Bill McLeod reflects on going to the Old Fort on a Wednesday afternoon, down the road for a washtub full of raspberries, Highway 129 and Turk Broda and the triple play

Turk Brod

After Bill McLeod read my piece about going down the lake by two rivers to reach Mulligan's Bay, he was in touch with his memories, and also shared his family's trips 'down the road' generally meaning Highway 129 and some side roads. Bill had also earlier shared an anecdote with me about the time Turk Broda brought his ball team to Chapleau in the Fifties for Beach Day, celebrated on the Civic Holiday weekend in August. It is all here!

I invited Bill, who has written three books on Chapleau and area, and has been a good friend since our childhoods -- in fact, Bill lived just down the Grey Street lane from me, although he may tell you that I lived up the Aberdeen Street lane from him -- to be a guest columnist. Bill agreed, and here he is with his memories of down the lake, down the road and the visit by Turk Broda. And thanks Bill too for giving me a vacation -- first week off in two years!!!

Also, as special bonus, see Paul Carson's great video on Mulligan's Bay. Scroll down!

By William E. "Bill McLeod

GOING DOWN THE LAKE

There was another bunch, including us, who also have a bit of "down the lake" history. Like some other families, we didn't have a camp. But we did have what was for the time, a state of the art boat and motor which my dad (Borden "Bordie" McLeod) inherited from John Hun. The motor was a Johnson outboard with the flywheel on top. The boat was a big Hudson's Bay square sterned freighter canoe. We used to go down the lake to picnic and swim at the "Old Fort". Usually it was on Wednesday afternoons but I have no idea why. There were often other Chapleau folks there too. My dad eventually sold the motor to Gussie Evans and the boat to George Corston, mainly because my mother didn't like either boats or the water. (Note: I think it was Wednesday afternoon because stores in Chapleau closed..mj)

DOWN THE ROAD

Going down the road was another matter. We did it often. On Sundays we would go as far as what is now Unegam Lake. Fred and Rose Primeau had a little lunch bar and some cabins, some of which are still there and are called "Sunset View". Mrs. Primeau who was a sister of Joe Steen's mother was a fabulous cook. 

During berry season we would go to about mileage eight for blueberries and on the Nemegos road for raspberries. There was a little nameless lake off the Nemegos Road on the right before you got to the Kennedy Lake road. There were some abandoned lumber camps there and we would have our lunch in a little screened in building that had been the meathouse. I'm sure I could find the exact spot today. One time we picked a wash tub full of wild raspberries.

If we went anywhere on Saturdays we had to get off the Nemegos Road and on to 129 shortly after four in the afternoon. My dad was paranoid about the mad rush from Sultan to Chapleau on Saturdays. They blew the whistle at the mill in Sultan at five on Saturdays (six other days). The guys would dash to their cars and drive like maniacs to get to the liquor store in Chapleau before it closed at six. Sometimes they didn't make it and had to go back to Sultan and pay bootlegger prices for a week.

In the summer we would often go fishing for little brook trout at Poulin Creek. Sometimes, usually with Charlie Swanson, we would canoe up Poulin Creek to what they called the "spring hole". On one of those excursions we saw a cow moose teaching two newborn calves how to eat water lillies. When she realized we were watching she tried to chase the calves into the bush but one was too small and became stuck. So the mother crouched down on her haunches, the calf climbed on her back and away they went.

In the fall we would go partridge hunting almost every weekend. Some times we would take the Nemegos Shortcut from about Mileage 12, drop in to Mike Koski's place for coffee and come back via what was called 118. Perhaps on the same day we would walk in to Five Mile Lake where the Provincial Park would eventually locate. Sometimes we would go to Island Lake and hunt the network of lumber roads near the mill. And, late in October, we would go dip netting for whitefish on the Nebsqwashi River where it narrows near Gravel Lake. To get there you had to go first to Island Lake.

MORE ON THE ROAD

There is so much more to write about "going down the road". The dramatic change in the type of road at Horton Lake just before the road up to the fire tower in Township 9 E. That corner at Horton lake is where Tom Godfrey's efforts ended and the new piece of road built by McGuinty Construction began. The 12 miles of pavement in the middle of nowhere was built by Storm Construction under the supervision of Grant "Grizz" Henderson.

Then there was the section of road on that steep hill down to the Mississaugi River. There were a number of wrecks at the bottom of the hill where drivers had lost control and had a choice of taking the bush or the river. You can still see the "hole in the hill" where that old road started down. There was a Bailey Bridge over the Mississaugi with giant white pine logs for safety barriers. How about that flue where the logs were diverted around Aubrey Falls? And also the hairpin curves around the Mississaugi River. And the Rainer (sp?) dam that backed up the Mississaugi to form Tunnel Lake. They used the same engineering techniques used on the Hoover Dam.

