'Pert and purty' Jean Fowler wins 1959 Chapleau Winter Carnival Queen Contest while Jim Haddow named King

"Pert and purty" is how one onlooker described Jean Fowler to Mid North News upon learning that she had won the 1959 Chapleau Winter Canrnival Queen Contest.

Jean joined James Haddow, better known to everyone as Jim, who was chosen as Carnival King, the assistant superintendent of the CPR who had become a very popular citizen in the community since arriving in 1954.

He was a member of the Chapleau Rotary Club, an enthusiastic bowler (remember the lanes in the YMCA), a golf club member and was present chair of the board of management of the Lady Minto Hospital.

Jim Dillon was serving another year as chair of the carnival committee with Henry Therriault as vice chair. The overall sponsor was the Chapleau Chamber of Commerce. Secretary was Mrs. Kathleen 'Kay' Broomhead and treasurer Martin McLay.

The 'Stars of Tomorrow', with teams from Chapleau Minor Hockey participating in games was as always a popular attraction. The Chapleau Midgets played the Sudbury Sea Cadets while Chapleau High School played Schreiber. As  so often happens, nobody seemed to record the scores but I did manage to come across a photo of Harry Hong, Roger Mizuguchi and Harry Pellow who were on the CHS team in 1958-59.

Organizing hockey were Don Card, Garth 'Tee' Chambers, Charles Cobb and Henry Therriault  Other minor hockey coaches included Jerry Burns, Charlie White, Esher Ritchie, Roy May, Bill Bryson, Allan Tangie and Eldon Eveline.

The major hockey of the weekend was the tournament for the Ernest 'Sonny' Bignucolo Memorial Trophy which Mid North News reported was won "handily" by the Sudbury Co-ops for the second year in a row. Other teams were the Chapleau Huskies, University of Sudbury and Schreiber Intermediates.

In the first game Chapleau Huskies lost to Schreiber and then University of Sudbury lost to Sudbury Co-ops setting up a Schreiber-Sudbury final.

J..M. 'Jack' Shoup recently retired as principal and teacher at Chapleau Public School was  in charge of children's skating races. Mr. Shoup also looked after races in the summer.

In broomball action the Kormak Lumberkings, retained their title as "world champion broomballers" defeating the Chapleau All Stars 6-2.

 As I thumbed through the program for the 1959 winter carnival sent to me recently by Mark Dillon, Jim's son, out of the mothballs of memory came so many thoughts about those simply awesome carnival weekends in the 1950s. Winters were bitterly cold but life went on regardless and carnivals made them seem much shorter.

In fact, because there was natural ice in the arena, we really did not want a thaw. I recall one year there was one, and I can still visualize Tee Chambers and members of the Huskies shoveling the slush off the ice so they could play another period.

Boo, Roger, Butch

The carnival show held in the Town Hall auditorium was also a major attraction, and in 1959, the "bright and cheery" Harry Murphy was the master of ceremonies. Harry also acted in a skit with Leona McRea, Jean Johnson and Ovide Cote.

Others in the show were the Teenaires, Kay Macfarlane (Chapleau favourite songstress), Leonard 'Elvis' Gionet and his guitar and Albert Martin and his dog that did everything but talk. Ross Wilson from the Lakehead performed on the Hammond Organ and trampoline stars The Nicklings were on hand.

Exciting downhill runs and slaloms were presented at the Chapleau Ski Club and if you needed a ride take a taxi -- the fare for a party of four was 75 cents.

Figure skating was also feature at the arena and members of the Hiawatha Skating Club of Sault Ste Marie, Michigan gave " an exhibition of artistry on ice".

Dances were held every night beginning with a Moccasin Dance at the arena on opening night with admission of 75 cents. The Grand Carnival Ball was held at the Town Hall with music by the Teenaires for a $1.00 admission. The grand old fashioned street dance on Main Street wound up the carnival.

I also found the program advertisments interesting and here are some of them. For the most part, Chapleau's business community has changed significantly since 1959.

In fact, only Charles W Collins Stores, now called Collins Home Hardware and Furniture remains, but in the same family.

Other businesse sin the program included B and P Cartage (Bill Payette and Glen Brown), Canadian Oil Companies (Dick Hoath), Tease Cartage (Garth Chambers), The Model Grill (Alex Peld), Campbell Trucking (Grant Campbell), Len's Taxi (M. Beaulieu but founded by Len Perfetto), Eaton's Order Office, Chapleau Electric Light and Power (Clyde Fife, manager) Chapleau Beverages (Robert Fink), Queen's Hotel (Matt Castonguay), Old Reliable Barber Shop (Alf Comte), Smith and Chapple Ltd. (Arthur Grout, president),Marianne Dress Shop (Marianne Demers), Canadian Tire (Newt Pellow), Lakeshore Propane (Dex Landry), Babe's Service Station (Babe Therriault), and Stedman Brothers (W Loucks, manager)

Austin Lumber (Dalton) Limited, K.W. Biglow and Sheppard and Morse Ltd. have all gone from the scene too.

Thanks Mark for sending along the program and also to Doug Greig for the Mid North News clipping. My email is mj.morris@live.ca