Memorial wall of plaques and photos unveiled and dedicated at Chapleau Royal Canadian Legion Hall in 1947

Memorial plaques and photos of the Chapleau boys who gave their lives in World War I and World War II were unveiled and dedicated in an "impressive ceremony" in the Royal Canadian Legion Hall at Remembrance Day 1947, according to a Chapleau Post story.

(I have included photo of the plaque at Chapleau High School)

Victory in Europe Day, more commonly referred to as V-E Day was on May 8, 1945, and Branch No. 5 was honouring its fallen just two years later  on November 11 . 

The Chapleau Post reported that the upstairs hall was filled to capacity for the ceremony with relatives of those being honoured seated in a reserved section. 

Over 100 Legion members paraded into the hall taking their places as a Guard of Honour standing on either side of the hall.

The ceremony was officially opened by D.T. 'Toddy' Collinson, the branch president, and son of George Collinson, a World War I veteran who participated in the founding of Branch No. 5. Veteran Bill Stedman also spoke.

Msgr Romeo Gascon of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church spoke on the significance of Remembrance Day, focusing on the significance of those who gave their lives.

The plaques, one with the names of those who died in World War I and the other in World War II were unveiled from behind the dark maroon curtains, and dedicated by Rev. H.W. Strapp, of Trinity United Church. The photos were included in the dedication.

Canon H.A. Sims, of St. John's Anglican Church, and a World War I veteran, gave the benediction.

Following the ceremony, the Chapleau Post reported that many favourable comments were made about the arrangement of the plaques and photos covering an entire wall.

I don't recall if I attended this ceremony with my mother Muriel E Morris, and my grandparents Lil and Harry Morris and George and Edythe Hunt. I was six years old.

As most readers know my father James Morris was killed on active service in the RCAF in World War II on July 16, 1943. My grandfather Harry Morris served in the Canadian Forces in World War I, and my grandmother Edythe Hunt, served as a nurse attached to the British Army in England in World War II.

However, this memorial wall remains a special place for me to this day. In 2015 when I was home to launch 'The Chapleau Boys Go To War" with my co-author Michael McMullen, we had a book signing downstairs.

I slipped away and went upstairs and gently pulled back the curtains, and had my own personal moment of silence, not only thinking of my father, but all those from Chapleau, especially those who did not come home. They shall grow not old!

In 1947, at the branch's annual meeting, J.M. 'Jack' Shoup was elected president. Mr. Shoup had served in World War I and II. Other officers included first vice president Henry Therriault, second vice president Rene Aquin, secretary Toddy Collinson and treasurer Fred Matters. 

Auditors were Harry Searle, a World War I veteran who led the Chapleau delegation to Winnipeg in 1925 for the founding of the Legion, served as first branch president and after whom the branch was eventually named; George Collinson and Steve Therriault. The executive committee included Mr. Searle, Mr. Steve Therriault, Ovide Cote, Willard Morrison and Walter Steed.

I have only included photos of those who died from World War II, but will share those from World War I, closer to the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I on November 11 this year. Photos were not available for Leonard Brough, Harold Chandler, Angus Dawson, Frank Matchequis, F. Sheshewabic, Bernham Thorpe.

After Mr. Shoup became president, he gave a speech to the members, reminding them that they still had a "duty to serve." And they sure have, in every aspect of community life!  With a renovation program of the hall currently underway, today's members continue to do so!  My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Making peace by overcoming ugliness with beauty, meanness with generosity, lies with truth, evil with good!

Let me share some thoughts expressed by Rev. Canon H.A. Sims, the Rector of St. John's Anglican Church in 1948. They seem as appropriate today on this Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) in our troubled world as they were three years after the end of World War II.

In part, here is what Canon Sims. a World War I veteran,  said:

"There is not the slightest necessity for civilized men to destroy their civilization in warfare. Nothing is settled by warfare which could not be better settled in some more reasonable, humane and decent way.

"Warfare is caused by men  who have allowed the spirit of the devil rather than the spirit of God to determine their thinking.

"Peace does not come through wishing for it or through praying for it... peace comes only from those who make it; who work harder at making peace than men working at making war.

"We must make peace by working hard at overcoming ugliness with beauty; overcoming meanness with generosity; overcoming lies with truth and by overcoming evil with good."

I was at the church that night with my family because a memorial prayer desk was being dedicated in memory of my father, Flying Officer James E Morris, who was killed on active service in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1943 during World War II. I was seven years old.

In his incredible book, 'The Ordeal of Total War', Gordon Wright tells us that Sir Winston Churchill once commented that the effects of World War II, will be felt by those affected by it for at least 100 years. Trust me, Churchill was right. I am just shy of 77 now , and have lived with that war every day of my life.

