Jack Shoup: a lifetime of service devoted to youth, church, community, and country

Mr Shoup at CPS dance circa 1954

Twenty years ago now when I was editor of Insider, the faculty newsmagazine at College of the Rockies I was writing about our duty to serve and participate, and referred to Frank Coulter who had been a member of the public school board in Chapleau for at least 17 years.

At a function honouring Frank for his service, I asked him why he had stayed on the board so long.

He told me that "Mr. Shoup told us we had a duty to serve and this is one way I could do it."

He was referring to John Martin 'Jack' Shoup, who was the principal and teacher at Chapleau Public School for 31 years with a leave of absence so that he could serve in the Canadian Army in World War II. Mr. Shoup had also served in World War I, and as Ian Macdonald recalled participated in the famous battle of Vimy Ridge.

According to Wikipedia the Battle of Vimy Ridge fought between April 9 and 12, 1917, was the first occasion when all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force participated in a battle together and thus became a Canadian nationalistic symbol of achievement and sacrifice. A portion of the former battleground serves as a preserved memorial park and site of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.

Ian, the retired head of the department of architecture and professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba, and always available for research assistance, who attended Chapleau Public School, said Mr. Shoup made the observation about the artillery barrage that preceded the attack on Vimy Ridge. He observed then that "he can still hear it to-day," and that would have been in 1951 or 1952.

After World War I, Mr. Shoup continued his teaching career which he started when he was 17 in the Sudbury area and came to Chapleau in 1927 as principal and teacher at the public school. He retired in 1958.

However, in 1939 he again joined the Canadian armed forces, went overseas, was wounded and eventually became a training officer for the duration of the war.

Upon returning to Chapleau, according to a story in the Chapleau Sentinel when he died, Mr. Shoup continued his "long career of devoted service to youth, his church, his community, his country and as a teacher." 

He and his wife Agnes also raised their three children in Chapleau.

A member of Harry Searle Branch Number 5 (Ontario) of the Royal Canadian Legion he served as president and was made a life member.

In 1947, in a speech to Legion members after completing his first term as president, he encouraged members to be involved in community life, adding that  the hall was becoming more and more a community centre every day and that more and more facilities would be added for the benefit of both the general public and veterans. He was returned for a second term as president.

By 1955, the Legion had taken over ownership of the hall when B.W. 'Bubs' Zufelt was reeve. It had been using it for many years after St. John's Anglican Church, for whom it had been built as a parish hall by G.B. Nicholson, could no longer afford it. 

It was built in memory of Lorne Nicholson and all his friends who were killed in World War I by his parents.

Mr. Shoup became the longest serving councillor in the history of Chapleau from the time the municipality was incorporated in 1901 until the present -- 16 one year terms!

Well known as chair of the Chapleau Recreation Committee and the beach day committee, Mr Shoup organized the children's parade and races for years, and skating races at the winter carnival too. Kids received dimes for participating.

When I posted a photo of Mr. Shoup in a parade with the children on Facebook, it prompted a flurry of comments summed up well by Graham Bertrand: "You could hand out ten dollar bills today and not be remembered like Jack Shoup fifty plus years later like he is."

Mr Shoup far right

Along with Vince Crichton and Bunt Burrows, he was an umpire for the Chapleau Fastball League for years, which prompted, to say the least, some "comments" at times. Little known perhaps, is that when Keith "Buddy" Swanson, Tom Welch and Lorne Riley were trying to bring junior "B" hockey to town in 1966, Mr. Shoup was a staunch supporter.

Buddy told me that Mr. Shoup was the only person, other than them, who attended the first meetings, and he encouraged them to continue with the plan. Of course they did and the rest is history.

In 1960, he was honoured by being named King of the Chapleau Winter Carnival.

He became a charter member of the Chapleau Rotary Club in 1951, sat on the board of Lady Minto Hospital, and taught Sunday school at Trinity United Church. He was also on the United church board.

Angelo Bucciarelli, Mr Shoup, Rotary Governor, Art Grout, Bubs Zufelt

Although I have been retired for 13 years now from the faculty of College of the Rockies, my thoughts always return to school at this time of year, and when I came across a copy of Insider, I decided to share a bit about Mr. Shoup, who with his counterpart John McClellan at Chapleau High School defined education for the better part of 30 years in Chapleau.

However, on a very personal basis, Mr. Shoup was a great friend of my family. As many readers will recall, my mother Muriel (Hunt) Morris taught with him at Chapleau Public School for years. He also brought the Sudbury Star every day to our house for my grandparents Edythe and George Hunt, on one of his walks, always with his stick. After my grandfather Harry Morris died in 1957, he also assisted my grandmother Lil (Mulligan) Morris and made sure she was OK. They both lived on Elgin Street.