The Griggs from Iron Bridge were distantly related to my mother, I think by marriage. I remember Dougall Grigg, the store and hotel owner One time I asked my dad why he was always so happy to see us. My dad laughed and told me that when we stayed at the Grigg Hotel he always had a bottle of Canadian Club in his suitcase. Mrs. Grigg wouldn't let Dougall drink. So one time they polished off the bottle of Canadian Club and decided to go to the bootlegger in Blind River to get another one. On the way back the fog rolled in and my dad had to get in the back seat, stick his head out the window, watch for the white line and keep Dougall on the right side of it. And they think we were crazy!!

TURK BRODA AND TRIPLE PLAY

(According to Greatest Hockey Legends, regarded as perhaps the best clutch goaltender of all time, Walter "Turk" Broda was "Mr. Maple Leaf" for 16 seasons, with two years lost to Canadian armed forces duty in World War II.)

My Dad was chairman of the Recreation Commission (in the 1950s) and in those days "Beach Day" was a big deal, celebrated on the Civic Holiday weekend. One year they brought in a real bunch of entertainers including some boxers from Toronto. But the highlight was Turk Broda and his Allstar softball team - sponsored by Labatts. They arrived on Train No. 3 which came in around noon.

Broda had ordered a large number of cases of beer and told my dad to have them available at the station as soon as the train pulled in. All clearly illegal of course. (Chapleau did not have licensed premises at that time.) My dad and Bubs (B.W. Zufelt, then the reeve of Chapleau) showed up in our car with the beer in the trunk and me in the back seat. The first guy they ran into was the single O.P.P. Constable in Chapleau at the time. Anyway, nothing happened and the team headed to the Boston Cafe for lunch. I was one of the lucky ones who got in for autographs.

Of course I can't tell you the names of all the players but Broda, Flem Mackell, Leo Labine and Joe Klukay were among them. I shared bat boy duties with Johnny Thornton and can distinctly remember what good ballplayers those hockey players were. They could have really beaten Chapleau but realized they were there to entertain and entertain they did! All I remember of the game was one inning when Broda's gang had a couple of guys on base and one of them hit into a double play. One of the hockey players, I think it was MacKell, jumped off second base in a phony attempt to steal third and Tommy Godfrey tagged him out. TRIPLE PLAY CHAPLEAU!! It was the only triple play I ever saw.

North sky turned a reddish orange at night while engine stood ready at station with 'steam up' as Chapleau prepared for 1948 forest fire evacuation

Back in the day when Queen Victoria's birthday was actually celebrated on the 24th of May in Canada, in 1948 it marked the beginning of forest fires that ravaged much of the area near Chapleau, and threatened the community itself.

Following up on the fires that have devastated the town of Slave Lake, Alberta, the Canadian Press carried a story this week on the worst forest fires in Canadian history. Included was the fire commonly called the Mississagi fire of 1948 but as Bill McLeod points out in his book 'The Chapleau Game Preserve: History, Murder and Other Tales', there were actually three fires - Mississagi, South Chapleau and Panet, the latter posing the worst threat to Chapleau.

Canadian Press says that the worst forest fire in Ontario history was the Matheson fire of 1916 in which 244 people were killed.

After reading the Canadian Press story, I googled for more information on the 1948 fires, and came across a feature story from the August 1961 edition of 'Boys' Life'. the publication of the American Boy Scouts. My intention was to simpy use it as the basis for this piece, but after a few reads, realized that much of it was creative non fiction, written by someone who obviously had never visited the area, and was done for an audience of American Boy Scouts.

However, it is a good read and I do refer to some of the article here. I also went to Bill's book for information, and so here we are some 63 years later, on the Victoria Day weekend, being celebrated close to the 24th this year, with a look back to the fires that had an enormous long term impact on Chapleau and area.

Bill McLeod notes that the Mississagi fire was first detected at one p.m. near Rocky Island Lake on May 25, and by the time the first 69 firefighters arrived a day later it had grown to 2,000 acres in size. By May 27, it had jumped the Mississagi River at three points and was being fought by 137 firefighters.

Meanwhile, the South Chapleau fire had started near Flame Lake in Township 8D, and by June 1 had increased to 30,000 acres and was only 12 miles north of Mississagi.

Reflecting all these years later on these two fires stretching roughly along present Highway 129, which at the time, was not completed between Chapleau and Thessalon, Chapleau was threatened as Flame Lake is at Mileage 47, and the fires were eventually joined

However, the danger to the community was to increase even more when a new fire started in Panet Township on June 4, immediately north of the original village of Chapleau.

While the Mississagi, South Chapleau and other fires continued, by June 9, the Panet fire was within four miles of Chapleau.

