Prime Minister Lester Pearson extended congratulations to Chapleau telephone operators, 'unsung heroes' of 1965 forest fire

Prime Minister Lester B Pearson sent a telegram of congratulations to Chapleau telephone operators on their efforts during the forest fire that threatened the community in 1965.

Mr. Pearson, who also served as Member of Parliament for Algoma East which included Chapleau, wrote in the telegram to Mrs. Mary Bowes, acting chief operator, "I shared in the relief I know all of you must have felt when the winds shifted and the rains finally came averting the destruction of Chapleau.

"May I congratulate you personally and the members of your staff for your coolness and bravery.

"You have every reason to be proud of your role in a situation which proved the fortitude of the citizens of Chapleau."

While many Chapleau citizens were being evacuated, the telephone operators remained and were working 24/7 handling a record number of calls on the system which had been in use since 1951 when operator assisted calls replaced the dial system.

The Chapleau Sentinel reported that the telephone operators were "unsung heroes" throughout the fire that ravaged the area and seriously threatened the town.

Operators busy during fire

In turns they "took an hour off here and an hour off there and grabbed something to eat whenever they could" and then rushed back to work.

Mrs. Bowes, who was replacing chief operator Mrs Myrtle Delaney who happened to be out of town on business commented  that the operators "seemed to realize there was a crisis and it must be met".

The newspaper reported statistics for the weekend showing that ordinarily the system would handle about 3000 local calls --- they rose to a "staggering 32159" within the community.

Outgoing  long distance calls would usually be less than 500 on a weekend but rose to 3695 with almost the same number incoming during the forest fire threat.

However, the days of the operator assisted system were numbered as construction was being completed on a new facility at the corner of Pine and Young streets and the community would be returning to a dial system, although long distance operators would still be on duty. The operators worked out of a building on Pine Street at one time the Orange Hall and later the by-law office.

Marcel Bourgeault on left Bonnie (Babin) Desbois shows new equipment

After midnight on December 4, 1965 a switch was thrown and the new system went into effect.

At the official opening Councillor Marcel Bourgeault, the acting reeve, brought greetings and extended congratulations to Bell on the new system and facility.

I have been receiving messages since my column  last week from folks sharing their telephone numbers, and from operators and family members who worked in Chapleau during the 1950s and 1960s. Thank you all so much.

The telegram from Prime Minister Pearson pointed out the importance of the telephone operators during a major crisis in Chapleau. In fact, on a personal basis, their efforts to keep lines of communication open, affected me too. I was working as a newspaper reporter In Toronto, but my mother Muriel E (Hunt) Morris and my grandmothers Edythe Hunt and Lil Morris were in Chapleau. I was able to get through to Mom, and even though they did not evacuate, I was able to stay in touch by phone.

All these years later, I am able to share the story of the "unsung heroes" -- the telephone operators in Chapleau! HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!!  My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Going backwards to go forward as Chapleau returns to operator-assisted telephone calls in 1951

Some Chapleau citizens felt the community was taking a step backwards in 1951 when the dial telephone system was replaced with a "common battery operation" where calls were placed through an operator.

The Chapleau Post reported that Chapleau was "believed to be the first town in Ontario to boast a dial telephone system' in 1924 but effective on August 21, 1951, the dials were removed and a manual system installed.

The Chapleau Automatic Telephone Company was formed in 1924 and shares were sold to each subscriber with each required to purchase three shares at $50 each

The newspaper explained that it "may appear like a backward step" but the size of the exchange did not warrant  a large enough dial system to handle the volume of traffic.

By 1950 with 300 subscribers no new ones could be added. The system had reached capacity. Charles W. Collins, secretary-treasurer of the Chapleau Board of Trade announced that negotiations were underway for improvements.

As the operator assisted exchange was being launched, E.M. Patton. president of the Chapleau Telephone System announced: "This new step in the improvement of Chapleau's telephone service will provide more people with a better local and long distance service."

