Chapleau memorable Christmas moments fondly recalled

Dr Young's original Christmas display

Among the many wonderful memories that folks have been sharing with me about Christmas celebrations in Chapleau, two were recalled by almost everyone who contacted me for this article. However, others shared their stories about family tradition and community celebrations.


Alison (McMillan) McMullen captured the two that were most widely recalled: "The memories I have of Christmas were Dr. (G.E. "Ted") Young's fabulous displays (complete with music over loudspeakers) and also the draws at Smith & Chapples leading up to a big Christmas Eve draw. I see the marketing advantages now, but at the time I thought this was a great thing that the store was doing."

During a conversation on Facebook one afternoon, Raoul Lemieux shared his memories about Dr. Young's displays: "Dr.Young had to have the tallest tree put up at the office and decorated the whole building from top to bottom. It had all the characters from Disney. He had thousands of lights up it would light up the whole street." Mario Lafreniere, publisher of the Chapleau Express joined the conversation and recalled that Dr. Young also put Stars on his T.V. tower. He also had lights on his boathouse.

Erik Collings summed it all up during our Facebook chat: "The Post Office used to put a big tree in front of the building too...before they removed the grass and built the ramp...the town used to hang Holly and lights, not just at the intersection...but the whole downtown was lighted up...there used to be Skating parties on the river, when the town used to build a rink on the ice...i can vaguely remember when there was the town band playing Christmas music ."

Turning to the draws at Smith and Chapple Ltd. Vince Crichton wrote in an email: "Re Christmas in the old home town here is one that I fondly recall. A.J. Grout (the president of Smith and Chapple) used to have draws ... in the store and he had a podium set up in the front of the hardware section. There were numbers placed throughout the store and you had to pick your number and stand by it until he had the draws – lots of folks went to these and I recall going with my Grandmothers Crichton and Morris and your grandmother Hunt and of course my mum. Draws usually took place at about 8pm and we were out and on way home at 9. And, if it was blustery and cold it was a long walk home over the bridge. I recall all 3 grandmothers and my mum wearing fox or mink stoles around their necks – my mum had a silver fox and the others had mink."

Vince lived on Queen Street so it was a long walk home on a cold December night in Chapleau. As an aside my grandmother Edith Hunt and Vince's grandmother Helen "Nell" Crichton were sisters. My Aunt Nell lived in the big red house at Aberdeen and Birch Streets while my grandmother lived on Grey Street south.

Raoul Lemieux commented on the Smith and Chapple draws on Facebook when none of us were talking about them: " Arthur Grout. Nobody is talking about Arthur. All the Christmas decorations and the big give aways to attract customers in his store. It worked very well . Started his tv channel so the people could watch the draws on tv. Hundreds of people exmas week were on the streets.All the stores downtown were busy."

During my high school and university years I worked at Smith and Chapple Ltd. during the Christmas holidays and in the Fifties and early Sixties it was a bustling place on draw days. I recall Dr. Young's wonderful displays from childhood on. Amazing.

Barbara (Bowland) Groves joined the facebook conversation and recalled the old Santa Claus parades. "I remember Santa parades also. I remember then going to the town hall to get something from Santa and Santa knew all the kids' name. Did not know for a long time he was the milk man and delivered door to door so did indeed know lots of us." (Santa at that time was Jim Broomhead who also served as reeve of Chapleau.) Erik Collings had commented: "I have a few Christmas memories of Chapleau. I vaguely remember the old Christmas Parade that used to happen, i was just a young child... and Christmas carolers going door-to-door."

The parade would start at the CPR station and come over the old Horsehoe Bridge into the downtown area. Eugene Bouillon observed about the bridge: "I do remember the Horseshoe Bridge, what a bridge when you think back, today, most of the lumber trucks and delivery trucks would never make it. I remember many stuck at the top trying to make the corner. Memories..." Yes Eugene but the parade always made it.


In an email James Thibault recalled that a Christmas ritual on his mother's (Monique) side "was the family get-togethers at my aunt Yvette and uncle Raoul 'Cack' Fortin's place where the Fortins' and Burns' would all celebrate Xmas with the traditional French Canadian meal of "tourtiere, tarte au sucre (sugar pie) and p'tit Pate (Wild meat stew and dumplings) would be prepared by the women while the children danced and sang to the music played by the men on the fiddle and piano. Shortly before midnight everybody except a couple of the women, who would stay behind to take care of the food for the 'Reveillon' (yes more food and drink!!), would trek off to Midnight mass at the Catholic Church. We would then return and open our gifts and be home in bed by about 2 or 3 in the morning. Those times are behind us, but not forgotten."

Helen Henderson in an email recalled: "About Christmas in Chapleau.... I remember snow!!!!! and lots of it. Do you recall the really great Christmas Parties put on by the Rotary club? They were focused around the country represented by the current student exchange of the time. Dorleen Collings and her " crew" did a smashing job of researching the menus and cuisine of that country and presenting it to eager participants.