Reeve B.W. 'Bubs' Zufelt told the Sudbury Star that all of the community's firefighting equipment had been tested and was at the ready. Hoses had been attached to every fire hydrant in town, Bill McLeod wrote, adding, "At night, Chapleau residents watched nervously as the north sky turned a reddish orange".

As an historic footnote, Mr. Zufelt was in his first year as Chapleau reeve in 1948 when faced with the possibility of ordering an evacuation. So was T.C. 'Terry' Way-White in 1967. Mr Zufelt did not have have to order it, but Mr. Way-White did.

If an evacuation was necessary empty boxcars were on hand at the CPR station. Keep in mind that in 1948, the CPR was really the only way in and out of Chapleau, and South Chapleau was near Sultan and Nemegos, near the railway line heading east, while the Panet fire was near it going west. The people of Chapleau were faced with a potentially very dangerous situation.

The Chapleau Fire Precaution Group was formed with Arthur Grout as chairman and Fire Chief George Collinson as vice chairman. Four wardens, Adam Andrews, Jim Broomhead, Borden McLeod and Albert Evans, with responsibility for specfic responsibility for sections of town were appointed.

Describing the precautions being taken at Chapleau, the writer of the 'Boys' Life' article says that "the engine stood on a railway siding with steam up, and cars attached."

At one point during the fires, the Ontario government considered seeding the clouds with dry ice and it was undertaken. The 'Boys' Life' article says, "the rain fell, sixty miles away from the fire where it rained out a baseball game". Bill McLeod wrote that shortly after "a drenching downpour partly extinguished a fire near the Swayze River".

Then the rains finally came to Northern Ontario and by June 28, the fires were essentially out, and in their aftermath came a whole new chapter in the history of the Chapleau area with the completion of Highway 129 in 1949, the arrival of new lumber companies, and many other changes in the life and times of this part of Northern Ontario. All stories for another day.

As a sidebar, Doug Greig, who is always so helpful when it comes to providing information, sent me a newspaper clipping announcing that the Ontario Provincial Police had established a detachment at Flame Lake after the fire. Const. D.G Patterson who had served in the RCAF in World War II was the officer posted there. Three lumber mills were in operation undertaking salvage operations. Previously, the one OPP officer from Chapleau had Flame Lake as part of his patrol area.

Thanks to Doug Greig and Bill McLeod and 'Boys' Life' magazine. Happy Victoria Day to all. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Memories of Mac's bellow, withering words, wiener roasts, field days, cadet inspections, all important part of Chapleau High School life as recalled by Jack Whitney



Phys ed on field behind old CHS in the 60s

On J.L. "Jack" Whitney's first day at Chapleau High School in the late 1920s without warning, the most outstanding noise caused all students, who with no teacher present, were being their usual well behaved selves, caused them to pause in mid whatever they were doing.

John McClellan in front of CHS

They were about to meet John McClellan, the legendary teacher and principal of the school. Mr. Whitney recalled his high school experience in a speech to high school students some years later after he graduated from CHS

First though, let me share how I came to receive a copy of Mr. Whitney's story. James Austin and his daughter Elizabeth recently went to have dinner with Bill and Sheryl McLeod at their home in Sudbury. Mr. Austin brought with him a handwritten copy of the speech signed by "J.L. Whitney" but could not recall how he happened to get it. Bill McLeod agreed to transcribed it , and sent me a copy for use in my column. Thanks all!

Here is Mr. Whitney's story.

He wrote: "How did we like high school 40 years ago?? I believe that it was very much as it is today, most of us liked it very much. I think, looking back from today, many of us would place it with the outstanding events in our lives. Some, of course, found it too difficult, and for a few it was a little too boring. Up to 1929, you know, there was plenty of work and the pay was good … 25 cents per hour … ten hour days with $1.00 a day off for board so higher education wasn’t really necessary."

He explains that in 1924 the new public school was only a few years old and the new high school, which was merely the old public school, enlarged and re-modelled, was about the same age, less a year or so.

"What about the teachers of those days? Well, when you consider that in the late twenties and the early thirties a large percentage of 5th Form (Grade 13 to you) successfully completed their university education and are today holding some rather important and useful positions in the Army, the Electrical, the Medical and the Teaching world … then I feel they compare favourably with teachers anywhere and in any decade."

"I shall never forget my first day in First Form. I was wearing black boots (not shoes) black wool stockings up to the knee and knicker-bocker pants which strapped around just below the knee and flopped over just an inch or so. Above this I had on a long-sleeved V-neck pullover, and this was topped by a grinning face and a shock of unruly light hair. I looked a good deal like most of the other boys except for size, shape and colouring.

