Nostalgic memory of old days in Chapleau as chimney smoke went straight up and Forty below was no big deal

In those "old days" in Chapleau, it was so cold in Winter that the chimney smoke went straight up "looking like it had frozen just as fast as it hit the air on your way to school with no parent or school giving any consideration to frostbite, freezing hands or feet."

Adapted from an email Bill Groves sent to his brother-in-law Gerry Bowland who has, like me a "nostalgic memory of the old days" in Chapleau when -40 degrees Celsius (or Fahrenheit) was common and we simply bundled up and got on with our day. It was no big deal.

Bill sent me these photos taken at Chapleau early on January 2, 2014, after seeing my Facebook post to everyone who was commenting on how cold it was!

Actually, in all honesty, I do not recall Chapleau Public School or Chapleau High School being closed because of the weather when I was a student at them between 1946 or so and 1959. And we walked to school too!

And CHS was never closed because of weather when I taught there later.

I know. I know. It's different now.

By the way, it was one degree Celsius and clear in Cranbrook where I now live on January 2, 2014.

Thanks Bill and Barbara.

Happy New Year!