"Another thing I remember and you may not have heard about , was the MNR Christmas Parties Everyone present was anxious to see what" Santa "( Gary Thomson) brought to all the good little boys and girls from" the Point" and beyond.

"From then on, into the New Year just about everyone was involved in preparing for the Winter Carnival."

Erik Collings also recalled a family tradition: "Our tradition was a big dinner, that would rotate between family every year... between Francis and Chicken (Corston) , Doug and Cecile (Jardine), Olive and Bert (McAdam), Elsie and Pat (Pellow), Monique and Andre (Thibault)The best memory was one year when my mother did the party, naturally the best feast...she would cook three types of meat, goose, beef and veal, with all the fixings...the best part was called Dupe Gruta...she would mix all the roasted juices together add a bit of flavouring, reduce the stock, then we would all gather around the tureen and dip homemade rye bread and eat...it a traditions Swedish holiday appetizer...

"Besides that tradition, I remember countless holiday dinners, sitting in the Legion Kitchen, peeling potatoes...while my mother and the Legion ladies cooked."

Many of us will recall the fantastic meals that Erik's mother Dorleen Collings cooked for us at banquets and community festivals That is a story in itself.

Let's give the last word on great Chapleau Christmas moments for this week to Linda (Tebbutt) Kutchaw, Helen's daughter who joined the Facebook conversation: "Wow! I love hearing all these stories. Although I am younger than all of you that have posted so far, but not by much I must add, I do vaguely remember the decorations at Dr. Young's and the post office. As for Christmas memories: getting a Christmas turkey from the Martel family every year, our family would go to the Encil's or the Plouffe's and or the Martel's for Christmas night or Boxing day. Mrs Encil and Mrs. Plouffe sure did serve some yummy treats! I think the visiting between houses went on all Christmas holiday actually. After the kids showed each other what gifts we received, our parents would be visiting for what seemed like forever.. and I would be desparately trying to stay awake in the corner. As for Santa Claus, Mr O'Shaughnessy would be the one I remember at the kids MNR parties and the Anglican church. Graham Bertrand was also Santa CLaus, for the MNR if I remember correctly.

"I was just talking to my brother (Dan) about this recently. I remember the two of us going out to the airport to pick out and chop down a tree. Oh ya.. the size of the Encil's and the Plouffe's trees were huge!! I have many fond memories."


My sincere thanks to all who contributed to great moments at Christmas in Chapleau. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

This article appears in the December 12, 2009 edition of the Chapleau Express.











Michael J Morris

http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.com

Closing post offices in rural Canada is turning back the clock move

NOTE: While the focus of this article is the post office in Chapleau, Ontario, it is an issue facing many communities in rural Canada today as post offices are being closed. I invite your comments at mj.morris@live.ca


For almost 60 years now the Federal Building in Chapleau, commonly referred to as "the post office" has been a focal point of community life, a daily meeting place for citizens to not only pick up and send out mail, but to pass the time of day with friends and neighbours. In reality the post office is the centre of Chapleau, and to read in the Chapleau Express that it may be closed, bothered me immensely, even though I have not lived there for more than 20 years.


I believe that I speak for many of us who have moved from Chapleau, but still consider it home that the post office is much more than the handling of the mail in a small town, with all respect to the people who work there. It is the heart and soul of the community, the daily meeting place, if you will, and all efforts must be made to convince Canada Post and the federal government that it must stay open. I sure lend my voice to the efforts to keep the Chapleau post office right where it is!

Just prior to World War II plans had been made to undertake a federal building in Chapleau at the corner of Birch and Lorne streets and I recall as a youngster that the site had been excavated but nothing happened until 1949. In the 1920s my grandfather George Hunt had a jewelry and watch repair business on the site. I recall telling people as a youngster when we would walk by the partially excavated site in the 1940s, "My grandfather's store used to be there."

Let me turn back the clock for a moment to 1885 when the Canadian Pacific Railway arrived and Chapleau was created as a divisional point out of the wilderness of Northern Ontario. For help in putting it all into perspective for you, I turned to my cousin Michael McMullen, who has written a family history of William and May (Mulligan) McMullen, his grandparents and my great aunt and uncle. My grandmother Lil (Mulligan) Morris and his grandmother were sisters.

Our family was very much involved in the early days of the Chapleau post office with two members having held the position of postmaster.

The first post office in Chapleau was established in the store of T.A. Austin who was the first postmaster from 1886 to 1890. He was followed in the position by J.M Austin, from 1890 to 1892 and then by H. Nicholson from 1892 to 1896. The post office was housed in various locations during this time in stores.

