Ontario Provincial Police take over Chapleau policing in 1967 with Ron Lewis in charge of detachment

Ron Lewis

The Ontario Provincial Police took over policing of Chapleau on March 20, 1967 with Corporal Ron Lewis in charge of the detachment.

Since 1885 when the community was established, law enforcement had been more or less a local responsibility, according to Vince Crichton in 'Pioneering in Northern Ontario' but "authentic data" on early law enforcement was lost because no information had been kept.

But the police force evolved with a succession of chiefs and constables until 1967 when the Chief Jim Collings and two constables resigned. 

When the township council was sorting it all out, the provincial police covered the municipality as well as the large area for which it already had responsibility.

Corporal Lewis told the newspaper that he and his officers were quite prepared to give whatever assistance might be needed.

Councillor Olive M. Card, chair of the police committee also  told the Chapleau Sentinel that the provincial police would provide assistance.

In fact, Mrs. Card and Reeve Terry Way-White placed an advertisement in the Sentinel. It read: "To allay all fear and rumours to the contrary, the Municipality of Chapleau will at all times have adequate police protection."

The police committee met with OPP Superintendent Sam Whitehouse to discuss the situation, and as a result, a motion was presented to council on March 20 that the Ontario Provincial Police be police for Chapleau immediately.

The motion passed.

Very soon thereafter, four additional provincial police officers arrived on a permanent basis with Corporal Lewis in charge. 

He had arrived in Chapleau in 1955 and was promoted to corporal in 1966. He was promoted to Sergeant in 1971 and transferred to Dowling.

Since 1957 when the new OPP headquarters was opened just off Highway 101, the municipality had used the jail there, and for a short time, there was also a courtroom there. The jail had been  housed in the basement of the old fire hall on Pine Street. 

Vince Crichton noted that the first resident provincial police officer arrived in Chapleau about 1912 and for many years it was a one officer detachment until John Craig joined Ron Lewis in 1957.

When I was growing up in Chapleau, the township police did not even have a vehicle until about 1952 when Joe Shilliday arrived as chief. They would call upon the OPP officer when a ride was needed, or take a cab.

In 1971, when Ron Lewis was transferred, he and his wife Pearl were honoured by Trinity United Church. Ron was recognized as a 'main cog" in the construction and administration of the Christian Education Wing, while Pearl was active in the United Church Women. Rev. Murray Arnill made presentation on behalf of the congregation.

In 2018, the OPP have been responsible for Chapleau policing over 51 years now. Time flies!!! My email is mj.morris@live.ca

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Lucien Lafreniere of Chapleau first in Northern Ontario to receive Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner's Citation in 1975

Lucien Lafreniere of Chapleau became the first person in Northern Ontario to receive the Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner's Citation at a ceremony on June 4, 1975.

Mr. Lafreniere of A and L Lafreniere Lumber Ltd,, was presented with a medallion and scroll by OPP Commissioner Harold Graham for "rendering his time, aircraft, manpower and equipment to various police investigations and searches" throughout the area.

Sgt. Jack Travis and most members of the Chapleau detachment, as well as Chief Inspector of Community Services Fred Blucher, District 13 Superintendent Sam Whitehouse of Sudbury, and District 14 Superintendent Ed Schroeder of Sault Ste. Marie were present for the historic occasion.

Councillor Dr G.E. 'Ted' Young and I represented the Township of Chapleau at the luncheon ceremony held at the Golden Route.

In his remarks Commissioner Graham noted that Mr. Lafreniere gave "freely" of his time and resources, including a helicopter, to assist the OPP in "all manner of searches and investigations."

Mr. Lafreniere arrived in Chapleau in 1949. Writing in Snapshots of Chapleau' Past, his son Mario Lafreniere, now the publisher of the Chapleau Express, provides details about their first sawmill of A and L Lafreniere at Racine Lake.

(In the interests of full disclosure, I did not consult with Mario, before writing this column. I have wanted to recognize his father's very significant contribution and the honour he received from the OPP for a long time, and due to the work of Doug Greig more information became available. However, after receiving column, Mario kindly provided much better photos than I had.)