"The girls, as I remember wore low-waisted long dresses down to two or three inches above the ankle, with lisle hose and sensible shoes. Most of the hairdos were dutch bobs with a few with long curls and most of the hats were the helmet type, usually of felt, and I believe were patterned after the steel helmets of the previous war."

MAC BELLOWS

"But what was memorable about this first day, you ask? For a few moments after the classroom had filled up, there was no teacher present, so we were being our usual well behaved selves. Incidentally we were seated with our backs to the door. Without warning a most outstanding noise caused us all to pause in mid whatever we were doing!! Then slowly, relentlessly and in absolute silence the creator of this noise paced down the aisle to the teacher’s desk, turned, swept the now pop-eyed group of children with a glare which would have done justice to any Sgt. Major I have ever known!!

"And bellowed: 'If any of you have been wondering who is going to be in charge around here, please let me advise you that I am'. And to prove it he caught one of the more incautious boys smack in the ear with a piece of chalk about 1” long. Need I tell you that this was my introduction to Mr. McClellan!! For many years this man remained a potent force for law and order in the old C.H.S. and incidentally he was also a very good teacher. He has left his mark, a good mark, on many and many a boy and girl who now fill the niches in life from labourers to engineers, brigadiers and doctors and from housewives to nurses, teachers, matrons in hospitals and, we in our generation are proud to say, even a successful university professor."

WITHERING WORDS
"Of course no one person was responsible for this metamorphosis of raw gangling boys and girls into mature, useful men and women. During the years of which I speak we had many fine men and women come to Chapleau to help us along the way. At the risk of omitting some, and I am sure I will, I must name a few who were to me, outstanding. Miss Snyder (now Mrs. Muske), Miss Trays, Miss Waring, Miss Reid, Mr. Cousineau, Mr. Courtenage, Mr. Wylie (now in Sudbury), Mr. Hobbs, Miss Cox and, but not least by any means, Miss S. B. Pallett.

"What kind of a person was Miss Pallett? Well I failed in and carried Latin to 4th Form (grade 12) and along came Miss Pallett!! I passed Latin Authors in Grade 13 with 1st class honors and got nearly 70 in Composition!! This same person, with a few withering well chosen words could make me crawl under the rug on the teachers’ room floor and not even make a wrinkle!! But I think the real worth of Miss S. B. Pallett is shown by the fact that now, 35 years later, most of her former pupils from Chapleau either write to her at least once a year, visit her in Toronto at her home or at the “Oshawa Picnic” or phone her and talk to her for hours when they happen to be in Toronto. She was a wonderful person for a teenager in the grip of change and uncertainty to have known and respected, and she is still today, that same pleasant, understanding person."\

The Oshawa Picnic to which Mr. Whitney refers was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. McClellan at their home in Whitby after he retired in 1956. For years it was a must attend party for former CHS students. Miss Pallett was Mr. McClellan's predecessor as CHS principal.

FORBIDDEN SMOKES

"I do not have either the space or the time to recount the many anecdotes which come to mind about the teachers and the students of that far off day, but I might recall for you a few of the activities which we carried out, in, through, and in spite of good old C.H.S. and its staff. The Students’ Council was formed when I was in 2nd Form. There may have been one before that time but I have no recollection of it.

"We put on a three act play each year, from long before my time until after I left at any rate. We worked up, set type, edited, published and printed a school year book ”Static” for several years. We had regular school dances played for by school orchestras, annual commencements, wiener roasts, field days, Cadet Inspections, ski parties, ski meets, debating teams and interspersed here and there through this fabric which made up our school life, were a few who liked to pay “hooky” once in a while – smoke a forbidden cigarette in the boys’ or girls’ washrooms and blow the smoke up the ventilators, --- and even the odd one who dared to take a drink now and again!! Times have changed, haven’t they?

"The only thing more I have to say to all you young people is this, - live, really live your high school life. It is a very important part of your life, it should be a very pleasant part of your life and it could be one of the most memorable parts of your life! --- Incidentally, by 'live' I mean “work at'."

Mr. Whitney was married to Mildred Pellow, and their children Joan, Mary and Chris all attended CHS.

If anyone has information on when and where Mr. Whitney may have given this talk, please let me know. Thanks also to Anne (Zufelt) McGoldrick for providing background information. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Also Anne advises that she has information on many Chapleau residents that she is willing to share with those doing research into their families. In return she would appreciate receiving information from you. Please contact me and I will forward your requests to Anne.

Personal columns in Chapleau Press of 1962 part of community life, now we 'facebook' and 'tweet'

After receiving the Personals column from the Chapleau Press of October 11, 1962 recently, it struck me that the news about the comings and goings of citizens and their visitors was a very important part of community life, and yes, it sold newspapers too.

