Mansel Robinson described as 'history freak' served on Chapleau Board of Education during 'baby boom' years

Mansel Robinson, who served as a member and chair of the Chapleau Board of Education during the height of the baby boom years shared some memories of growing up in Chapleau with Jennifer (Swanson) David after he retired from the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1983. 

I also share some of his son's memories.

At the time, Jennifer, the daughter of Bunny and the late Keith (Buddy) Swanson, was writing a column in the Chapleau Sentinel called 'Pioneer Days'. Jennifer later received a Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University.

Jennifer's latest book is a fascinating story about a little piece of Canadian history in 'Original People. Original Television. The Launching of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network."

Born in 1923, Mansel said in an interview with Jennifer that he  was raised in a "little house on Grey Street" in a "sparsely populated neighbourhood."

"I remember when they used to have a circus in an open field behind the (Roman Catholic) graveyard". He also recalled "stealing" potatoes probably from his own back yard and "roasting them down by the back river behind the RC graveyard."

Mansel recalled that in those days horses and buggies outnumbered cars and a neighbourhood fence covered the south side of Main street and right in front of barber shop a huge maple tree was a landmark on Birch Street.

"It was a crooked old maple tree right in front of the barber shop and most people were sorry when it was taken down (about 1949)".

A highlight while growing up in Chapleau was to go to the show at the Regent Theatre on a Saturday afternoon for ten cents.

"if you had a cowboy picture and The Three Stooges as the comedy piece it was a big day."

After the show Mansel and his friends would go and reenact it by the river and if it was a movie with the Three Musketeers, there would be sword fights.

As an aside, not much changed between Mansel's growing up years and mine in the late 1940 and early 1950s as we played in the same place with the Big Rock as the central place on the back river.

He also recalled pleasures like going for a drive "down the road" -- which was not very far in those days, and skating on the pond on the back river in the Winter.

Among his chores was getting the wood ready and stored for the winter.

He told Jennifer an interesting anecdote about the fire alarm system. Certain corners had red fire alarm boxes and in the event of a fire someone would run to the box and pull the alarm. It would put the alarm into the CPR boiler room and would blow the CPR whistle..

Every corner had different codes and his was one long and three short -- if you know the codes you would run to the fire.

Mansel attended Chapleau Public School and Chapleau High School, and later worked at Dalton for Austin Lumber and then at the smelter in Coppercliff but returned home and joined the CPR first in telegraph office then as a trainman.

By this time World War II was underway and he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force, returning to the CPR at war's end in 1945.

In 1949, Mansel told Jennifer, "I married the postmaster's daughter" speaking of his wife Isabel, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Collinson. Mr. Collinson was Chapleau's postmaster for many years. They had three children Steven (Mansel), Verlie and Wendy.  

His son in an interview with the Klondike Sun in 1999 after he became writer-in-residence at Berton House in Dawson City, Yukon, said he had done many things including working in a lumber mill, fighting fires, running a blast furnace, working the rails and doing a lot of backstage work at theatre adding  "I grew up listening to my father tell stories and his father and great uncles and stuff."

When I read this comment, I immediately recalled the time I first heard his father, Mansel Robinson, tell a story to a group, and sat in wonder as he told it. His father was an amazing storyteller. He  was also not keen on having his son work on the rails. 

Mansel, the son, also related that his father was a "history freak" adding that "his trick was to send me to the library to find some history books he hadn't read. But he had read everything..." He  also gave credit to his mother, Isabel (Collinson)  for creating his interest in stories, saying, "Even as a kid I could sit and listen to my mother and her friends have a coffee and a chitchat".

However, in his own right, Mansel has achieved great success. His  plays include Bite The Hand, Scorched lce, Street Wheat, Downsizing Democracy, The Heart As It Lived, Collateral Damage and Colonial Tongues. He has won the City of Regina Writing Award, Geist Magazine's Award for Distance Writing and the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild Manuscript Award. 

G Evans, M R Payette, Mansel, Jim Walsh 1982 reunion

Mansel served many years on the Chapleau Board of Education during time of the physical expansion of both Chapleau Public and Chapleau High School to meet the demands of increasing enrolment. He was also active in Branch  Number 5 (Ontario) of the Royal Canadian Legion and the Independent Order of Oddfellows.

