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| Ernie with faithful dog Rusty |
Ernest Lucien "Ernie" Gilbert, after retiring as an engineer on the Canadian Pacific Railway, decided to enter municipal politics in Chapleau, was elected in the 1972 election, and served several two-year terms, as a councillor.
Ernie, as he was known also served as Deputy Reeve, and in 1979, was honoured by being selected to be King of the Chapleau Winter Carnival, a Taste of the North.
I first met Ernie at an all candidates meeting in the Legion Hall for the 1972 election, and happened to follow him in the speaking order.
After listening to his speech, my first comment was "That's a hard act to follow." And he was in so many ways as I was to learn over the next few years. We were both elected, and became good friends.
No matter the time of day, Ernie was on the job as a councillor. and chair of Public Works, and I recall several cold winter nights when he would get me up to attend at a water main break, bringing coffee for the Town Gang who were on the job repairing it.
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| Nick Card, T Way-White, Dr Young, MJ, Ernie |
Recently I have been in touch with his grandson Brad who retired in 2013 after 30 years service with the Ontario Provincial Police, and asked if he would assist with a column about his grandfather. Brad agreed.
Brad related that his grandfather was "the 7th son of a 7th son which in the early 1900’s was believed to bless you with the gift of healing. On Sunday afternoons, people would come to the Gilbert home to have my grandfather (then a young boy) rub their ailing parts, such as swollen feet and legs. As an adult, he became well known in the community for having the power to cure warts. Children would come to him with their hands covered in warts.
"He would rub a penny on each wart and bury it in a location only he would know and before long the warts would disappear and so goes the legend.
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| Ernie and Marcel Bougeault in 75th anniversary water parade with passenger MJM |
"I grew up experiencing many of his home remedies, such as hot mustard plasters and a combination of sliced potatoes covered in black pepper, held in place over your forehead with a folded handkerchief to cure a fever. Many nights, I endured the pepper potatoes sliding down into my eyes and burning like fire. I’m not sure if it cured the fever or just made you stop complaining about it."
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| King Ernie, Bonhomme, MJM |
His grandfather was a French Roman Catholic and at the age of 23 married Alice the love of his life. "They raised four girls during the depression years. These were very challenging times and he learned many trades to support his family, such as lumberjack, fisherman, guide, miner, trapper and wood whittler.
"After the depression he became an engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railway. He was well known on the railway line as the engineer that played 'Shave and a Haircut' on the steam whistle no matter what time of day or night he was passing through town."
He "loved and respected the bush and he loved to go brook trout fishing. He took great pride and enjoyment in sharing with his grandchildren the adventures of getting up at the crack of dawn and heading out to catch some speckled trout in little streams that you would never believe held such amazing trout. As kids and even later as adults we suffered the wrath of black fly and mosquito season when fishing with Grandpa. We spent more time swatting flies than we did fishing but Grandpa always seemed unaffected by them and always came home with the most fish."
"He was very active on his trap line. As a young boy growing up, I spent many weekends spent on the trap line with Grandpa. Many valuable life lessons were learned during those outings. Grandpa always had a pocket full of hard candies and offered them up often. I learned to pass on the generous offer as they were usually covered in pocket lint with a mixture of beaver hair and twigs. In the winter months, we would travel by snowmobile. Grandpa was usually driving and I was been pulled on a toboggan behind. I learned early on to hold on for dear life because to fall off always meant a long walk to catch up because grandpa seldom looked back as he was looking ahead for animal tracks. His memory lives on in the Chapleau Museum where a beautiful black wolf was donated by him and is on display."
On one occasion when Ernie was out on his trap line with his faithful dog Rusty, during his years on council, he fell and broke his leg. Rusty helped him back to his vehicle and Ernie managed to drive himself back into town to the Lady Minto Hospital. I asked Brad about it and he recalled that Rusty went right into the hospital with him and did not want to leave. Finally Stan Tokarchuk, who worked at the hospital and was their next door neighbour brought the dog home.
By the time Brad, who was attending school arrived at the hospital, obviously concerned about his grandfather, Ernie was telling stories to the nurses.
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| see below |
On the night of the next council meeting, we did not expect Ernie to attend, and no sooner had everyone commented, than Ernie arrived. He had managed to get up the stairs to the council chambers in the old Town Hall, and never missed a meeting even though one leg was in a cast.
He was a founding member of the Chapleau Senior Citizens Club in 1973 serving as a vice president, as well as on the board of Cedar Grove Lodge. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus and Ontario Trappers Association.
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| see below |
Back to Brad: "My grandfather had many skills and gifts but his legacy is the happy, loving memories that his family has of him. Only a few weeks ago, I was going through a photo album of my grandfather and reminiscing about our time together. I started to cry, not a trickling single tear but a full blown ugly cry. That’s who my grandfather was. A man who made such an impression on me that memories of him generated that response, 18 years after his death."
Thank you Brad. It was an honour and privilege for me to know your grandfather and have him has a friend. May he rest in peace,.
He passed away on January 27, 2000 in North Bay at the age of 93. My email is mj.morris@live.ca
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Ground breaking ceremony for Cedar Grove Lodge 1976. From left are MJM, Dr G.E. Young, George Evans, Rene Brunelle, Walter Wilson, Ernie Gilbert, Lauretta Viet, G. Ste. Germaine, Nick Card, Louise Mione, Min Blackburn
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