Once upon a time, Christmas memories from third pew from the chancel steps and below the pulpit at St. John's Chapleau

"Once upon a time, in a land, far, far away, and in a divisional point on the mighty transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway was erected a replica of an 'English' church found in the 'Mother Country'", Marion (Morris) Kennedy, wrote in a letter to me shortly before she died on December 26, 2007.

Aunt Marion, daughter of Lil (Mulligan) and Harry Morris and sister of my father, James E. Morris, was writing about St. John's Anglican Church in Chapleau, being a replica of a church in England. She was reflecting on memories of St. John's at Christmas time when she was a young girl "sitting with her mother who was hard of hearing, third pew from the chancel steps and below the pulpit."

Aunt Marion married Harold Kennedy who came to Chapleau as the Ontario Provincial Police officer.

She was kneeling "watching (through her fingers) the parishioners partaking in the Holy Communion rite."

But, Aunt Marion started her letter with a wonderful description of St. John's as it was when she was young, and was the same when I last visited it when home for the Chapleau High School 90th anniversary reunion in 2012.

She wrote that it was "a marvel, with flying buttreses, and inside, carved pews, railings, choir stalls, bishop's chair, pulpit and pipe organ. (As an aside, my family in 1948 donated a Prayer desk in front of the bishop's chair in memory of my father who was killed on active service in the RCAF during World War II).

"Over the entry in the chancel, inscribed on the walls, semi-circle are the words "Enter Into His Gates with Thanksgiving and Into His Courts with Praise" (Psalm 100:4)

"Above the beautiful altar screen three stained glass windows are positioned, centred with Jesus and the famous "Behold I stand at the door and knock..." (Revelation 3:20) and yes, no door latch. St. John and St. Andrew as flanks, and above 'wall to wall' fresco depicting kneeling women.

My aunt, like me, was not in favour of church doors being locked with her comment "and yes, no door latch" but that is a story for another day.

She continues with the popular story among church members years ago about the bellows being worked "by boys given the honour in a cupboard below the organ".

"There was many a tale of the organist wildly pumping the foot pedals and calling for air", when the boys failed to work the bellows.

"The boys carved or wrote their initials on the walls -- one set belonging to the brother of the narrator, and in times of refurbishing the church the initials were always left as is". I wonder if they are still there -- a pretty historic document in the life of St. John's.

As church members exited at the end of the service Christmas greetings were exchanged quietly as the congregation had been very moved 'by the devotion and faith" of an elderly First Nations person who had walked a far distance to attend.

She wrote to me that she recalled this particular service and her thoughts every Christmas no matter where she lived. She added that following the services on Christmas Eve the townspeople from St. John's, Trinity United Church and Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church would greet each other on their way home.

She also noted that following Christmas Eve services, neighbours would gather, " in the clear moon lit night with the Aurora Borealis crackling above".

That was my experience too growing up in Chapleau after  attending St. John's, where my mother, Muriel E. (Hunt) Morris would leave home early as she was choir director, but walk home with us -- my grandparents Edythe and George Hunt. My aunt and uncle B.W. 'Bubs' and Elsie Zufelt and my cousins Betty, Anne, Joan and Leslie would depart at the Beech Street corner, and we would see them on Christmas Day.

I would also spend time with my Morris grandparents, and Aunt Marion when she was home in Chapleau.

Those were the days my friends in so many ways, and when I came across my aunt's letter recently, decided to share some of it with you. I extend my most sincere best wishes, and every blessing, for a very Merry Christmas. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Santa Claus given 'rousing welcome' at Oddfellows and Rebekahs Christmas party plus Dr. Young's 'magical land' in heart of Chapleau in 1960

About 100 delighted Chapleau children, twelve and under, gave Santa Claus a "rousing welcome" at the Oddfellows and Rebekahs annual Christmas party in the Town Hall basement in 1960, according to the Chapleau Sentinel.

Each child was presented with a gift by Santa as he spent time having a "chummy chat" with all of them.

But before Santa arrived, there was a program of songs, recitations and solo to entertain the guests including lodge members and parents.

Mrs. Richard Hoath vice grand of the Rebekahs welcomed all, while Norm Veit of the Oddfellows was chair for the evening.

Janice Corston opened the entertainment program with the recitation of a Christmas poem followed by Kelly Romain singing 'Mothers of Salem'.

Norm Veit and unknown

Allen Coulter and Robbie Pellow also sang  solos. Gail May and Derek Edwards sang a duet.

Judy Godemair gave a piano solo.

Jo Anne Dunne sang 'Away on a Housetop' while Don St. Germaine gave his rendition of 'Away in a Manger.'

The entertainment ended with 'Silent Night' sung by Joyce and Janet Cluett and Beverly Hamilton.

And then, according to the Chapleau Sentinel, "with jingling bells and  a jolly 'Ho Ho' Santa arrived amid cheers and applause."

Soon, after Santa gave each child a gift a great variety of toys covered the floor in the Town Hall basement.

A special occasion was marked with a rousing Happy Birthday to past grand of the Oddfellows Roy Desson who was celebrating his birthday.

Mr. Veit was assisted by Walter Midkiff, Hiram McEachren and others while assisting Santa were Mrs. Hoath and Mrs. Isabel Robinson.

