Little red school house magically turned into railway coach while dental car also travelled CPR line and Chapleau's reeve George Fife meets the King during 1939 Royal Tour

As Chapleau High School prepares to celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2012,
around the same time that it was established, so was the school car that brought
education to children along the Canadian Pacific Railway between Cartier and
White River for about 40 years.

J.B. McDougall, a school inspector in
North Bay, had the idea for the school in 1926 after a survey revealed that
"children in the backwoods didn't get any education", according to an article in
Better Living magazine in 1946.

The Ontario Department of Education
agreed to the plan and the CPR, CNR and ONR (as it is now called) all agreed to
participate.

Chapleau was selected as the central place for the school
cars on the CPR and one, attached to a freight train, travelled west to serve
the children as far west as White River, and the other, east to Cartier. A
dental car was introduced in 1931.

The school car was not available to
children in places such as Nicholson, Amyot, Franz, Localsh, Missanabie, Biscotasing,
Sultan where a school was already established but was for children of miners,
trappers, section men, woodsmen and others who may travel from their isolated
homes by snowshoe or dog sled to the siding or spur where the school car would
be dropped off for five days before moving to its next location. The children
would be given enough homework to last until it returned.

One story
related is that one student built a lean to against the school car and lived in
it each week that he attended classes.

When the school at Nicholson
closed in 1936, the school car stopped there until 1956. It stopped operating in
1967.

Better Living described  it as "the little red schoolhouse being
magically turned into a railway coach."

The car was complete with
student desks, blackboards and a heater and also had living quarters for the
teacher. All textbooks, pens, pencils and scribblers were provided by the
department of education.

Often the teacher was called upon to provide
assistance to parents as translater, adviser, letter writer and host at social
gatherings held in the evenings on the car. Adult night classes were often
held.

All teachers were qualified under department of education
regulations, and according to a 1951 reports: "Teachers are chosen because of 
their understanding of and adaptability to pioneering life. In addition to
teaching in the classroom, they do much to enrich the life of students and
parents, many of whom are not familiar with Canadian habits and
customs."

As I was researching this piece, I was intrigued by some of
the words I came across such as "backwoods" and "pioneer life". Growing up in
Chapleau in the 1940s, it never struck me that we lived in the backwoods, or
close to it, or were experiencing pioneer life.

In fact, we had a camp
at Healey, built by my grandparents, Lil (Mulligan) and Harry Morris, and my
mother Muriel E (Hunt) Morris, 17 CPR miles west of Chapleau on Lake Windermere.
I guess I really was in the backwoods of pioneer life during the wonderful
summers I spent there. Had we lived there year round I may have attended the
school car but somehow would have had to make my way to Musk or Pardee as there
was no siding or spur line at Healey.

Interestingly, in a guide book
prepared for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth for their Royal Tour of Canada
in 1939, reference is made to Northern Ontario.  It noted that the train would
pass "though a land of great rock hills and tall pines, the railway wanders ...
on the main transcontinental line."

Although the guide does  not mention
the school cars, it does say that Cartier was the eastern terminal for dental
cars. The cars, "donated and hauled by the railways, contain a dental clinic and
living quarters for a dentist in charge." Equipped by the Rosedale chapter of
the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire, they had been maintained and
operated by the department of health of the provincial government since
1931.

The program provided for free dental treatment to children in
Northern Ontario who might otherwise not have received any care. I recall the
dental care being made available to us after the death of Dr. William Young,
"the dentist", the brother of Dr. G.E. Young, "the doctor." Chapleau was without
a resident dentist for many years.

The train passed through
Geneva, Benny, Pogosaming, Metagama and other places, and the next comments were
made about Biscotasing. The guide noted that Biscotasing, meaning " narrow
filled with waterlilies, connecting two lakes" had been a Hudson's Bay Company
trading post prior to the arrival of the CPR.

Biscotasing was the "jumping off place for the canoe route to Flying Post,
James Bay and Hudson Bay  -- a route used since earliest times by the Indians on
primitive expeditons, then on journeys to scene of Canadian Pacific construction
-- where they made their first contact with civilization outside the trading
posts."

Again an interesting use of language by the guide writers in 1939 who told
the Royals that the canoe routes had been used by aboriginal peoples since
"earliest times" on "primitive expeditions". I can only surmise that the writers
were sent out from England in advance of the Royal tour to write an interesting
story for their Majesties who were paying their first visit to Canada.

However, by my calculation, the King and Queen were likely asleep as their
train travelled from Sudbury to Chapleau. The Royal Train arrived in Chapleau at
two a.m.and there were no plans for a public appearance. However, Reeve George
Fife of Chapleau had sent a message advising that he wanted to meet them when
the train was in Chapleau. They got up and met Mr Fife.

