Charles W Collins active in Chapleau community life established retail business associated with family name in 1928

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In 2018, the Collins name will have been associated with retail business in Chapleau for 90 years, but its founder Charles W. Collins, also played an active role in many other aspects of community life.

Mr. Collins was the son of Mr. and Mrs. P.J. Collins who arrived in Chapleau in 1909. With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, soon thereafter many Chapleau boys enlisted in the armed forces, and a plaque in St. John's Anglican Church notes that he was one of 42 church members who were  in the forces by 1916.

Let's go back to 1885, and a few years beyond for a moment. Alexandre Langis arrived at 615.1 on the Canadian Pacific Railway with a contract from the company to clear the land that would become the townsite of Chapleau.

After completing the contract Mr. Langis stayed with the CPR but left to start a business with one E. Jackman at 4 Birch Street West at Young and Birch Street. The building happened to be owned by my great-great uncle Patrick Mulligan. He had established Murrays and Mulligan, General Merchants, on that site in 1887.

An Albert Desjardins came to Chapleau in 1908 from Montreal and bought out Mr. Jackman so the name was changed to Desjardins and Langis.

In 1909 they relocated to the southwest corner of Birch and Lorne streets which for a short time had been the site of the first Roman Catholic church.

Later, Harry Wolfe, who was the son-in-law of Mr. Langis, purchased the interests of Mr. Desjardins, and in 1924 the store became known as Langis and Wolfe.

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In 1928, Charles W. Collins bought out Mr. Langis and the store became known as Wolfe and Collins. The Collins name has been associated with ownership of a  store at that location ever since.  In due course Mr. Wolfe left the business and Fred Matters became a partner, and the store became Collins and Matters. When Mr. Matters left it became Charles W. Collins Stores Ltd and now the fourth generation of the family is in the business.

They have been Mr. Collins followed by his son George, his granddaughter Susan,  his grandson Doug, and now his great-grandson Joshua. Over the years other members of the family have also been associated with the store.

No other name has been associated with a locally owned business in Chapleau in its entire history for as long as Collins has.

Charles Collins was also active in the community, and by 1950 he was chair of the board of Lady Minto Hospital and encouraging its members to accept the need for renovations. The hospital had opened in 1914.

 At the annual meeting of 1952, Mr. Collins, and D.O. Payette, secretary, presented plans which would also include a nurses' residence. 

Mr. Collins urged the board members to go on record as supporting the project "100 percent" which they did.

By 1955 the renovations including the nurses' residence had been completed. The sun parlours on the east and west ends of the hospital located on Elm Street, across from Queen Street.

Of all the improvements perhaps the most important was an elevator that became a reality through a generous gift from the W.E. Mason Foundation. Mr. Mason was a great supporter of Northern Ontario and founder of the Sudbury Star newspaper.

The kitchen had been moved to the basement with all new equipment described as 'the last word in cooking convenience for large scale service.

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As the 1950s began, Chapleau installed a sewage system while Mr. Collins was president of the Chapleau Board of Trade, (Chamber of Commerce). Mr. Collins was also supportive of the Chapleau Memorial Community Arena opened in 1951. 

Mr. Collins was also a member of Branch Number 5 of the Royal Canadian Legion, a charter member of the Chapleau Rotary Club, and St. John's Anglican Church where he served on the advisory board for many years.

Over the years renovations were undertaken at the store.

After Mr. Collins retired, and his son George became president, and 30 years ago in 1987, the company bought Pro Hardware, which had been part of the Smith and Chapple Ltd. complex. 

My email is mj.morris@live.ca


PHOTOS
1930s Staff of Collins and Matters: Back row left to right: Fred Card, Fred Matters, Charles W. Collins, Herbie Vezina. Front row left to right: Olive Vezina, Beth Inges, Gertrude Currie (Curry)

Launch of Chapleau sewage system project 1950: Dr. D.W. Lougheed, Arthur J. Grout, Cecil A. Smith, Unknown, W. Steed, R. Thrush, B.W. Zufelt, Ernest Lepine, E. Brunette, Jack Shoup, Richard Brownlee, Dr. G. E. Young, Clyde Fife, D.O. Payette, Charles W. Collins.