Walter and Kay Broomhead launch first Chapleau arts and crafts fall fair with blaze of brilliant colour provided by displays in 1973

Walter Broomhead, Leon Mangoff, Kay Broomhead

In the beginning Walter Broomhead attended a Chapleau Chamber of Commerce meeting in March 1973, and proposed that a two-day Arts and Crafts Fall Fair be held in the Centennial Museum building.

Staunchly supported by his wife Kathleen (Kay), the first arts and crafts fall fair was launched in October 1973, and they have become an integral part of Chapleau life ever since.

 CBC Radio personality Leon Mangoff, assisted by Mr. and Mrs. Broomhead officially opened the fair which according to Maggie Costello in the Sault Star, "Everything, just everything, conferred a blessing", even the weather on Chapleau, for the weekend.

"Well over 2,000 people, many of them visitors including a couple all the way from Holland, were all over the building, inspecting some 1,000, possibly even more articles on display and for sale."

Maggie noted that among the displays were "lovely hand embroidered linens, afghans of endless colour and design, paintings in oils and water colour and other media, jewelry, wearables of all kinds for children and adults, novelties for home decorations, hand painted hasty notes pottery and much, much more."

On the lower floor there were displays of family heirlooms as well as hand made quilts and crocheted table covers of intricate design as well as other displays.

Designed by Mr. and Mrs. Broomhead to create community interest, it did not fail, with Maggie writing, "Community interest was all over the place along with a blaze of brilliant colour provided by the displays. It seemed that everyone was in on the act."

At the official opening, Mr. Broomhead welcomed everyone, explained the purpose of the fair, adding he felt it had served its purpose.  He paid special tribute to the loyal and hard working committees and hostesses.

Reeve Terry Way-White extended a welcome on behalf of the municipality and offered congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Broomhead and their committees who had produced an outstanding event.

As a sidebar to the official fall fair, Maggie shared one of the "highlights and sidelights" which was dinner at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Broomhead.

Maggie, along with Bud and Tom Welch, owners of the Chapleau Sentinel, and Leon Mangoff and his producer Bob Burt "gathered around the festive board" for a feast.

"As a special treat for the southern guests Kay dished up moose meat and northern goose with all the trimmings with turkey for those who may not like game. We all tied into it with gusto and the southerners really went to town."

Bob  and Leon attended the annual Hunters Ball at the Royal Canadian Legion hall, then on Saturday attended the fair as well as going on a tour of Chapleau, a flight with Tony Buchan over the area, and before leaving on Sunday had an early breakfast at the home of Ed McCarthy.

In commenting on the fair, Leon described Chapleau as his "favourite" northern town and felt the fair was a great event. He said that Chapleau was fortunate to have citizens like Mr. and Mrs. Broomhead to give something new to the town and engender so much community participation. 

All these years later, truer words were never spoken. It has been an amazing success story for Chapleau.

Fast forward to 2012. Chatting with Phyllis Mcleod, the president of the committee, she told me that this year's fair, scheduled for October 12 and 13 at the Chapleau Recreation Centre, promises to be the biggest ever. All spaces are sold out with artisans coming from far beyond Chapleau to participate.  The fair runs from four to nine p.m. on Friday and from 11 a.m. to three p.m. on Saturday. It will be followed by a dinner and dance.  My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Flame Lake Lodge a place to fish, hunt, hike, relax near Chapleau

 The folks at Flame Lake Lodge kindly agreed to make some of their outstanding photos available for me to share with visitors to Michael J Morris Reports. Much appreciated!


Flame Lake Lodge is operated by Maureen (Moore) Pedersen, her son Gary and his wife, Karen..

Maureen is the daughter of the late Mrs. A.W. "Hockey" Moore, a member of one of Chapleau's first families, and one of the community's most popular citizens.

The Mrs. A.W. Moore Arena at the Chapleau Recreation Centre is named after her.

The lodge is located just off Highway 129 near Chapleau.
http://flamelakelodge.com

Flame Lake Lodge on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Flame-Lake-Lodge/170485353022392

LINK TO FEATURE ON MRS A.W. MOORE http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.ca/2009/11/mrs-aw-moore-chapleaus-greatest-hockey.html

Jennifer David writes about 'miracles on a shoestring' in her new book 'Original People. Original Television. The Launching of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network'

Jennifer David shares a fascinating story "about a little piece of Canadian history" in her new book 'Original People. Original Television. The Launching of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network'.

