Chapleau Curling Club holds Centennial Bonspiel in 1986

The Chapleau Curling Club celebrated its 100th anniversary with a Centennial Bonspiel to mark the historic occasion in November 1986.

Reeve Ken Russell was on hand to present incoming club president Wilma Schmidt with a plaque from the Township of Chapleau recognizing 100 years of curling in the community.

Although there appears to be very little information available on the beginnings of curling in Chapleau, in 1886, one sheet of ice enclosed by boards was located on Lorne Street where the "old old rink" was eventually built. Sheets of ice were in that rink until about 1928 when the curling rink was built on Pine Street, and there it remained until 1978 when it relocated to the Chapleau Recreation Centre.

The Chapleau Sentinel reported that 52 rinks from Chapleau, other communities in Ontario and Quebec participated in the centennial bonspiel with additional sheets of ice created in the A.W. Moore Arena.

To launch the bonspiel, two of the oldest members of the club were selected for a ceremonial throwing of the first stone. Olive Card threw it while Syd Roffey swept.

At a banquet Master of Ceremonies Albert Tremblay extended thanks to the bonspiel committee on their efforts to make it a success. Members included Margaret Rose Fortin, Monica Tremblay, Joan Longchamps, John Longchamps, Tina Cappellani, Doug Prusky, Rita Mitchell, Twyla Berry, Jim Hong, Paula Hughes and Lorna Martel. Draw master was Trevor Riley while Roy May and Peter Archambault were the ice committee. Prize committee members were Jean and Carmelle Martel.

Albert also extended thanks to the Air Cadets and the Fitness Club for operating the lunch counter, Carl Nyman and Richard Beaudoin for making the scoreboards, Roger Mizuguchi for selling tickets and the United Church Men's Breakfast Club for catering the meal

The rink travelling the farthest to participate was Paul Richardson, Denise Richardson, Diane Richardson and Harry Richardson from Ottawa and Montreal.

And the winners were!

Top honours in the A Event went to a rink skipped by Ed Rioux. Team members were Freda Rioux, John Young and Debbie Young.

In the B Event the rink of Walter Telik, Oriette Telik, Linda Martel and Denis Martel were the winners.

C Event winners were the rink of Jack O'Connor, Doug Prusky, Tina Cappellani and Monique Landry.

Consolation winners were Paul Antoniazzi, Nadine Antoniazzi, Gordon Welch and Jill Welch.

The Chapleau Town Band, which was also first established circa 1886, was present to march the winners around the ice surface before prizes were awarded.

To conclude the bonspiel incoming club president Wilma congratulated the winners and all who were involved in making it a success.

Bishop Tom Corston was in touch responding to my column on the Algoma Dairy and the Broomhead family. Tom wrote in part: "Great story on the Broomheads. Did you know that prior to the Broomhead dairy business my Grandfather, Jack Corston, had a dairy business delivering milk to much of 'lower town'. My father (Henry 'Chicken') often talked about delivering milk with his brothers."

 I knew There was a Corston's farm but was not aware Mr. Corston had a dairy business.   Thanks Tom.

Also, Ann (Bedford) Midgley reminded me that her grandfather Simon Kruger, after retiring from the CPR worked in the Algoma Dairy convenience story. That I do recall. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Tense moments' at Chapleau Curling Club in 1969 but students win Scott Thomson Memorial Trophy in men's bonspiel

Jim Lapp, James Crichton, Norman Creighton, Bruce Pellow

There were many "tense moments" at the Chapleau Curling club in 1969 as 30 rinks competed for the Scott Thomson Memorial Trophy, the Sudbury Star reported.

Rinks  participating included Chapleau, Toronto, Mactier, Thessalon, White River and Pineal Lake.

However, it was not "seasoned curlers" who emerged victorious at the end of the annual three day men's bonspiel, taking the trophy and first event.

The rink skipped by James Crichton with Norman Creighton, Jim Lapp and Bruce Pellow, all former Chapleau High School students, who were currently attending post secondary institutions out of town, had come home for the bonspiel and won it.

Just recently Jim Lapp commented on Facebook that he had spent many hours curling after school at the rink then located on Pine Street.  

Curling was a very popular sport for students at Chapleau High School for many years.

It wasn't all curling though as the Star reported that a dinner was held at the Legion Hall on Saturday night and "lively entertainment" was provided in the club room on Friday and Saturday nights with dancing to the music of the Rhythmaires, a popular orchestra of the day. 

The curling rink had undergone major renovations, especially to the club rooms in 1960 when George Collins was  president and Keith Scott, vice president.