I learned first hand the importance of social news and personals columns shortly after i became a newspaper reporter in 1964 at the Daily Press in Timmins. Most contributions were handwritten in those days and quite often news reporters were called upon to type them out into a news story. And woe betide if you made a spelling error in someone's name. Actually it was a great experience in "getting the name right" one of the first principles young reporters learn, made more difficult as you had to transcribe all manner and forms of handwriting.

But the Personals column and other social news were a very popular section of the newspaper, maybe even moreso than sports or comics. I realized quickly that "hard news" was not always the main reason people bought a newspaper.

Doug Greig sent me the clipping on the very day that Bill McLeod sent out a news release announcing the launch of his new book 'Chapleau: A Retrospective on LIfe in an Isolated Northern Community.' Doug had coincidentally received the clipping that day and Bill and I are mentioned in the Personal column.

Bill advises that he will hold a book launch in Chapleau on Thursday, September 30 from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at the Chapleau Public Library.

It read: "Michal (sp) Morris and Billie (sp) McLeod students at Waterloo College were home for the Thanksgiving weekend." Of course it should have been Michael and Billy, but those were the only misspelled names in the column that I could detect. And yes, Bill and I attended Chapleau Public and Chapleau High School in the same grade and also attended the same university, now Wilfrid Laurier in the same years, different progams.

Here is a sampler of moments in the lives of some Chapleau citizens as reported in the Chapleau Press in the fall of 1962.

Mary and Grant Campbell were busy.

"Mrs. Mary Campbell, Worthy Matron of Melba Chapter 313 was the delegate from Chapleau to the 7th Annual Session of the Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star of Ontario held in the Royal York Hotel. Mrs. L.T. Green also attended."

"Mr. Grant Campbell left for Halifax where he will be the delegate from the Royal Canadian Air Force Association Wing 423 to the R.C.A.F. convention. Mrs. Campbell accompanied him."

Frank Coulter, who served many years on the public school board was off to a convention. "Mr. and Mrs. Frank Coulter spent the week in Sarnia where Mr. Coulter attended the public school convention as the representative from the Chapleau Public School Board."

On a business trip: "Mr. Ovide Cote and Mr. George Collins were business visitors to Montreal where they had the opportunity of attending the Shoe and Leather Fair held in the Mount Royal Hotel which proved very interesting. Mrs. Cote and Mrs. Collins accompanied their husbands and had an enjoyable time sightseeing and shopping."

Meanwhile, "Mr. and Mrs. Mel Richardson and son Paul have returned after a pleasant motor trip to Toronto and Montreal", and "Mrs. Agness Freeborn has just returned from vacation in eastern parts of Ontario and Quebec."

Visiting Chapleau, "Mr. Alvin O'Hearn of Burlington was a visitor with his parents Mr. and Mrs. George O'Hearn", and "Mr. and Mrs. Joe Shannon of Falconbridge were visitors to Chapleau." Mr. and Mrs. Shannon had been long-time employees of Smith and Chapple Ltd.

You don't see Personal columns as much now in the newspapers -- now we can "facebook," "tweet" and send email to each other!

DAVID McMILLAN AT THE BEACH

"Just finished reading your article on the beach area and, in doing so, learned for the first time of the major role Dr. Young played in its development. If I remember correctly, a lot of us learned to swim by initially dog paddling with those rectangular boards held out in front like surf boards as we kicked furiously in order to keep our faces from going under. As we grew older ( unfortunately not wiser ) I recall taking part in a bicycling exercise that was the brainchild of one of my peers that entailed riding your bike off the high diving board. Granted, there wasn't much time or room to get up a good head of steam before you rode your bike down into the water but it was an exuberating couple of seconds and well worth the effort required to haul the bike on your shoulder up the steps to the upper level. We did, however, use our grey matter by remembering to tie ropes to our bikes for retrieval purposes. These events always took place after lifeguards Babe Chambers and Jackie Poynter had left the beach area at the end of their day and if further elaboration is required I'm sure Howard Goheen or Timmy Goodwin could help out in that regard."

HENRY 'SONNY' THERRIEN DIES

I recently received word that one of Chapleau's great hockey players, Henry F. Therrien, "Sonny", 76, Kaukauna, died at Theda Clark Medical Center on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2010, with family by his side. Henry was born on July 17, 1934, in Chapleau, Ontario, Canada, son of the late Frederick and Adrian Anne (Levesque) Therrien. He played hockey growing up in Chapleau then attended St Michaels College in Toronto, where he played junior hockey prior to being drafted into the USHL, where he was a two-time league goal scorer for the Indianapolis Chiefs.Prior to representing the U.S. in the 1966 World Hockey Tournament in Yugoslavia, he joined the Green Bay Bobcats. He was also an honorary member of the Flying Fathers Hockey Club in Canada. My sympathy to his family.

