George Theriault provides moose meat for Prime Minister Lester Pearson's 'VIP game dinner party' with help from Ross Sawyer

Shortly after Lester B. Pearson became prime minister of Canada in 1963, George Theriault received a phone call from his secretary who made a special request.

Mary MacDonald, the prime minister's long time secretary, said Mr. Pearson was hosting a "VIP game dinner party".

Writing in his fascinating book 'Trespassing in God's Country', Mr. Theriault explained that "He wanted to serve moose meat as one of the main courses. He had specifically asked if I could provide him with a hundred pounds of meat for his party. Even though it was late in the moose hunting season, I was confident that I could find just the right moose to satisfy his desire, so I agreed."

How did Mr. Theriault become acquainted with the prime minister of Canada?  Mr. Theriault met him while stationed at Rockcliffe while he was serving in the RCAF and Mr. Pearson was a "high ranking government official". Later when Mr. Pearson entered politics and became the member of parliament for Algoma East, which included Chapleau, They renewed their friendship.

Mr. Theriault had established his air base at Chapleau after retiring from the RCAF in 1954.

After the phone call, Mr. Theriault flew out to Sahler Lake with his friend and hunting buddy Bill Clarke to dismantle a tent camp they had used during a busy two weeks for moose hunting.

"We finished our chores quickly then paddled the canoe across the lake to a creek. We pulled the canoe onto the shore and walked up a trail along the side of the creek. About three quarters of a mile up the creek, we caught site of a young cow feeding in the shallow water of the creek. Instantly Bill and I both had the same thought  --- there's the prime minister's moose. Without hesitating for one moment, I raised my gun and shot it."

Everything was working out well and within a few days the moose was hung and butchered, and then ... Mr. Theriault entered his office at the airbase only to discover that someone had broken into the building through one of the windows. 

The prime minister's moose had been stolen!

Mr. Theriault notified the Ontario Provincial Police who had coincidentally stopped a car the night before with moose meat in it. However, after visiting the home of the car driver, the police found no meat. 

Now Mr. Theriault was in quite a predicament. It was too late to go hunting.

Ross Sawyer to the rescue!!!

Ross gave him a hind quarter of a moose that he had shot for his family, and this was sent to the prime minister for his party.

"It may not have been as tasty as the young cow, but it was moose meat nonetheless. The dinner party turned out to be a success after all, and the prime minister conveyed his appreciation."

'Trespassing in God's Country: Sixty Years of Flying in Northern Canada' is a must read for anyone interested in our north country..

George Theriault died on May 26, 2015 at age 95. I leave you with the final paragraph from his book: "That's the most amazing thing: life just goes on  -- with us and without us. None of us are permanent fixtures on this landscape; we are all trespassers in God's country."  May he rest in peace.

Thanks  to John Theriault, one of Mr. Theriault's sons who provided me with a copy of his father's book.

Also, I extend my most sincere best wishes to all for the holiday season. Enjoy! Stay safe! Peace be with you. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! 

My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Creative Kids Club being launched at Chapleau Hub (St John's) in January 2019

Cynthia Barlow used with permission

A Creative Kids Club is being launched at the Chapleau Hub (St John's Anglican Church) on January 3, 2019 -- what an awesome way to start a new year.

When I saw the post about the club on Facebook, I immediately contacted Cynthia Barlow, who is behind the project, for information, and she kindly got back to me very quickly. Thanks Cynthia.

She said, "I feel today that kids need to socialize more and have the opportunity to plan events and create with crafts. So many kids can be creative".

At the club the kids will be able to do creative art, plan events like putting on shows -- fashion show. puppet show -- put together a dance or a band - a place where they can socialize and be creative.

"Our slogan is CARE. We want the children to Create, Accept everyone for who they are, Respect each other and Express themselves." Great slogan!

Cynthia is a child development practitioner with " a lot of knowledge about children and their milestones and development."

She added that she has "a very creative daughter. She loves doing crafts and loves music. She inspired me to start this club." The other person involved is Hannah Barlow who had a similar idea in mind.

Let me flash back to my own growing up years in Chapleau, where there was no official creative kids club, but there were teachers and others in the community who played a role in developing our creative side.

For example when I was in Grades 3 and 4 at Chapleau Public School we had a Junior Red Cross Society which presented plays to the class. I directed and acted in a swashbuckler play with Alison McMillan, Brian and Teddy Demers which we created ourselves. We rehearsed at the Demers home and Mrs. Demers who owned a clothing store made our costumes. Mrs. Madeleine Pellow was our teacher who fully supported our production.

This single  creative activity in the late 1940s led me into a lifetime interest in drama and many years later when I was teaching at Chapleau High School, I directed plays in student productions.I also taught drama there.

 I even studied drama at the University of Toronto, and it all led to a faculty position at College of the Rockies where I taught a course in Children's Theatre in my early years there.