Curling was introduced in Chapleau during the winter of 1885 just as the Canadian Pacific Railway arrived and the community was being established. There was apparently one sheet of ice on an open air rink on and empty lot on Lorne Street across from where the liquor store is now located.

The winning rinks in the 1969 bonspiel sure reads like a a "Who's Who" of men's curling in Chapleau and area from over 50 years ago. 

Here are the winners as reported by the Sudbury Star.

Runners up in the first event were Keith Scott (skip), C.R. Groves, William Payette and Robert Harrison. In third place was Harvey Fortunato (skip), John Morin, Peter Bernier and Lou Lingenfelter. In fourth was Dennis Tieman (skip) E. Pozzo, P. Bird, and Naddo  Bracci of White River.

Second event winner of the Cochrane-Dunlop Trophy was J.G. 'Jiggs' Goldstein (skip), Ovide Cote, Guy McCrea and Jerry Henderson. Runners up were Paul Secker (skip), Con Schmidt, Billy Bromley and Ed Sutherland. Third was Toddy Collinson (skip), William McLeod, Don Ferguson and George Mayotte.

Third event winners for the Charles W. Collins Trophy were Richard Hoath (skip), Peter Blackburn, Louis Cappellani and James Gemmell. In second place was Ovila Desbois (skip), Aubrey Slievert, Milton Vaillancourt and Mayrice Bouchard, of Pineal Lake. In third place was Charles Law (skip), George Elliott, Robert Bromley and Peter Witherspoon.

The Chapleau Public Library recently added eight new sections depicting various aspects of life in Chapleau. Curling is one of them. They are all most interesting and I suggest you take a look. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

8 Enders "most exclusive club in the world' celebrates curling success at Urwelkum Inn in 1936

T Therriault, V Crichton, H Morris, L Evans, L Racicot, N Pellow, A Vale, P Merrifield

The first, and maybe only annual dinner of the "8 Enders Club" was held on August 13, 1936, at the Urwelkum Inn at Devon. 
 
The program for the dinner, provided by Dr. Vince Crichton, claimed that it was "the most exclusive club in the world, and as far as we know, the only one of its kind in the world."
 
Note that the program does not say they were the only rinks to achieve 8 enders in curling --- they were the only ones to form a club to celebrate the achievement.
 
Two rinks from the Chapleau Curling Club were members. The first winners were Les Evans, skip; Newt Pellow, third; Rev. A.J Vale, second, and P. Merrifield, lead. The second winners were Leo Racicot, skip; Harry Morris, third (my grandfather); Vince Crichton, second, and Tommy Therriault, lead.
 
With no explanation provided, Arthur Grout was described as "Handyman" and Earle Sootheran as "Slide Evans victim".
 
The program explained that "No one can become a member of the club unless he or she belongs to a regulation curling club. and at some time, during a bonspiel competition, they score one (an 8 Ender) on their opponents."
 
It added that "All members shall be distinguished by a special emblem of silver. on which shall be inscribed '8 End Club'"
 
No real rules were needed as  it required teamwork, good sportsmanship, co-operation and skill to become a member. "Why clutter up the club with useless regulations?", the program says.
 
The report on the dinner at the Urwelkum Inn, said that an air of good fellowship abounded, with good speeches, a sing song and a general good time was had by all.
 
Dr Vince explained that "An 8 ender is where a team comprised of a skip, third, second and lead score the maximum number of points in one end which is 8 – each team has 8 rocks to throw and if all in the rings, and no opposition rocks closer to the button (absolute centre) then they count 8 points or however many are closer than the opposition.  Not many attain this hallowed ground..."
 
Writing in 'Pioneering in Northern Ontario" Vince Crichton, Dr. Vince's father, noted that curling began in Chapleau in the winter of 1885-86, the year Chapleau  was founded with the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The first sheet of ice was located on Lorne Street about where the Chapleau Memorial Community Arena was.
 
In 1929, the Chapleau Curling Club hosted the Northern Ontario Curling Association bonspiel. In 1932, it hosted the bonspiel again, Vince wrote, and on this occasion,  a rink composed of Leo Racicot, Harry Morris, Vince Crichton and A. Kinahan reached the finals with the exception of the Consolation Trophy. At least until Vince's book was published in 1975, no Chapleau rink achieved this success again.
 
One final note on the dinner. It appeared that it may have lasted until "7:45 a.m." the following morning with no explanation given for that exact time. Remember too that the club was formed in the midst of the Great Depression, and is another example of Chapleau folks coming together to celebrate, even in times of great challenges --- the Chapleau Winter Carnival was also established in 1936!  
 
Thanks Dr. Vince for providing the details on the 8 Enders Club. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

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