Finally, the Chapleau Press was the immediate successor to Mid North News, and was followed by The Chapleau Sentinel. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Chapleau in the Fifties - A trip down Memory Lane

In response to requests for larger images of the views of Chapleau in the late Fifties to better enable folks to take a trip down memory lane, here they are. Simply click on them to enlarge the view and start the journey.

Enjoy your trip and please feel free to email me at mj.morris@live.ca to share your journey.

Thanks to David McMillan for providing the postcards from Chapleau then. David died earlier in 2012.

Ian Macdonald noted about the postcards

 "It points out the enormous value of post cards in providing a historic profile of places. You'll notice in Vince Crichton's website at http://www.chapleau.com/  (click on Chapleau history) that much of early Chapleau was recorded with postcards. This, of course, is because it took a while for camera ownership to become commonplace and not everyone owned one. The technical photographic quality of post cards also tends to be quite high as evidenced by David's aerial images of Chapleau."

King George VI meets George Fife at the Chapleau CPR station at two a.m. in 1939 without his chain of office

By Bill McLeod



In the late 1930s there was a lot going on in the world. King Edward VIII had abdicated in December of 1936 and was replaced by his brother Bertie who took on the new name of George VI. The official reason for Edward’s abdication was that he was messing around with an American divorcee named Wallace Simpson and wanted to marry her. Since the British sovereign is also head of the Church of England, whose crank was not turned by divorce, Edward chose Wallace over the throne.

But there were other issues that were causing great concern to the British establishment. Apparently Fast Eddie the King wasn’t too swift. War was looming on the horizon, and Eddie didn’t seem to be twigging to the gravity of the situation. Also, the British Government was worried that he was getting a bit too chummy with his German cousins and with senior members of the Third Reich. Getting rid of Eddie solved a number of problems but created some new ones. They sent him off to be Governor of the Bahamas – out of sight and almost out of mind. While Eddie was presiding in the Bahamas, Harry Oakes, the fabulously wealthy discoverer of Lakeshore Mines was murdered. No one was ever charged with Oakes’ death, but rumors swirled for many years that Eddie the Governor might have known a bit more about the case than he let on.

If all this seems like it has no connection with Northern Ontario, bear with me.

In 1939, the new King and Elizabeth, his Queen were sent on a tour of Canada. In addition to introducing the new royal couple to Canadians, the junket had another purpose. Since Bertie and Liz had not been trained or groomed for the throne, they needed to get accustomed to all the scraping and bowing. If they goofed, the bumpkins in the Canadian boondocks might not even notice.

Fast forward to July of 2000. The Queen Mother, now well into her nineties, gave a rather extensive interview to the Globe and Mail. One of the events the old Queen related to the interviewer was the 1939 tour of Canada. She specifically mentioned Chapleau.

Apparently the Royal train had to stop in Chapleau at 2:00 a.m. to take on water. The reeve of Chapleau at the time was a highly regarded man named George Fife. For many years Mr. Fife ran the town’s hydro generating plant and power distribution network. I remember him as a jovial man who liked to tease kids. He was the grandfather of Phyllis Crang of Sudbury, one of Northern Ontario’s best ever athletes. And one of his grandsons is Bob Fife, CTV’s Ottawa Bureau Chief.

When word came to Chapleau that the Royal Train would be stopping there, George Fife sent word to the crew that he would like to meet the King. Probably without much enthusiasm, George VI hauled his butt out of the sack, put on his suit and tie and went out on the station platform to meet Mr. Fife. After making some small talk, the King asked the reeve (mayor) if he had a chain of office. Not a man to pass up the chance to have a little fun at the expense of the sovereign, Fife replied that he did have such a chain “but he only wore it on special occasions”. That cracked the King up and, sixty-one years later, the Queen Mother laughingly told the Globe and Mail about her brief visit to Chapleau and about how funny the King found Mr. Fife’s comment.

There may well be another version of this story as I found out when I read Jean Chretien’s memoir, My Years as Prime Minister. Over his long career Mr. Chretien became quite close to the Royal family. One of the reasons they liked him and Mrs. Chretien was that they could speak French with them. On page 243 Chretien describes a January, 1994, luncheon with the Queen Mother at Sandringham. The old Queen got to reminiscing about the Royal tour of 1939. She recounted a dinner one evening with Camillien Houde, the colorful mayor of Montreal. She inquired as to why he wasn’t wearing his chain of office. Like George Fife, Camillien told the Queen that he did have one but wore it “only on special occasions”.

It’s difficult to figure out how the Queen Mother could confuse George Fife with Camillien Houde. But maybe this was an “all purpose” story she used whenever what she deemed an appropriate occasion arose. Who knows? It is a very funny tale.