I was also fortunate that my mother, Muriel E (Hunt) Morris, taught at Chapleau Public School for 32 years and directed many plays and concerts including 'HMS Pinafore' by Gilbert and Sullivan. My only regret was that Mom would not let me use the costumes for plays with my friends! She would let me attend rehearsals in the old Town Hall in the evening.

My grandfather George Hunt also played a very important  role. When I was playing with toys in the living room, Grandpa would join me, and through him I learned much of the history of England. 

In a Facebook post on the Chapleau Community Bulletin Board, Cynthia asks that those interested send an email to creative_kids_club@outlook.com to obtain a regsitration form. There is no cost to register.

"We would like to have most of the children registered so that we have an idea of how many so we can prepare everything and make sure we have enough of everything for them," the post says. It also outlines the January project in detail.

Leighton Stultz used with permision

To sum it all up, I turned to my friend Leighton Stultz, the American model and actor to share his comments on the importance of "creative kids" in a message for the kids and parents too.

Leighton wrote: "Being creative is something all kids share equally. It's the one thing you can never run out of and can never be taken from you. It's a way to display your personality, smartness, kindness and every emotion all without needing the use of words. It's what sets you apart from the crowd but just as easily brings you together. Your creativity is yours and just like your fingerprint, no two are alike so don't ever be afraid to express yourself because the world needs you and your creativity."  Thanks Leighton.

FACEBOOK: Creative Kids Club

I wish everyone involved in the Chapleau Creative Kids Club every success. I will certainly follow your progress with great interest. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

George Evans on 'Reading, Writing and 'Rithmetic' as schools established in Chapleau's early years

From the moment Chapleau was established in 1885, and families started to arrive, there were children about in  the "cluster of homes", and parents  wanted a school, according to an article by George Evans.

George, the long time teacher and assistant principal at Chapleau High School, who died in a car accident on March 18, 2012, wrote a series of articles about Chapleau called 'Snapshots of Chapleau Past'.

In one called 'Reading, Writing and 'Rithmetic', George wrote that the first school was in a tent in 1886, but was moved to a "sturdier structure" in the vestry of the first Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church.  Monthly fee was $1.00 per child.

This school was not too successful so by 1889 it was back to a tent over a low frame wall and floor located about where Trinity United Church is today.

Here is George's glimpse into the "pioneer students under canvas".

"They sat on home-made wooden benches and used home-made wooden desks arranged around a box stove. The teacher was responsible for cleaning and heating the school".

By 1890, it was realized that this school was not satisfactory so a public meeting was called in February 1891 and Robert Holding was named chair of a school board.

A school was established on Pine Street in a wooden building beside St. John's rectory. School street was established.

George noted that by 1893 a second room was added for students "lusting after knowledge and wisdom". The annual budget was $1100

According to Vincent Crichton’s account,which George included in his article, this was Chapleau’s version of the legendary pioneer school house.  "At the front of the class, the teacher presided behind a big wooden desk that had a large hand-bell on it. The students sat at new double-desks. A water pail with a tin cup sat on a chair near the woodstove. The girls were responsible for sweeping and cleaning the premises; the boys filled the woodbox, stoked the stove, and carried out the ashes. The teacher was stuck with getting to work early enough to get the fire in the stove going and thaw out the ink bottles. One delicate matter is not mentioned in Vince’s book and so we must assume that an outhouse or two were somewhere on the property. George wrote that in  1901, "the same year that the municipality came into being, the school board built a new public school on the lot beside St. John’s Anglican Church, just across the street from the first public school.  A fine, two-story, 4-room building with central heating, the new building brought Chapleau’s public school into the 20th century, leaving behind the crude but romantic make-do arrangements of the 19th century.'  This building was to play a long and distinguished career in Chapleau’s educational history becoming Chapleau High School after it was established in 1922. George wrote that in the mid-20s, a major transformation took place when two regular classrooms, two labs, and a low-ceilinged basement gym were added and the whole structure was given a brick exterior. This renovated building was the red-brick Chapleau High School that many people still fondly remember." Chapleau Public School was built along Pine Street beside the old Town Hall. Chapleau High School, in its turn, left the old building in 1966 to migrate to its new home atop the hill on the western edge of town  But the old building had still not finished its educational mission. It soon became the Senior Public School, housing the overflow from the Public School as the last of the baby-boomers began flowing through the system. It was demolished in 1976 and the Chapleau Civic Centre is now on the site. George noted that his article was based in part on information contained in Vince Crichton's book 'Pioneering in Northern Ontario.' Just a note: Over the years there have been several accounts written about education in Chapleau including a detailed one by J.M. Shoup long time teacher and principal of Chapleau Public School. I am spending some time on the history of education. Please feel free to email me at mj.morris@live.ca if you can contribute. APOLOGY  I apologize for the layout!! Gremlin attack!!