Retiring in 1983 from the CPR, Mansel enjoyed spending time at the family's camp at Mulligan's Bay. Mansel died on April 19, 1998.

It has been such a delight to share some of Mansel Robinson's memories from Jennifer's story and also from his son Mansel (Steven) and to Doug Greig for bringing Jennifer's column to my attention.  My email is mj.morris@live.ca

"Heart of My Heart" theme song for travelling Chapleau Bantam team on private railway car in 1954

"Heart of my Heart, when friends were dearer then, too bad we had to part.." lines from one of the top songs of 1953 by The Four Aces may well have been the theme song for Chapleau hockey teams throughout the community's history. 

For sure it was the theme song of the Chapleau Bantams hockey team of the day who sang the song over and over again on a road trip to Sudbury in their own passenger car on the Canadian Pacific Railway.  Imagine, a Bantam hockey team having its own private car. 

Chapleau hockey teams were travelling by train at least by 1893 when one went to Sudbury to play. Apparently, they lost 2-1.

However, after playing minor hockey in their home town, many players have moved on to other communities, but whenever they meet, those old good days are recalled. I have written elsewhere that hockey reflects "the invisible hand of Canadian compromise" and is an important part of the fabric of Canadian society.

In fact Dr. Jacques Goutor, who taught me Contemporary European History, more than a few years ago now, told us that after arriving in Canada from France he  told his wife this would be a good country. Why? The headline in the Toronto newspapers was LEAFS WIN STANLEY CUP. The year: 1967! Leaf fans have been hoping for a repeat ever since.

However, commenting on my views about hockey,  Lorne Riley, the head of corporate communications at Dubai Airports, who studied Journalism and Law at Carleton University, and was a student of mine at Chapleau High School responded.

Chapleau fans will recall that  Lorne's father, Lorne Sr. was one of the best hockey coaches in Northern Ontario years ago, and a founder of the Chapleau Junior "B" Huskies of the International Junior "B" Hockey League

Although Lorne agreed that hockey is one of the ties that binds this great nation, recalling games huddled under the heaters, or jammed against the glass of the press of the crowd, and an "electric" atmosphere existed especially in the playoffs, he fears the tie is fraying.

He mentioned the decline in local enrolments for minor hockey, especially in Ontario, but across the country and interestingly, at least to me -- "new age diversions like the internet, video games, satellite TV .. things that we never had to contend with" are contributing.

And Lorne added: "Another contributor to minor hockey's gradual downfall is the staggering cost. Equipment, rink rental, club fees and travelling costs have gone through the roof. Even the most passionate hockey Moms and Dads think twice about footing the bill. A changing demographic, with cultural roots more closely tied to cheaper sports like soccer, is also eroding interest and participation in Canada's national pastime.Is Canadian hockey in danger of extinction? Not at all. Is it at risk?"

He concluded that that we need to recall those days when we jammed into the local barn -- "not only to enshrine them in our memory but to use them to encourage parents and children, in small towns and big cities across Canada not to lose touch with our roots and by extension our national identity."

Interesting observations from Lorne, so i decided to share a couple of moments from Chapleau hockey history.

First, back to the Bantams circa 1953-1954. In those days, to end the season, Bantams were divided into two teams and in 1953, it was the first year they played for the Algoma Dairy Trophy. 

Just ask any of the players, it was a hard fought game and the Huskies finally defeated the IOOF 4-3 on a goal by Mike McMullen.

Mike commented: "I remember playing bantam hockey for the Chapleau Huskies team when we won the first Broomhead Trophy in 1953-54... It was an exciting 4-3 victory in overtime over the IOOF team.... We went to celebrate at the Boston Cafe where Harry (Boo Boo) Hong, one of my teammates got his mother to open their family restaurant for our celebration. That game is still mentioned among those of us who played."

Now, let's fast forward to 1970, after Chapleau was connected with highways to the outside world and the Bantams were off to La Sarre for a tournament. The team gave it their best but had to settle for second place. 

They won the first game over Noranda 1-0 and their second 2-1 in overtime on a goal by Jamie Doyle 38 seconds into sudden death. but they lost in the final 5-1 to St Marc Indians.