On a more serious note, Camillien Houde was interned during World War II probably because he wasn’t as sympathetic to the war effort as he might have been. Something like Pierre Trudeau, only Trudeau wasn’t incarcerated. One of the jobs Houde was given involved dismantling some urinals to be melted down and used in the war effort. He was quoted as saying that he was required to “turn urinals into arsenals”. A pretty good line.

Bill McLeod has a new book coming out in 2010. For details email Bill at wemcleod@sympatico.ca

Rock and Roll described as 'the mostest' by Susan Cecile and Pat Boone has Top Hit, while 'hockey night in Hogtown' bothered Bill McLeod in 1958

Pat Boone has done it again with his latest platter 'April Love' the number one song on the Hit Parade, according to James Ennis in his New on Wax column for the Chapleau High School News and Views newspaper in January 1958. On the flip side was 'When the Swallows Come back to Capistrano.'

Jim, who was also a member of the newly established high school orchestra, also told the "real cool cats" that the best in rock and roll was presented every night by 'The Round' at 150 on the radio dial, adding that for "you longhaired people there is music if one can call it that, on the famous CBC."

See if you can remember the words to some of the other songs on the Hit Parade in January 1958. They were 'Raunchy' by Billy Justice, 'You Send Me' by Sam Cook, 'Kisses Sweeter than Wine' by Jimmy Rodgers and rounding out the top five was old blue eyes himself, Frank Sinatra with 'All the Way.'

In her column, Susan Cecile was writing about Rock and Roll claiming that it was "a most wonderful kind of music or as slang puts it, 'the mostest' and will last for a long time to come. There is a certain something about Rock and Roll's pulsating rhythm that makes a person (most likely a teenager, knowing what my mother thinks of this music) want to get up and dance."

Susan added there was a good deal of amusement drawn from perfecting the more difficult Rock and Roll steps and trying out newer ones. As an aside, her mother, Mrs. Renee Cecile, the longtime chair of the Chapleau Public Library Board and high school librarian, may not have liked Rock and Roll but we sure had some great house parties at their home at 'The Point.' Susan was also a great dancer.

Bill McLeod was angry with the CBC suggesting that if it changed its introduction to "From coast to coast in Hogtown..." (it was "From coast to coast in Canada.."), it would have a "catchy as well as more truthful phrase. But alas the powers bring the play of the Toronto Maple Leafs and ignore the Montreal Canadiens, world champions for the past two years." Bill recommended that the CBC alternate between the Leafs and the Canadiens on the Saturday night hockey broadcasts.

Bill was much kinder to the CHS All Stars hockey team which had lost two games to the Falconbridge Juveniles at the Chapleau Memorial Community Arena. In his sports column Bill wrote that although CHS was "outweighed by five pounds per man, (they) gave a wonderful exhibition of hockey." In a 7-5 loss, Charlie White, Earle Freeborn, Roger Mizuguchi, Doug Espaniel and David McMillan scored for CHS. In the second game Bill noted that fans saw one of the fastest games he had seen in many a season with superb goaltending by Eddy Bignucolo keeping the score from going much higher than 7-2 for the visitors. David McMillan and Charlie White scored for CHS.

Bill noted that "sharp refereeing" was also a feature of the weekend double header. Thanks Bill, 52 years after the games! I was one of the referees.

Ann Keays wrote that the school's Christmas Dance at the Legion Hall was a success, and that the "young men looked smart in their collars and ties -- and surprisingly enough not one choked contrary to all prophecies." In her social column, Joy Evans noted that "everyone appeared in best of finery to dance to the music of Jack Welsh and His Rhythmaires and also the CHS Orchestra which made its first public appearance." The CHS Orchestra became 'The Teenaires.'

Joy also commented on the success of the skating party and mocassin dance over the holidays at the arena as well as a dance at the Legion after the first of the two exciting hockey matches against Falconbridge.

Ann also noted that students home for the holidays included Aline Bouillon, Myrna Schafer, Aldee Martel, Robert Fink, Harry Richardson, Terry Murphy, Danny Morris and Ronald Foley from North Bay; Sandra Wright from Vankleek Hill, Lorraine Beaupre, Lorraine Cormier, Marie-Claire Chevigny, Ghislaine Longchamps, Ginnette Godin, Rejaine Roussel, Gisele Morin, and Norman Wright from Ottawa; Margaret Rose Payette and Jim Hong from Toronto, Thane Crozier from London and Audrey Newman from Guelph.

Some of the advertisers in the high school newspaper now gone from the Chapleau scene were Smith and Chapple Ltd., Fox Theatre, Mike's Sales and Service, Pellow Supply Company, A. Cosmano Shoe Repair, Chapleau Bakery, Old Reliable Barber Shop, The Marianne Dress Shop, Austin Lumber (Dalton) Ltd., Chapleau Electric Light and Power Company and Chapleau Beverages.