My email is mj.morris@live.ca

'Senseless acts' of hockey violence an issue in 1976 during controversial Northland Intermediate Hockey League playoff series between Chapleau Huskies and Timmins North Stars

Whenever the violence in hockey issue reaches a fever pitch as it has again recently with comments from Mario Lemieux, a star of the game and now owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins, I go back to February 22, 1976, a Sunday afternoon at the McIntyre Arena in Timmins, where the Chapleau Intermediate 'A" Huskies were playing the Timmins North Stars in the Northland Intermediate Hockey League semi-finals.

The Huskies were in their first NIHL season, had squeaked into the fourth and last playoff position but were ahead of the North Stars, the first place finishers three games to one.

For those readers who will not remember those days, I was the coach and manager of the Huskies as well as serving as reeve of Chapleau.

At the opening faceoff I noticed that the North Stars were starting the game with five defencemen on the ice which for a moment seemed strange to me, I started with the line of Pat Swanson, David McMillan and Jamie Doyle who were leading the series in accumulated points. At the first stoppage of play I changed lines putting out George Swanson, Jean Claude Cyr and Raymond Larcher.

Then it began. George headed into the North Stars defensive zone where he received injuries that resulted in him leaving the game and being taken to hospital for treatment of a broken shoulder.

Within five minutes Dave McMillan took a high stick to the face, fell to the ice, was bleeding and was taken to the dressing room. No penalty was called and he did not return to play in that game.

It didn't take me long to figure out that the North Stars game plan was to intimidate us, although in a report on the game in the Timmins Daily Press, it was described as "aggressive tactics."

In the third period, Doug Prusky suffered a broken ankle after being attacked by a Timmins player who received a minor penalty for interference. Doug was taken to hospital. Richard Lacroix suffered a leg injury in the third period and insults were hurled at other players.

The Huskies lost the game 9-6 which resulted in a Daily Press headline "Stars Hammer Chapleau..." the understatement of all times.

I went to St. Mary's Hospital after the game and saw Doug and George.

I talked with Bill Moffat, the manager of the North Stars and advised him that I would consider the possibility of having criminal charges laid. Needless to say I was furious, but also deeply concerned about my players so I decided to stay in Timmins overnight and assess the options.

In due course I sent a night letter to the Attorney General of Ontario, Roy McMurtry, seeking advice on the possibility of undertaking criminal proceedings against a player or players of the Timmins North Stars as a result of the alleged incidents in the game.

I also advised James Aspin, secretary manager of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association and Donald Dewsbury, president of the NIHL, and returned to Chapleau, where the municipal council would address the matter before a sixth game was played at the Chapleau Memorial Community Arena.

After much debate, in which I did not participate, council agreed that the game could be played, but with a large police presence. That happened, and more than 1,400 fans packed the arena for the game.

Despite a truly valiant effort by the Huskies, we lost the series, and to this day, I have the utmost respect and admiration for each of those players who did their best to win it.

When we returned to Timmins for game seven, large banners greeted us, mostly focused on me.

Why did I take such action?

Here is what I said 36 years ago on February 26, 1976: "I believe I had no alternative. While I recognize that hockey is a physical contact sport, the point is reached when senseless acts of violence can no longer be tolerated without taking action.

"There are those who will dismiss the incidents as an aggressive brand of hockey, but when two players are hospitalized with serious injuries, and others forced to leave a game, and verbal abuse occurs, then I would submit that a most serious situation has developed."

William McMurtry, the brother of the attorney general, had written a report on violence in hockey in 1974. I have looked again at the major recommendations and don't think much has changed.

Three members of the North Stars were subsequently charged with assault but were found not guilty.

Notwithstanding the situation that developed at the end of the first year in the NIHL, the team held its first awards banquet with Doug Prusky as master of ceremonies, and honoured several players.

Goaltender David McAdam was named Most Valuable Player having played in all the 32 regular season games and the playoffs. In making the presentation, Keith "Buddy" Swanson said "every hockey team has a backbone and on this team it is David McAdam." He won the Wesmak Lumber Trophy.

Jamie Doyle, who was in his first year at Wilfrid Laurier University, and travelled home to play was named Most Valuable Player in the Playoffs. Jamie had 14 goals and 12 assists, including a league record six goals in a single game. Jim Young, the Timmins goaltender told me later, that "Jamie turned on the red light behind me so many times that I hada  sunburn on my neck."

Richard Lacroix, the team captain and leading scorer was named Rookie of the Year -- all players were eligible and rookies. Richard was another player who never missed a game all year. Ross Barlow and Steve Ward had donated a trophy. Richard also won the Leading Scorer award with 33 goals and 18 assists, the fourth highest in the league.