With no private railway cars available for the trip to La Sarre or anywhere else for that matter by 1970, volunteer drivers were needed and donations were gas as well.helping out on this particular trip according to the Chapleau Sentinel were Bill Walker, Edo Bruns, Father Letendre, Mr. Robitaille, Mr. Parent and Randy Corston.

Volunteers were and still are esential.

Team members, just to jog the memories of those who were following or participating in Chapleau minor hockey included Jamie Doyle, Glen Cappellani, Robert Doyle, Ron Larcher, Kevin Ritchie, Allen Coulter, Keith McAdam, Tom McCrea, Joey Babin, Pierre Joyal, and Michael Paquette. 

I remember these guys so well, both as students at Chapleau High School, and in the Fall of 1970, when some had graduated to the Midgets, they "hired" me to coach their team. They made the next two years of my life among my most memorable, and I still have a plaque all my wall that they gave me.

For sure, I know a tear would glisten, if once more I could listen to those gangs from 1953-54 and 1970-72 who sang "Heart of My Heart." 

Those were the days my friends, and I was so delighted to read in the Chapleau Express that the 2013-14 Chapleau Minor hockey season is off to a good start.  

We need, as Lorne Riley suggested to recall and I would just add continue,  "not only to enshrine them in our memory but to use them to encourage parents and children, in small towns and big cities across Canada not to lose touch with our roots and by extension our national identity."

To conclude, the photos are of the winning and losing teams in the 1953-54 Bantam playoffs because I have friends on both teams and still look forward to singing "Heart of my Heart" with them one more time. And I did not play on either team. I had ended my playing career and become a referee. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

PHOTO CAPTIONS

Algoma Dairy Trophy Bantam winners 1953-54 Back from left Basil Collings, Mike McMullen, David McMillan, Richard Pilon, Tim Goodwin. Front from left Charlie White, Ken Schroeder, Harry "Boo" Hong

Bantam coach Garth "Tee" Chambers with Harry "Butch" Pellow and Aldee Martel, Sudbury Arena 1954

Losing team in Chapleau Bantam championship 1953-54 Back row from left Tee Chambers, Jim Machan, Jim Evans, Jack Poynter, Ian Macdonald, Bill McFarlane Front: Wayne Faught, Bill McLeod, Roger Mizuguchi, Aldee Martel

Chapleau Curling Club 1971 season headed by president Ed McCarthy ended with 'zest' as Charlie Law rink won final bonspiel

Ed McCarthy, president of the Chapleau Curling Club in 1971, said the season got off to a shaky start but it ended with a lot of good curling and fellowship.

The Chapleau Sentinel reported that the final bonspiel saw 16 rinks in action battling it out for top honours. Charlie Law who had been "threatening" all season emerged as the winner of the "A" Event following a "fierce battle' with the David Bromley rink.

Charlie had Janet McCarthy as third, Bill Ward as second and Mae Ward as lead. David put up a good fight with Marianne Crichton as third, George Boyd as second and Mona Rioux as lead.

In the "B" Event another "ding dong" battle saw Bill Bromley the skip, and members Marcel Labelle, Anita Deluce and Millie Labelle pull out a close win over Fred Johnson and his rink of Sandra Schultz, Rodney McAuley and Irene Johnson.

The "C" Event was another well contested game which was won by the George McLeod rink. Members were Phyllis O'Riley (to become Phyllis McLeod a bit later) and Ed McLeod and Penny Park.

They all helped George defeat a rink skipped by Peewee Rioux, who had great help from Freda Rioux and Jim and Dianne Collings.

The Sentinel noted that in the finals of all three events there "many incidents of interest to liven up the contests with a six ender along with a couple of five enders helped the games onto an even keel when it seemed like a runaway was in progress".

Apparently it happened in each of the final games and added "zest" to them. A social and dance ended the final bonspiel.

However, a couple of weeks earlier Peewee Rioux and his rink won the First Event in the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 5 annual Shamrock Bonspiel. They were awarded a trophy by Ray Bradley of Molson's, as well as jackets.

I sent a note to Mario Lafreniere of the Chapleau Express with this column about the wonders of technology, commenting that I put this one together while enjoying sunny Orlando, FL, and picked curling in Chapleau as the topic. Thanks Doug Greig for Chapleau Sentinel. My email is mj.morris@live.ca