According to Michael's family history, Patrick A. Mulligan, our great-great uncle arrived in Chapleau in late 1885, and built a store called Murrays and Mulligan at the northwest corner of Birch and Young Streets which opened in 1886. He became Chapleau's fourth postmaster in 1896 and served until 1913. Michael noted that while serving as postmaster Patrick Mulligan built a small post office which became part of the Boston Cafe.

William McMullen, Michael's grandfather, arrived in Chapleau in 1898 and worked for the CPR whose employ he left in 1913 to become Chapleau's fifth postmaster following the death of Patrick Mulligan, his wife May's uncle, who had served for 17 years. William was postmaster until mid-1918 when he returned to the CPR and Mrs. George Collinson, the assistant postmaster took over until her husband took over the position upon his return from serving in Canadian forces overseas in World War I. Mr. Collinson was postmaster until 1955 when he retired.

One other location for the post office was in an Austin and Nicholson store on Birch Street. In 1927 the post office moved to a red brick building at 14 Young Street where it remained until the new federal building was opened in 1950. This building was originally a branch of the Traders Bank established in Chapleau in 1909 which amalgamated with the Royal Bank of Canada in 1910, giving RBC a presence in Chapleau for 100 years.

The Chapleau Post of May 5, 1949, reported that Hill Clarke and Francis had been given a contract for the construction of a federal building in Chapleau which J.O. (Ovide) Cote, the secretary treasurer of the Chapleau Liberal Association unofficially confirmed. It was to be built at a total cost of $165,000 and would have the post office on ground floor and department of Indian Affairs office upstairs. At the time much credit was given to Lester B. Pearson, the member of parliament for Algoma East. Mr. Pearson later became prime minister of Canada.

Opened in 1950, a really modern building for the time, the post office, quickly became an important part of daily community life, as it remains so today. It is also a federal heritage building. Ironically perhaps, in the 21st century the powers that be are putting post offices back in retail stores where they were more than 100 years ago. However, in communities like Chapleau, to close it means that a sense of place is lost that is vital for the citizens and all the number crunchers and politicians in the land will never replace it. Turning back the clock is not the answer.

My sincere thanks to Michael McMullen for providing the historical content for this column. The opinions expressed are mine. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Facebook messages totally overwhelming in happiness and sadness

In November 2009 after my birthday and then the death of my beloved cat Buckwheat, I really was totally overwhelmed by the messages I received from friends on Facebook. Today as I mark my 69th birthday a year later, I am at a loss for words -- imagine me at a loss for words -- to express my most sincere thanks for all the best wishes I have received. So, I decided to send out last year's message with this new introduction. Thanks to all of you for being the wonderful people you are. God bless.

FACEBOOK MESSAGES TOTALLY OVERWHELMING IN HAPPINESS AND SADNESS POSTED ORIGINALLY  IN NOVEMBER 2009

Twice in November I have  been totally overwhelmed by messages received from friends on Facebook, the popular social networking site. Since about 1994 when I was researching the first course I taught called Writing for New Media at College of the Rockies, I have been making fearless predictions that the internet was bringing about the biggest societal changes in communication since the days of Gutenberg and his printing press.

I have seen so many examples of those changes in the past 15 years but none affected me as personally as the messages I received on Facebook, where most of my friends are former students from Chapleau High School, with a few old friends joining over the past year.

First, it was my birthday on November 3, and Facebook notifies your friends of the date a few days prior to it. I received a few birthday greetings in the days before and thought that was very nice of people, never expecting the number I would receive on my actual birthday and for the following few days. I never counted the total but it was overwhelming, particularly  when they came mainly from people I have not seen in more than 20 years. Obviously I was deeply touched that so many would take the time from their busy lives to wish me happy birthday.

On November 7, because so many were aware of my beloved cat Buckwheat and his place in my life, sadly I had to post on Facebook that he had died at the age of 20 years and two months exactly. This time the messages came like a flood as friends shared my sadness and told me stories about their pets. Trust me on this one -- those messages helped me through a very difficult time and I shall never forget all of you who wrote me.

I also received email messages from friends on both occasions which I deeply appreciated, and  my friend Danny chatted with me on instant messenger from his home in Miami, Florida and gave me the link to http://www.petloss.com/ where I learned all about the Rainbow Bridge.

And my best friend Mike and I talked on the telephone and IM on both occasions and I am particularly thankful to him for talking with me daily on the day Buckwheat died and in the days following. Thanks Mike.

Fifteen years ago Howard Rheingold, a pioneer in virtual communities, now more popularly called social networking sites, speaking at a conference in Vancouver I attended, said that a tremendous powershift was underway -- and it was about people and their ability to connect with each other in new ways. He was right. Those new ways are here now... Here is link to my post on Rheingold: http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.com/2009/02/on-staying-connected.html

Finally as November ends, thank you for making my story about Buckwheat and my Remembrance Day tribute to my father James E. Morris the most popular on my blog.

Thanks to all of you for being the wonderful people you are. God bless.