 Whenever the subject of favourite memories of Christmas arises among those of us who go back to at least the 1950s, someone, or most likely everyone, unanimously will declare, "Dr. Young's Christmas display".

It was a highlight of the season for all ages to visit a magical land right in the heart of Chapleau.

I am including a couple of photos from the early days of his display before he converted the G.B. Nicholson home, which he had purchased after returning home to practise medicine in 1944-45.  I thank Harriet (Newcombe) Bouillon for providing me with the photos.

As I reflected on my own years growing up in Chapleau, I think the display and the lights and the music were most meaningful as we walked from our home on Grey Street South on a usually bitterly cold Christmas Eve's to the midnight service at St. John's Anglican Church.

Along the way, and on the way home we would meet and greet folks from Trinity United Church and Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, and when I was a teenager, I would run between St. John's and Sacred Heart to attend the service there with some of my friends.

My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Retiree Ken LeClaire Reminisces About Winter in Canada as State of Mind and Cultural Happening

Raised in Toronto,  Ken LeClaire  graduated from the Ontario Forest Ranger School in Dorset in 1964.  He worked for the Dept. of Lands and Forests and its successor the Ministry of Natural Resources for 30 years, being posted to Kapuskasing, Hearst, Chapleau, Cochrane, Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie, where he retired in 1994.

Ken worked as a scaler, timber cruiser, conservation officer, fire fighter and forest management technician before taking up duties in middle management as acting Manager of Southern Ontario nurseries.  

After reading my column on Chapleau winters, Ken contacted me to share a piece he wrote some time ago about Winter in a Ministry of Natural Resources in house publication.  He gave me permission to use it

It was in Chapleau where he met and married Beverly Yanta in 1969.  They have two children, Paul and Lisa and one grandchild Hunter.  

  

He is an active history buff with a special interest in the fur trade and its effect on the Indigeneous population of Ontario. 

 Ken and Bev live in the Soo but spend their summers at Como Lake where they built a camp in 1974.

During his years in Chapleau Ken became active with the Ministry Manglers a hockey team which won the MNR title at a tournament in 1975. He told me the Manglers are still active. WOW!

A Retiree Reminisces  About Winter in Canada

By Ken LeClaire

Canadian winter is a state of mind and a cultural happening to be at least appreciated if not enjoyed.  We use the term Canadian with poetic license: this author has never been west of Winnipeg or east of Quebec City.  He has however walked down the main street (?) of Fort Severn on a February morning going from the airstrip to the Hudson’s Bay store with the temperature at 45 below F and a strong breeze blowing in off the Bay.  We recall that morning vividly, both for the bright sun that was still low on the horizon and for the very active ball hockey game that was being played in the school yard by some Cree children.


We recall waking up at 6 am on a sleeping platform at the rear of a 16' x 14' tent on Trump Lake north of Chapleau, knowing that the fire in the Quebec heater had died around three.  Timber cruising was done in the winter in the 1960's We would fly in lumber to construct a platform and 3' walls and erect a tent over this structure.

A fly over the tent added a modest amount of extra insulation.  That particular morning stands out in our minds as when we checked in by radio with the Lawless Cecile, the Chief Ranger in Chapleau we were told that it was 52 below zero.  All that meant to us was that we needed when crossing the lake to our cruise lines.


We recall having to stop scaling once in a while to allow the tallymen, such as Rolly Larcher, Art McAuley or Tim Cecile to move around a bit to warm up their toes and fingers.  We recall starting vehicles when fuel injection wasn’t even a gleam in someone’s eye and driving those vehicles for the first few miles with tires thumping as they came back to round.


And all through those times we recall never ranting about the cold or the snow level.  Oh sure, we certainly would say “ Golly Gee Whiz (or something close to it) is it ever cold” but the colder and more snow there was just made for easier bush travel.  In mid-July on a fire line we would laugh about the contrast.  The opening of a conversation with a stranger was, and is, always made less stressful when we can talk about the Canadian winter weather.  Sportsmen, fishing, boat and golf shows all seem to be held when the weather is the opposite for those activities. 


The next time you are shoveling snow,  instead of grumbling about the pain in your lower back (because you didn’t properly warm up) try and figure out which one of the thirty names the Inuit have for the white stuff you are throwing on your neighbour’s “lawn”.  Is it Masak, wet snow, or Qannialaaq, light falling snow?  In our mind we consider the winter weather a phenomenon, a sensual event, as Webster would say.   We consider it right up there with health care, clean water and freedom all of which make us Canadians.

Thanks Ken. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Names of those in photos

Ken LeClaire

The 1975 Chapleau MNR Manglers championship team. Back Tom Richardson, Larry Mahon (trainer and beverage scout), Ray Bonnenberg, Robin (Boggie) White, Darryl Ritchie, Esher Ritchie (coach extraordinaire), John McKee, Martin Healey, Ken LeClaire Front are Gary Black, Graham Bertrand, Randy Corston, Glen Cappellani, Joe Turner, Al Harris. Courtesy Ken LeClaire

Right to left:  Jerry McAuley, Ken LeClaire, Barrie James and I think Russ Ketchabaw.  Bush lunch, cruising party, Sheppard and Morse country, 1973.