And so, as the Chapleau Sentinel observed when he died, Mr. Shoup was a "devoted and highly respected" citizen. Mr. Shoup not only told his students they had a duty to serve and participate -- he did it at all levels.My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Thanks to Ian Macdonald and to Louise (Tremblay) Etter for making newpaper clipping available

Arthur 'Babe' Therriault of Chapleau pioneer family follows career as a boxer starting at age 13 with a win over Stan Deluce

Arthur 'Babe' Therriault, a member of one of the first families to settle in Chapleau after the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway shares his life and times in a really fascinating book that takes us from his career as a boxer, to the navy in World War II, to work in Chapleau and on to other places, and now retirement.

Babe, as he was known to everyone in Chapleau, is the son of  Steve and Gertrude (Stapley) Therriault, and the grandson of Majorique Therriault who arrived in the community in 1885. 

His grandfather secured work in the shops.

In 1886, his grandfather brought his wife Angelina Morin and children "to the newly established little village, living in one of the vacant boxcars provided by the CPR to temporarily house their employees."

Angelina died in 1891, and Majorique met Margaret Sabourin who had come to Chapleau to work as a pastry cook in the Queens Hotel. They married and she was Babe's grandmother.

I received a copy of "The Life and Times of Babe Therriault" written by Babe,recently from Brenda and David May. Brenda is Babe's daughter and David, who many will recall was an outstanding hockey player in Chapleau, the son of Roy and Carmen May. 

This week I am going to share some highlights from Babe's boxing career, and in another column more of his life and times that has been a pleasure to read this summer. Thanks Brenda and Dave.

Born on November 11. 1923. Babe celebrates his 90th birthday this year..

He started his boxing career when he was 13 at 115 pounds. "One of the boys I remember boxing was Stan Deluce who I defeated. Stan Deluce later founded White River Air Services and other airline services.

"There was also a guy from Localsh who came to Chapleau to fight and I again defeated him. Then when I was still in school, the police chief came in the morning to get me to go to Sudbury to fight because he had some position in the boxing club. ... ther best coach was a Scottish man by the name of Jack Brough who also worked at the CPR as a boiler maker. He was one great guy and i would have walked through hell or high water for him.

"I was the last one picked to go to Sudbury. The other boys were Freddy Welch, Ken Crowhurst, Cecil McAdam and I think Harvey Glabb was also there.

Babe won his first fight but in the championship round he faced Cecil Fielding getting his first lesson in losing. However, he notes that Fielding ended up owning Fielding Lumber Company and became a millionaire, "so I don't think I did any harm to him! Anyway I got a medal for all my trouble."

The next year Fielding came to Chapleau and knocked Babe out in the first round. "Boy was my mother ever frightened. She came rushing to the basement in the town hall right into the kitchen which we were using as a dressing room. I was quite embarrassed but I was OK and lived to fight another day".

By the time he was 15, Babe won his first title as the Sudbury district lightweight defeating  Freddie O'Hagen. A news report said: "Therriault registered four knockdowns before he could find and opening for that lethal punch that spelled doom for the popular O'Hagen. Trainer Murphy was so excited that when his boy scored the final knockout, he was counting with the referee to make sure it was really a victory."

I

In 1941 his parents arranged for him to go to Fort William and he got a free ride on a passenger train with Mr. Bob Faught as the conductor. However, in due course Babe enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy as a Stoker Second Class. He did some boxing while in the navy.

After the end of World War II, Babe returned to boxing heading to Toronto from Chapleau to see Jack Allen, the top promoter. He was pretty successful amateur boxer fighting in various cities including some in the United States.

Here is part of a story by boxing writer Claude Kewley about one of Babe's fights at Maple Leaf Gardens.

"In Art Therriault... promoter Deacon Allen at Maple Leaf Gardens introduced the possessor of the deadliest right cross seen in local cauliflower circles in several years. It might be added, Therriault is the only fighter the writer has seen in more than two years here who knows how to use his right and when to use it.

"Down for a nine count and apparently on the ice for keeps in the second, Therriault arose to score a sensational clean-cut third round win over New Toronto's hardpunching welterweight Johnny Wilson." More than 5,000 people were at the Gardens.

Babe's boxing career ended following a fight in Buffalo in which he broke his right hand, losing it in a split decision. I have only tried to capture some of the highlights.

He returned to Chapleau where the life and times of Arthur 'Babe' Therriault continued, including his marriage to Victoria 'Vicky' Mallek. More to come about Babe in a later column. My sincere thanks to Brenda, David and Babe for sharing. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

ARTHUR GROUT OF SMITH AND CHAPPLE IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE OF CHAPLEAU IN MANY AREAS

Grace and Arthur Grout

There I was, sitting in the Starbucks of the new Target store in Cranbrook, chuckling to myself and thinking about Arthur Grout, of Chapleau.

Mr. Grout, one of Chapleau's best known citizens, and as Dr. Bill Pellow, writing in Chapleau Trails noted, he had "his fingers in the pie, many pies and sometimes both feet in every aspect of Chapleau's existence" at one time.