Just to bring back a few more old memories, here are the rest of Top Ten on the Hit Parade from January 1958: 'At the Hop' by Nick Todd, 'Peggy Sue' by Buddy Holly, 'Great Balls of Fire' by Jerry Lee Lewis, 'Silhouettes' by The Rays and 'Put a Light in the Window' by The Four Lads.

MAIL
Henry Byce commented on story about moving to Chapleau in 1900: "Great read Chief. My ancestors made that same trip, I think in 1898, landing on the shores of the back river."

Thanks to Joy (Evans) Heft for the CHS News and Views and to Michael and Alison (McMillan) McMullen for sending it to me.

Mike's back dealing with "posture problem"

I'm back, well sort of, as I undergo physiotherapy for a posture problem that by my accounting is about 50 years in the making, and finally caught up with me the day after I turned 67 last November. Imagine, I've been a sloucher most of my life, always looking for a way to get my feet upon a desk or table and relax. Well, it's finally caught up with me and since last November my back has been sore. It got a bit worse recently so my doctor referred me to a physiotherapist,

Now I not only have a medical doctor but a physiotherapist who at the outset led me to believe the cure may be worse than the problem as he worked on my back, but I'm feeling better today, so here I am. Independently my doctor and physiotherapist said, "You have a posture problem," and i knew immediately I should have listened when my Mom told me to get my feet off the kitchen table!

I'm going to keep this short as I don't want to overdo my new posture for sitting at my laptop -- and no longer will I spend six hours a day or so on and off my computer. I'm making all kinds of promises as I begin to feel better. I just came in from a walk and was thinking in many ways I'm still like a little kid. Make me feel better and I'll be a good boy!

Seriously though I really want to thank those who have been in touch to ask where I have been and how I am. I so much appreciate that you took time from your busy lives to contact me. Thanks!

I also must thank my best friend Mike, who daily has contacted me to make sure I am OK, and for sharing his immense knowledge of fitness and nutrition with me and for making sure I made some very needed changes in my lifestyle. Mike, thanks for your patience too. Much appreciated as always!

Lots has been happening so stay tuned.

Finally, a special note of best wishes to my lifelong friend Bill McLeod for a speedy recovery from his recent surgery. My thoughts are with you Bill.

The 'mystery' of the Old Fort at Mulligan's Bay near Chapleau

By Bill McLeod

I am writing to request the assistance of you and your readers for two Chapleau history research projects that I am working on for my next Chapleau book.

The projects are a collaborative effort between myself, Ian Macdonald, Mike McMullen and Mike Morris. Ian has recently retired as Head of the School of Architecture at the University of Manitoba. Mike McMullen and Mike Morris both have deep roots in the Chapleau area and Mulligan’s Bay was likely named after one or more of their ancestors. We all spent some or all of our growing up years in Chapleau and have maintained a keen interest in the community and its history.

Ian is an expert on early railroad architecture and has graciously consented to write a chapter on the architecture of Chapleau with an emphasis on the C.P.R. buildings - including (but not limited to) the station, the roundhouse, the Y.M.C.A. and the older C.P.R. residential duplexes on Monk and Pine Streets.

Ian, the two Mikes and I are collaborating on a piece about the history of the Hudson’s Bay Post(s) in the Chapleau area. We think that there was some sort of a post and small settlement including an Anglican church at what has come to be known as “The Old Fort” at Mulligan’s Bay.

We don’t know for sure when the post was opened or when the Hudson’s Bay Company first traded in the Chapleau area. We also know that the operation that may have been at Mulligan’s Bay was shut down and moved into the town of Chapleau some time around 1885 when the C.P.R. went through. That Chapleau location appears to have been closed about 1899.

The matter of the church is of peripheral interest only in that information about it might help to determine when the post was opened and exactly where it was located.

Unfortunately, the Hudson’s Bay records are sometimes tantalizingly and frustratingly incomplete. One document refers to some sort of a sub post located one mile from Chapleau. Its purpose was to try to prevent the Aboriginals from going into town and doing business with the Hudson’s Bay competitors. The site of this location is not identified in any Hudson’s Bay documents that we have examined. However we are initially hypothesizing that it might have been on the north side of the Back River about a mile east of the Cedar Street Bridge. Another possibility is that a post or sub post may have been located on the north side of the Front River near the present site of the golf course.

It is very important to all of us that this piece be as accurate and as well documented as possible.
We would appreciate any sharing of information, documents, photos or opinions about the topics about which we are researching and writing.
Bill McLeod
15 Eden Point Dr.
SUDBURY, ON
P3E 4V6

Bill's email is wemcleod@sympatico.ca and mine is mj.morris@live.ca

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