wrote this article which summarizes the first 50 years of Chapleau history as there is no byline. It may very well have been Mr. Brownlee. It is excellent.

The author revealed that by late 1885 there were two rows of boxcars which had become temporary homes on "Stovepipe" and "Gosling" Avenues.

I was amazed to learn that by 1888 Chapleau had a public library in a boxcar with over 2000 volumes of "fine literature'  all donated by Sir William Van Horne, the president of the CPR. The library was later located in the Mechanics Institute.

The Chapleau Brass Band was established in 1888 and by 1889 Dominion Day on July 1 was being celebrated.

Efforts were made just before the turn of the century to have Chapleau incorporated as a municipality but failed because an insufficient number of names could be found for a petition calling for a vote.

However, in 1901 Chapleau became a municipality with G.B. Nicholson as the first Reeve. Mr. Nicholson served until 1913 being returned by acclamation each year. Members of the first council were A. Rothwell, D. Royal, P.J. MacFarlane and W. Boswell. To the best of my knowledge only relatives of Mr. Nicholson still live in Chapleau -- members of the Collins family.  Mrs. Eileen Collins, the wife of Charles W. Collins was a member of the Nicholson family.

The first act of the council was to float debentures for the construction of a public school. The first school was in a tent, then the first Roman Catholic Church then back to tent.

The author noted that the second tent was pitched on the spot where the United Church parsonage was located. 

"It was a very pretty spot and the tent was nestled among the big pine trees. Great fun was had when the pine cones dropped on the roof making a drumming noise. There were twelve rough hewn seats in the school. 

"Another feature of this school was the big stove in the middle and those who sat near ir roasted those away froze."

Turning to the CPR, the author wrote that the round house, a necessity in a railroad town, had no doors and when the snow piled up the section men shovelled it out.. The oil was kept outside and had to be heated on stoves. 

"The railroaders had a hard winter in those early days but they were hardy men."

D. O. Payette described Chapleau as he saw it in 1904 when he arrived.

"At least half of Chapleau was bush. There were no electric lights and coal oil was used almost exclusively for lighting purposes. The stores and hotels used acetylene gas. The water supply was had from pitcher pumps which drew the water from well points driven into the ground at varying depths."

Things changed quickly and that is a column for another day as we look at the early days of Chapleau. If you would like to contribute to the story please contact me at mj.morris@live.ca

Once again I extend my sincere thanks to Margaret Rose (Payette) and Bobby Fortin who kindly loaned me the Richard Brownlee Papers!

Dr G. E. 'Ted' Young strode like a colossus through Chapleau life for almost a century

Whenever it gets close to Christmas, no matter where I am, my thoughts turn to growing up in Chapleau, and the Dr. G. E. 'Ted' Young display that was referred to as "our Disneyland" Indeed it was!

This year has been no different with a boost from Leo Vezina and Harriet Bouillon. Leo posted a photo from one of the displays on Louise Tremblay's Chapleau History and Genealogy page on  Facebook and Harriet suggested he contact me re photos she had sent me some years ago. I saw their posts and here I am even though I may repeat myself a bit from earlier columns.

To get started, when I was growing up in Chapleau and had come down with one of the common childhood diseases, after my mother left for school, I would suggest to my grandmother that we call Dr. Young who for sure would come and make me better.

Almost momentarily, or so it seemed, Dr. Young would appear with his black bag, and sit beside my bed. take my pulse and temperature, and my favorite, take out his stethoscope and and have me take deep breaths to make sure I was still alive. Then he would talk with Nanny, my grandmother, Edith Hunt, who assured me she would follow his instructions and in due course, I would be "all better" and head back to school.

When my dog Rex was hit by a car while I was still in public school, I carried him into the house, in tears, shouting at my mother, Muriel E. Morris, "Call Dr. Young." She did and once again, it seemed within moments, he arrived. After examining Rex, he told me to put a blanket near the wood stove as well as food and water, and let him be. Amazingly, Rex recovered and lived another 10 years. Dr. Young had done it again.

 George Edward "Ted" Young, who served Chapleau and area for 50 years as a medical doctor, was born on November 2, 1914, died at age 95 on November 14, 2010.


For almost a century, born in Chapleau  to George and Mabel Young, he strode like a colossus through every aspect of community life -- as a young athlete who became famous for swimming to Mulligan's Bay, as an officer in Number 1181 Chapleau High School Cadet Corps, as a medical student at Queen's University who came home to practise for six months in 1942 and remained 50 years before he retired in 1994, as the builder of the Chapleau beach, as a member of township council, as a cable television pioneer, and as one who was constantly undertaking new projects, many of which were never quite completed. He was also a founding member of the Chapleau Rotary Club and served as its second president.
He started his famous Christmas displays shortly after he launched his practise in the home originally built and owned by G.B. Nicholson, the community's first reeve, and lumber baron.

After I posted some photos on Louise Tremblay's popular page, the comments about Dr. Young started and had reached close to 500 when I began work on this column.

Here is a random selection without names as I did not ask permission to quote.

"A Chapleau icon. Fondly remembered as a great man" -- "Fantastic doctor and we always looked forward to what new thing he was adding each year," --  Great old Dr. Young. I had many great conversations with him and will always remember him."  --" Dr. Young was from the old school. He had no problem making home visits."

There were many similar comments.

On a personal basis, Dr. Young and I were good personal friends, and after I moved from Chapleau to teach at College of the Rockies in Cranbrook BC, I spent a month visiting with him when I returned home for the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of Chapleau in 2001. Much storytelling which continued when he travelled west and visited me here. Until that visit I was not aware that his mother was from Creston so we went there and visited the church the family attended and the family plot in the local cemetery. He told me he was not sure he could find the grave but he walked right to it!!!

I extend my most sincere thanks to Leo Vezina and Harriet Bouillon  for prompting me to reflect on a few memories of Dr. Young, and congrats to Louise Tremblay for her Facebook page..My email is mj.morris@live.ca