Mario wrote that in the month of October 1949, Atchez (father), Lucien and Andre (brother) accompanied by Edouard Pilote, Arsene Gagne (father of Roger Gagne of Chapleau) and Paul Tremblay arrived in Racine Lake  in order to establish a sawmill to salvage timber from a forest fire. Edouard Demers and a few others came a few weeks later.

first Lafreniere sawmill at Racine Lake

He added that after building a small temporary sawmill to produce lumber to build the main mill and buildings, Lucien got the first job as sawer. All lumber produced was for the necessary building for the fast approaching winter -- "a cookery". They spent that first winter living in a half tent - half wood bunkhouse.

From this beginning Lucien Lafreniere and family began their very significant contribution to Chapleau and area until 1992 when they sold their operations.

The late Doug Greig writing in Chapleau Trails edited and published by Dr William R. Pellow, noted that they "brought with them determination and knowledge to make a sawmill work."

Doug added that they made a "major contribution to the economy of Chapleau with steady employment and increasing number of employees."

And, as  OPP Commissioner Graham noted in honouring Mr. Lafreniere, he gave "freely" of his time and resources, to provide assistance as required. .... as have other members of his family over their years in Chapleau. My email is mj.morris@live.ca 

Ontario Provincial Police open "modern" headquarters at Chapleau in 1957

A "modern" headquarters for the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) headquarters at Chapleau was officially opened on the outskirts of the municipality  in November 1957, Margaret Costello wrote in the Sudbury Star.

The OPP had an officer stationed in Chapleau for many years prior who either used part of his home as an office, or was located in buildings in the downtown area.

 I still recall visiting Harold Kennedy, (my uncle) when he was the OPP officer in Chapleau in the early 1950s at his office in the building where the Northern Credit Union is today -- he lived in a small room behind the office. (Harold met and married my aunt, Marion Morris, while he was stationed in Chapleau.)

Maggie wrote that the new headquarters housed a courtroom, two offices, a cell block, two car garage, and living quarters  for an officer.

The courtroom did not seem to work out too well, and was moved to the Royal Canadian Legion Hall where provincial court was held on a monthly basis for many years.

However, the cell block replaced the "town jail" located for years below the fire hall. Despite the  new headquarters, the OPP did not replace the municipal police force until 1967 when it was disbanded by the council.

Ron Lewis

Ron Lewis was the officer in charge when the new headquarters was opened, being promoted to Corporal, and remaining in Chapleau until 1971. It became a two officer detachment with the arrival of John Craig. Ron finished his OPP as an inspector located in Kenora.

Although the only highway out of Chapleau in the 1950s, opened in 1949, was Highway 129, the OPP had a huge area to cover as they were responsible for the small communities near Chapleau which were becoming very busy with lumber companies establishing operations throughout the area. They would also travel by CPR to communities west of Chapleau to about White River.

At the official opening of the headquarters, Ontario Attorney General Kelso Roberts pointed out that it came at a time of major construction for the OPP in both Southern and Northern Ontario. Mr. Roberts said Chapleau was one of the "strategic locations.

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It also came as Chapleau was experiencing what is often referred to as its "boom years" with expansion by the Canadian Pacific Railway, and lumber companies arriving after the huge forest fire of 1948.

Chapleau Reeve Leo Racicot took the opportunity to push for a highway to Foleyet, and on to Timmins, having a number of provincial dignitaries on hand for the opening.

"It would be a natural tourist route ... around by Timmins, and I am sure it would benefit all concerned," Mr. Racicot said.

Highway 101 to Timmins officially opened in 1962.

Participating in the opening ceremonies from Chapleau were the reeve, Father A. Marchand of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church and Rev. Frank Leigh of St. John's Anglican Church. A dinner was held catered to by the ladies of the Senior WA of St. John's with Arthur Grout as chairman.  Former Chapleau resident E.D. Wilkins, who was now the Crown Attorney was also present.

My email is mj.morris@live.ca