But, it was one of the Target managers, they call them "team leaders" that had captured my attention with his clipboard. In fact, it seems like all the team leaders scurry around the store with their clipboards.

Out of the mothballs of memory, I saw Mr. Grout, president of Smith and Chapple Ltd., never without a clutch of papers or a clipboard as he seemed to be always in a hurry, going somewhere, but never failing to stop to talk with a customer.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE!!!

When I got home I went to Bill's piece about Mr. Grout, and he too, had taken note of the clipboard. "Remember him racing around from one department to another with his clipboard, jotting down memos to refresh his memory and putting order into a very busy day..."

In fact, when I was going to high school and university, and working part-time at Smith and Chapple, Mr. Grout once confided in me that if I wanted to be successful in business, always carry a bunch of papers -- looked impressive to people.

No way that all these years later, Target would have received advice from Mr. Groutto include in its team leader training program, that all carry clipboards, but there you have it, in more ways than one, A.J. "Art" Grout was ahead of the curve.

As a Smith and Chapple alumnus, I worked in the men's wear, furniture, grocery and garage, as well as at Mid North News and CHAP TV in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Mr. Grout started as a messenger boy at the store, and in 1930 with his business partner D.O. Payette, took it over with Mr. Payette as president.

When the end of an era came for Smith and Chapple Ltd. on April 30, 1987, although Mr. Grout had retired in 1962, Bill Payette, commented in an article, "My father was a great businessman and he and Art got along very well." Bill had joined the store in 1941.

In the 1930s in the midst of the Great Depression, the Chapleau Winter Carnival was founded with Mr. Payette, the catalyst with meetings in his office, but Mr. Grout was more the public face as carnival chairman.

Also, in 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were visiting Canada and the Royal Train would be passing through Chapleau. Mr. Grout and Earle Sootheran, manager of the jewelry department chartered a plane for a fishing excursion to the Goose River. The plan was to catch some speckled trout to present to their majesties.

It worked. The fish were accepted and Mr. Grout received a letter of appreciation from the Royal couple.

Mr. Grout took over the business in 1949 when Mr. Payette retired, and during the 1950s the physical face of Chapleau changed. Mr. Grout expanded the store to "the other side of Main Street" where CPR houses had been, and is now Collins Home Hardware. He established a real estate business and built houses at the end of Monk Street as well as several on King Street primarily to house CPR employees as the diesel shop was established.

When oldtimers, like me now, talk about major activities we remember from Chapleau, two are always recalled -- the draws at Christmas held at Smith and Chapple and Dr. G.E. Young's Christmas display.

After Mr. Grout established Mid North News and CHAP TV, I got my start in journalism writing a Chapleau High School column with Joy (Evans) Heft and hosting a television program with Phyllis Chrusoskie. Imagine, a small place like Chapleau, had a television station in the 1950s.  In fact it had two competing cable television companies after Dr. Young established one too.

In  a 1958 store advertisement in Mid North News, I counted over 120 employees of the company, making it a very large employer in Chapleau.

Although business was always on his mind, Mr. Grout was also very much involved in the community and the province. In Chapleau, he was active in St. John's Anglican Church, the chamber of commerce, the hospital board, and served as a township councillor as well as reeve for short time -- and that is likely only a partial list. He was also on the committee that built the Chapleau Memorial Arena on Lorne Street.

He was also a member of the boards of the Northern Ontario Development Corporation, Northeastern Associated Chambers of Commerce and the Northern Tourist Outfitters Association.

Also active in the Chapleau Rotary Club, he commissioned Frank Barberio to build the Rotary Table depicting wood from every country in the world that has Rotary. It is now located in the civic centre.

A major part of Mr. Grout's legacy to Chapleau occurred in 1964 when he arranged to purchase CPR Engine 5433, and bring it to Chapleau to be placed in the park by the station. The engine was moved to its present location by laying a special track from the shops to the park with J.M 'Bud' Park as the engineer of 5433, and Earle Freeborn on the engine pushing it to its new home.

Mr. Grout also headed the Chapleau Centennial Committee which built the centennial museum, now called the heritage musuem which I understand has now been closed for more than a year.

After he retired from Smith and Chapple in 1965, when Gene Bernier and Robert Warren took it over, he continued to promote Chapleau. In 1978 at the official openings of the Chapleau Civic Centre, Chapleau Recreation Centre and Cedar Grove Lodge in June, he seemed to be everywhere and made a donation of paintings to Cedar Grove. He also loaned his Cadillac to transport dignitaries.

For many years, Mr. Grout's first wife Nettie worked with him at the store. After she died, he married Grace Hartman who had been a councillor and mayor of Sudbury.

For sure, Mr. Grout could be controversial, and not always appreciated. It goes with the territory when you are as active as he was in the life and times of Chapleau, but he made a difference that improved the quality of life for us in the community's boom years. Mr Grout died in 1980. My email is mj.morris@live.ca