Chapleau citizens greet last run of Via Rail's 'The Canadian' with protest and sadness in January 1990

Walter, Mark, Raymond, Bobby

Newspaper headlines blared the story of the "Last Run" of the Canadian bidding farewell to Via Rail's transcontinental train that ran on Canadian Pacific Railway tracks through Chapleau until January 1990.

The Chapleau Sentinel headline declared 'A proud Canadian dies' while the London Free Press noted, "Northern communities mourn abrupt end of passenger train."

An important part of Canadian history ended in January 1990, when the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney cancelled the full service passenger train along the southern route to Vancouver and Toronto/Montreal. 

For Chapleau citizens, and those in all the other communities along the CPR mainline, the daily passenger train was a major player in community life.

Gordon Sanderson, a reporter with the London Free Press was on the last run. He wrote: "Northern Ontario communities that owe their existence to the railroad bid farewell to the last westbound transcontinental passenger train.."

Bobby Fortin, of Chapleau, who at the time had 35 years of service with the railway, was  the conductor on the last westbound and eastbound Canadian to pass through Chapleau. The last westbound Canadian passed through Chapleau on January 15 and the last eastbound on January 17, 1990.

Chapleau crew members with Bobby included Shane Black, Baggageman; Mark Mizuguchi, Trainman; Raymond Brunette, First Engineer and  Walter Telik, Second Engineer.

He told Mr. Sanderson, "I feel terrible... Every trip we could have five more cars, and fill them all, even in winter."

In Bobby's case, like in so many Chapleau families, railroading was part of his family. 

"I live in Chapleau. My wife and three daughters were born there, and so was I. My father was a conductor and my four brothers are working for the railway," he told the reporter. 

At 7:45 a.m a crowd of citizens gathered at the station to bid farwell but also to protest the government decision. The largest sign proclaimed "Brian (Mulroney, the prime minister) Resign -- Get Back on Track".

Bobby, Mark, Jack Pollock (Schreiber)

John Way-White, a member of Club Fifty-Five, and a retired CPR employee living in Chapleau wrote in the Chapleau Sentinel "... it was a sad day for the people of Chapleau and for the people of Canada... (as) the last Canadian train ran through our little town on to its final destination in Toronto or Montreal to be mothballed, sold or scrapped -- an ignominous end to a proud symbol of Canadian unity.

He added that the Canadian "had long served  this country, along with its transcontinental predecessors , faithfully through wars, depressions and better times ever since the government of Canada ceded invaluable right-of-way land in return for transportation services to Canadians."

John summed up the importance of the train to Chapleau. "Many worked on it as crew members, others serviced it as shop staff, car men, maintenance staff of the railway of the railway, and station personnel. Townspeople who did not work for the railroad and travelled on the train. Thus it will be missed. not as a luxury, but as a necessity all across this great country."  

John sure summed it up in words that apply now, 25 years later, as they did in 1990. Thanks to Margaret Rose and Bobby Fortin for providing me with newspaper clippings and photos about the "last run". It was also great to chat with Mark and Walter at the Redwood when I was home recently, and I saw Raymond at Harry Pellow's party in Toronto in 2014.  My email is mj.morris@live.ca