Ted Swanson, another player who also never missed a game was presented the Sportsman Hotel Trophy as Best Defenceman by Jack Houle.

Good luck to Mario Lemieux.
"plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose," as Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Kar wrote in 1849. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Willie Memegos rose from labourer to Chapleau public works superintendent as well as being winner of winter carnival backpack contests and tour guide for Bill Davis

Bill Davis (hands in pocket), Michael, William Memegos (white hat) and reporters

When William "Willie" Memegos and his brothers started as employees of the Township of Chapleau about 1949, they were working as labourers on the installation of the new sewage system. The pay was twenty-five cents an hour and in those days there were no coffee breaks.

Years later, after Willie became the public works superintendent, he would share stories of those days with me always paying tribute to J.M. "Jack" Shoup, a member of council and public works committee chair, who would bring the work crews jugs of water on a hot summer day.

Willie's brothers Baptiste and Adam also worked for the municipality for years, and in the view of many, Baptiste was the best grader operator there ever was. I can still hear the sound of the grader moving snow, clearing the roads in the middle of the night during the winter months. He could also perform his magic with a backhoe.

 Someone once told me that Baptiste was able to "manoeuvre this machinery with the precision of a diamond cutter" and it sure was true

When the Memegos family first arrived in the Chapleau area early in the 20th Century, they lived along the Nebskwashi River, an area where I loved to walk, and I have always felt privileged that Willie had once told me, "You can walk on my land any time."

I used to spend countless hours walking in the bush which some may call the forest, or the woods, but to me it will always simply be the bush. I had started going there  as a young boy, with my grandfather, George Hunt when he would take me along blueberry picking. It continued as an adult. The Memegos family always watched out for my grandfather who was still picking blueberries into his seventies.

For my walks I would leave from our home on Grey Street, go over the "Indian Bridge" across the "back river" (Nebskwashi River) and head off to Pellow's Field  or Corston's Farm, or just walk in the bush.

Rene Serre, Willie Memegos

Shortly after I became reeve of Chapleau, we needed a new township public works superintendent and were not satisfied with the applications we had received. Councillors Ernie Gilbert and Dr. G.E. Young suggested to me that we ask Willie if he would like the job.

Ernie was the legendary public works committee chair of his day on council, who would never hesitate to arouse me on a cold winter's night to accompany him to a home where the water had frozen, and the public works crew was on hand at maybe 50 below F. Willie was always on the scene.

Willie had not applied but when we asked if he would like it with the option that he could return to the position he had as foreman at any time, he accepted the position. And Willie never returned to his old job!

Willie would come to chat with me almost every day that I was at the Town Hall/Civic Centre, and gave me the benefit of his wisdom and guidance on all manner and sorts of things. He was a man of few words but he was always right on.

He would also lobby in his own way for projects like doing sidewalks and having a township crew undertake the installation of water and sewer, and a new road to the new Chapleau General Hospital.

Willie convinced me and council agreed to let the township public works department assume responsibility. The plan had been to contract it out.

One day Willie came into my office and said I had to stop construction according to the engineer's drawings because they were wrong. A change must be made. This led to a flurry of phone calls between us and the engineer's office, and it turned out that Willie was right and the engineer wrong! When I asked him how he knew, he replied simply, "I have a good eye."

Willie and his brothers worked on the original installation of the sewer system in Chapleau  and over the years had become experts from practical experience.

When Ontario Premier Bill Davis visited Chapleau in 1975, Willie conducted the tour which included the premier, members of council and hospital board as well as many members of the provincial news media. The media was really along because Mr. Davis had announced a provincial election that day in Timmins, and then flew to Chapleau for a visit. We did get some coverage in the Toronto newspapers as a result.

Willie and his family members also loved sports and for years totally dominated canoe races and other water sports. Willie also would win the backpacking contests at the winter carnival where participants started with a large canvas pack and walked a set distance where more weight was added. He long outwalked all other participants with weights the most could never lift let alone endure.

They also enjoyed broomball and hockey and one time played on a team called Robin's Hoods. Willie was also an outstanding fastball pitcher.

Although I had walked on the Memegos family land, I had never asked permission to do so. So one day when Willie and I were out on a tour of the municipality I asked him and he gave permission.

On  walks when I would reach the crook in the road entering the Memegos family land I would  think of Robert Frost's poem 'The Road Not Taken' and reflect on  the poet's words that "two roads diverged in a single wood" and think that so often we take  the road less travelled by, and that makes all the difference in our lives.

The contribution of Willie Memegos and his brothers to Chapleau,  made all the difference in the lives of citizens in all kinds of weather. My email is mj.morris@live.ca