When APTN was launched on September 1, 1999, Jennifer was the fledgling network's Director of Communications, noting in the introduction she became a "Launch Survivor" meeting over the next decade with the "other participants" who got together "over dinner, or beer, or in airport departure lounges, and the talk invariably turns to that crazy year of 1999, to the crises averted, politics, stick-handled, egos assuaged, and miracles wrought on a shoestring." 

Jennifer relates that the talks always ended with a comment that someone should write a book about it, and she agreed to do it before "one of the most unique stories in broadcasting would disappear into the footnotes of academic journals."

I had not even completed the first page of the introduction, and Jennifer had my attention. I knew I was in for a "good read".

Jennifer is the daughter of Bunny and the late Keith J. 'Buddy' Swanson,  a graduate of Chapleau High School and holds Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Journalism degrees from  Carleton University.

Jennifer in white right  honoured on role in CHS play 1987

She left APTN in 2000 to start her own communications company. 

She is a member of Chapleau Cree First Nation.

Even the nine chapter titles such as 'The Death of a Thousand Cuts and the Launch of Television Northern Canada', PRE-PRODUCTION: The Ark or the Titanic?' or 'The Sleepless Summer' contribute to moving the story along.

I particularly enjoyed Jennifer's anecdotal introduction in the Backstory to Chapter One, 'A Neutron Bomb - Aboriginal People Respond to Early Film and Television' where she very effectively captures  the oral storytelling tradition of First Nation people. 

For example on Launch Day, Septemberr 1, 1999, at six a.m. she writes that everyone in Winnipeg knows 'The Forks' east of downtown an open area where the Assiniboine River flows into the Red River -- a sacred and ancient gathering place for First Nation people.

She notes that at one time it was a hub for the fur trade where generations of Metis gathered to sell their furs to the Hudson's Bay  and Northwest Companies. "Today The Forks hosts a gathering of a different sort, but with echoes of the past --a new meeting of peoples, a new kind of trade"  Just one of Jennifer's metaphorical blendings of past and present.

Jennifer's description of the Circle where people have gathered for a ceremony on the day APTN is launched, is a great piece of writing. About herself she writes, I'm trying to breathe deeply and find some stillness in the moment, in the smoke of sage and sweetgrass and the crisp morning air."  As APTN's Director of Communications, she had a busy day ahead of her.

Fast forward to Chapter Nine at 6:58 p.m where Jennifer starts by telling the reader, "APTN was born prematurely."

Apparently, the first shot that 9 million Canadians were supposed to see was an image of a sunrise with the voice of Gordon Tootoosis, one of Canada's best known Aboriginal actors welcoming and introducing the new network. But a glitch occurred as the uplink went live at 6:58 p.m. and they saw the stage at The Forks with Alika Fontaine, a member of the musical group Fifth Generation warming up the crowd. Nobody really noticed the glitch.

Chapter Nine then consists of a series of anecdotes about that historic evening. Most impressive way to end the book with other people's voices and impressions.

"...tonight we put on a hell of a show. And today had been a day for the history books." The oral tradition of First Nation peoples continued in a new media!

Writing about Jennifer's book, Keith Spicer, the former chair of the CRTC wrote: "This is a vital story told with brio by Jennifer David. No dry history, her book is more like a detective novel. It's a gripping tale about a little known part of Canada's broadcasting mosaic. It's packed with unforeseeable zigzags, and especially with  colourful, outside characters -- Canadians -- and not just aboriginal ones -- should read this. First, because it's an important story. Second, because it's truly entertaining."

In her dedication, Jennifer remembers her Dad, Keith J 'Buddy' Swanson, a wonderful storyteller in his own right, who died in 2011. She wrote, "To my Dad, for a life of inspiration, And if he was still here, he would have been this book's greatest promoter." Indeed he would have been Jennifer.

'Original People. Original Television. The Launching of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network' by Jennifer David, published by Debwe Communications Inc, www.debwe.ca is on sale starting September 1, 2012. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

YOU CAN ORDER BOOK DIRECT FROM JENNIFER!!!!!!!!!

SEND CHEQUE OR MONEY ORDER TO  JENNIFER DAVID  IN AMOUNT OF $28.00 AT

488 Gladstone Ave.

Ottawa, ON  K1R 5N8

613-237-3315, ext. 233

www.stone-circle.ca

Visit our blog

If you are in Winnipeg, there will be a book launch ... CLICK LINK FOR DETAILS http://www.mcnallyrobinson.com/event-11567/Jennifer-David----Book-Launch/