Directions were issued for using the new system which  advising customers to "lift the receiver and give operator the number", be aware that certain numbers were changed and to follow instructions in the new directory.

We did not have a telephone at our house before 1951, but did  shortly thereafter, but at first it was a party line, but in due course we got our own number which was 188. Amazes me how I recall that number more than 60 years later.

A rate increase was met with some opposition but again the Chapleau Post supported it pointing out that it was the first in  more than 20 years in Chapleau, bringing their business in line with present costs of doing business.

The monthly rate for an individual home phone rose to $3.35 from $2.58, while the business rate rose to $5.30 from $3.83.

The telephone company defended the rate increase by pointing out that a central office with new equipment had been established on Pine Street. The telephone equipment had previously been located in the old Town Hall basement but was now in the former  Orange Hall on Pine Street. In later years that became the by-law office. It also noted that it had to keep pace with Chapleau's growth in the 1950s.

Township council approved the rate increase as did the Ontario Municipal Board.

And so, in 1951, Chapleau phone users were able to hear the "cheery voice" of the telephone operators, "Number please."  Mrs. Myrtle Delaney was the chief operator.

This is the first of two articles on the telephone history in Chapleau. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Chapleau Women's Curling Club winds up successful 1959 season with banquet and awards night

The Women's Curling Club wound up their 1959 season with a banquet and award presentation at Renison Hall in St. John's Anglican Church.

President Mrs. D.J. Broomhead reported that it was the best in the club's history. Although there were no outside bonspiels scheduled, there were two senior 'spiels and a colt spiel during the season.

A short note of some historical interest. The first attempt by women to become members was in the mid 1930s but their bid for membership was voted down, and it was not until about 1949 that women were accepted into the club. As in many aspects of Chapleau history, exact dates are hard to confirm, but the women's club had come a long way in its short history.

Readers will also  note that in this column married women are referred to as Mrs., with her husband's first name or initials while the first name is used for single women. This practice continued into the 1990s and was in effect when I taught my first university studies courses in Commuications at College of the Rockies --- but the times they were starting to change!

Back to curling.

Mrs. Broomhead also noted in a Sudbury Star story that while the women polished up on their curling technique the social side of club membership also held a high place.  After the banquet, the members adjourned to her home for a social evening.

Winner of the Leo Racicot Trophy for the first senior bonspiel was a rink skipped by Mrs. Yvon Morin, with Mrs. Gerald Garmes as vice skip; Carol Travers, second and Mrs. Milton Schroeder, lead.

The runner up rink was a rink skipped by Mrs. Romeo Martin; Mrs. Vince O'Hearn, vice skip; Berryl Rowntree, second, and Prudence Beechey, lead.

Second senior bonspiel winner was rink skipped by Mrs. Alf Gervais with Carol 'Babe' Chambers as vice skip; Mrs. Garmes, second, and Mrs. Henry Pellow, lead

The Korpela Trophy for winning the Colt bonspiel was skipped by Carol 'Babe' Chambers, with Berryl Rowntree, vice skip; Mrs. Norman Glennie, second, and Mrs. J.G.A. Burns, lead.

Runner up was rink skipped  by Rita Roussel; Mrs. Leonard Ridstill, vice skip; Prudence Beechey, second, and Mrs. Alf Gervais, lead.

In the election of officers Mrs. Broomhead was returned for another term as president, while Mrs. J.D Macfarlane continued as vice president. Secretary was Mrs. J.G.A. Burns and treasurer Mrs. Leonard Ridstill.

Major renovations were underway at the curling club on Pine Street led by men's club president George Collins. Completed in 1960, artificial ice came in 1962. Curling apparently started in Chapleau during the winter of 1885-86 on a sheet of ice on Lorne Street across from the CPR operations. That later became the site of the "old old arena".  The curling rink on Pine Street opened in 1928.

My email is mj.morris@live.ca