Every time I hear of the death of one of the member of our armed forces, or for that matter police officers, firefighters, and other first responders, my heart goes out to their family and friends. I know, I care  and I understand.  My email ias mj.morris@live.ca

David Dillon of Chapleau shares highlights of career starting as deck hand travelling the world rising through ranks to ship Captain

Captain David Dillon

David Dillon, born and raised in Chapleau, has been promoted to the rank of ship Captain, Currently he is Captain of a ship  called FERBEC and travels a steady run between Havre St-Pierre QC and Sorel QC carrying limenite rock which makes titanium steel. The ship travels the world also and in the past year has traded in Australia, Asia, Turkey a nd Venezuela. The ship is 187 meters long (Two football fields), 32 meters wide, 14 stories and load to a draft of 12 meters deep.

After seeing an announcement on Facebook that he had risen to Captain of a ship, I contacted him, and he kindly agreed to share his fascinating story of life at sea. I extend my most sincere congratulations to David on his achievement. 

David's father Jim Dillon was in large part responsible for the revival of Chapleau Winter Carnival in the mid 1950s. When I was president of the Student Council at Chapleau High School in 1957-58, he appointed me to the carnival committee as the youth representative.  Jim was also manager of the Chapleau Intermediate Huskies. David's brother Mark played on the last hockey team I coached in Chapleau.  My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Here is David's story. 

By David Dillon

 Born and raised in Chapleau by two great parents (Jim and Noella) I was always encouraged to try things. Chapleau brought the adventure out in me starting with camping and fishing in the wilderness, gazing at stars in clear skies and surrounded by nature I wondered about the world outside of our small town. As I got older I wanted more adventure and high school gave me the opportunity to travel on school trips meeting other people and seeing other towns. There was no internet so travelling was the way to go and when you're 14/15 years old the only way was hitch hiking or hop the freight train. 

Well it wasn't long before I found myself wanting that adventure all the time so I left high school before graduating (I actually quit at 15 and left to find work in Wawa). After working in construction for the winter I returned to Chapleau to go back to school but was bored so I decided to leave school again and work at Lafreniere's lumber mill, then in the summer of 1973 I went to visit some friends in Parry Sound. They convinced me to stay so I started looking for work and although it wasn't my first choice I was given the opportunity to work as a deck hand on a ship called the CCGS Alexander Henry, a Canadian Coast Guard buoy tender and icebreaker built in 1959 serving on the Great Lakes. 

In 1975 I transferred to the Louis S. St Laurent, Canada's largest icebreaker, based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. I spent the following 3 years travelling to the high Arctic escorting ships to supply the small and isolated communities. I reached 79 degrees northern latitude at an abandoned RCMP station setting up fuel caches on Ellesmere Island, 600 miles from the North Pole (about the same distance as Chapleau from Toronto). I slept under the Midnight Sun in nothing more than a sleeping bag to keep me warm and a piece of canvas to keep the summer snow off of me.

As I stood at the last known encampment of Sir John Franklin, I gazed upon this great vastness witth the same eyes and wonder of these people before me. I travelled through the Northwest passage through 12 feet of ice, the very passage that Franklin and his expedition sought. I was in awe and I was hooked, it was no longer a job but a career and lifestyle that chose me and I chose it.

I moved up the ranks to leading seaman and wheelsman and it was then that I decided it was time to do my licensing to be a navigating officer. I went to the Nova Scotia Nautical Institute in Halifax which was located in Pier 21 which is now a museum and historic site where immigrants from all over the world first came to Canada to start their new life, how fitting, seeing as how it was my new life I was embarking on also. 

I completed my watchkeeper's license in 1978 and was on my way, looking to travel and see more of the world. I started working on cargo ships and now I was no longer the student but th the same eyes and wonder of these people before me. I travelled through the Northwest passage through 12 feet of ice, the very passage that Franklin and his expedition sought. I was in awe and I was hooked, it was no longer a job but a career and lifestyle that chose me and I chose it.

I found myself on a ship called the Marlhill, a steamship built in 1909, riveted together and sailing as 3rd mate carrying cargo on the Great Lakes. I continued with my certification going to nautical school when I needed to and studying books at home preparing to write exams. Today there are cadet programs in Nautical Science covering subjects such as math, science, engineering, electricity, naval architect, business, law, firefighting, security/terrorism/piracy and more. To reach the level of Master you must be competent in all subjects.

When opportunity came to travel to another part of the world I asked "where do I sign up?" 

As I completed my certifications to Chief Officer and Master I travelled the Great Lakes, Caribbean, North America and Europe on cargo ships of all types, through storms and hurricanes, good weather and good times. You learned to survive, to depend on your shipmates, to become resourceful and use whatever you had on hand to fix or repair something that was broken... there's no Canadian Tire 1000 miles out at sea. 

Sometimes you would spend weeks not seeing land and 2 or 3 months at sea not touching land so sea legs were common when you finally got ashore. You could not walk a straight line as you were so used to the movement of the ship rolling back and forth. Thankfully I was never seasick.

It's been 45 years and I still enjoy my life at sea teaching and passing on stories and experiences to the young people starting off. I do enjoy my time home and someday retirement will come and I will salute and thank the sea for the wonderful life it's given to me and I'll say.

Oh tall spars I have watched you sweep among the firmament,

What aching grief is this what assails me,

That upon leaving you,

I gaze upon your tall serenity,

And I weep.

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