Chapleau fire brigade holds fundraisers for dress uniforms in 1962 along with arrival of new fire truck

Margaret Costello was "drifting across town", likely in her Volkswagen, one evening in early 1962, heading for a council meeting which  had been postponed, but discovered a bingo game underway in the Town Hall basement.

Better known as "Maggie" she was the local reporter for the Sudbury Star, and later the Sault Daily Star for many years.

The bingo game in progress downstairs had more people playing then she had seen in a long time, so she went to find out what it was all about.

She asked C.O. 'Olie' Carlson, the township clerk and fire truck driver, "Whose bingo is this?," she asked.

"The fire brigade's", he replied, Margaret wrote in her Sudbury Star column. Just a quick aside. For many years, the township clerk was also the fire truck driver and lived in an apartment above the old fire hall on Pine Street. T.R. Serre and Vern Goldstein, two of the previous township clerks had lived in the apartment.

Margaret chatted with Fire Chief Adam Andrews to find out why the fire brigade was holding a bingo.

The fire chief explained that the bingo, along with  other activities, was to raise funds to provide the firefighters with dress uniforms.

She wrote they would add "distinction to our already outstanding fire brigade by providing members with uniforms, smart and individually tailored."

But, they were not for fighting fires but for special occasions in which they participated. From this beginning in 1962, the fire department members, have been present at so many special occasions and functions in Chapleau, the most recent being the ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in World War II on April 9. Thanks to Pat (Purich) Russell for providing me with photos from the Chapleau ceremony at the cenotaph.

In talking with Maggie, the fire chief commented, "And it's not costing the taxpayer a cent", as fundraisers were being held.

Maggie pointed out that the chief had good reason to be proud of the work of this brigade and of the acquisition of a new fire truck which would also mean a saving to taxpayers in the form of lower insurance with better equipment to fight fires.

She complimented the fire brigade on it promptness and efficient performance.

Chapleau township council had approved a new truck and "this monster" arrived by December 1961.

The truck carried a 500 gallon tank, a 625 gallon per minute pump for where water was available, breathing apparatus, hoses, ladders and equipment for firefighters. They spent two days training in the use of the new equipment.

In 1958, Chapleau saw a great improvement in its fire alarm system. The boxes found on many street corners were replaced with a new system installed in the old pumphouse by Bell Telephone. Apparently it was the first in Northern Ontario.

A special phone was installed in the home of all fire brigade members. When the pumper received a call, he went to a special booth and placed call, and provided exact information on the location of the fire. It also determined how many firefighters were available. Also in 1958, Adam Andrews succeeded George Collinson as fire chief.

ERRATA: In my recent column about Prime Minister  Lester Pearson sending telegram to Chapleau telephone operators extending congratulations on their work during the forest fire of 1965, the gremlins were at work. I wrote that acting chief operator was Mrs. Mary "Bowles". Not so! It was Mrs. Mary Bowes, and I apologize for the error. Thanks to her son Bob Bowes, for his email. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

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