Chapleau 'boom years' underway as Canadian Pacific Railway shops undergo change to accommodate diesel power in 1950

Reeve B W. Zufelt

Work was being "pushed forward rapidly" on the changeover at the Canadian Pacific Railway shops at Chapleau to accommodate diesel power which would soon be operating out of Chapleau, according to a Chapleau Post article in April 1950.

But what has been referred to as "Chapleau's Boom Years" were well underway as  the community celebrated  its 50th anniversary as a municipality in 1951.

For example, on the municipal scene a sewage plant and system had  been completed and the Chapleau Memorial Community Arena was officially opened in February 1951. Some streets had been paved.

Highway 129 between Chapleau and Thessalon was officially opened in 1949, and following the forest fire of 1948 lumber companies arrived on the scene.

At one point, it was expected that Chapleau would be on the main route of the Trans Canada Highway, and Reeve B.W. 'Bubs' Zufelt appeared in The Globe and Mail pointing out the route. It didn't happen.

Arthur Grout of Smith and Chapple Ltd. expanded with a new building on the "other side" of Main Street, while Charles W. Collins built on the corner of Birch and Lorne Streets right across from the "new" post office. Other new businesses were established.

Back to the CPR. In 1949 the first diesel powered passenger train arrived in Chapleau to be greeted with much excitement. Like almost every school kid in town, I was there!

Meanwhile, the changes at the shops at a cost of an expected $250,000 was scheduled for completion by the summer of 1950.

"The shops are a beehive of industry as construction crews tear down walls and build new ones," the Chapleau Post reported in April 1950.

The article added that three power shovels were on the job moving rubble made by the smashing down of walls, unloading gravel for new cement and excavating. 

It also  predicted that upon completion the Chapleau shops would be the diesel base between North Bay and the Lakehead. It was for a time.

Also, it noted that citizens who had complained for years of the smoke nuisance from the shops practically in the middle of town would no longer have anything to complain about once diesel replaced steam power. As an aside, those were the days when most washing was hung outside on a line to dry with the constant threat that soot would arrive dirtying it before it dried.

The CPR provided steam heat for the lobby and dressing rooms for the new Chapleau Memorial Arena which resulted in great savings to the municipality. 

See names below

In the 1950s there was a great deal of optimism in Chapleau about its future on many fronts. Improvements were made in many areas of community life for sure, but in due course, changes came in CPR operations, and  the Trans Canada highway never did go through the community for example.

After living through the Great Depression and World War II, perhaps J.M. 'Jack' Shoup, a veteran of World War I and II, longtime principal of Chapleau Public School, first chair of the Chapleau Recreation Committee summed up the community's attitude. Everyone had a "duty to serve and participate" to make the community a better place to live, work and play. 

And they did. I have just touched the surface of those "boom years" but growing up during them, it was awesome!  My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Photo 

Sod turning for sewage system:From left to right: Dr. David Lougheed, A.J. Grout, Cecil Smith, Foreman for Construction Company, Walter Steed,.R. Thrush, B. Zufelt (reeve), Ernest Lepine, Max Brunette, J.M. Shoup, Richard Brownlee, Dr. G.E. Young, Geo. Fife, Ovide Payette, Charles Collins. The two girls in the back are Carol Ann (babe) Chambers, Joan Kemp. 

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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.

Electric washers, canoes, snowshoes, radios, coal, lumber, 'Everything for Everybody' at Smith and Chapple

Arthur Grout, one of Chapleau's best known citizens, had only one employer in his lifetime which was Smith and Chapple Ltd.

In an article contained in the Richard Brownlee papers, loaned to me by Margaret Rose (Payette) and Bobby Fortin, Mr. Grout writes that D.T. Chapple asked his parents if he would like to learn the hardware business. His parents said "Yes"; he said "No" but he soon realized it was time for him to get a job. 

On March 30, 1916, Mr. Grout started work at Smith and Chapple Ltd. "The miracle of it is that this is the only job I ever had. I say miracle because when I think of the way I did things in those early days it's a miracle that I wasn't fired immediately ..."

Sharing some of the history of the retail business in Chapleau, Mr. Grout noted that the store was the first to sell "electric washers" in Chapleau and "I really think I have done a washing in half the homes in Chapleau demonstrating how the old wooden tub washers worked."  

Reeve Bubs Zufelt, Art Grout as Rotary chefs

After World War I ended in 1918, trappers and First Nations people were "plentifully supplied with money from the fur sales and it was nothing for a trapper to make from three to five thousand dollars from his winter's work and they way they bought canoes, tents, snowshoes, traps, etc., was a salesman's dream."

He wrote that radio "started as a novelty item about 1923 and it grew into something big". 

On the side he had been "playing around with these contraptions" with Charles W. Collins  "but the work grew so much that I had to consider going after it seriously or dropping it." (I assume they were working on making radios)

Charles W Collins

However,  they decided to sell radios in the store and eventually carried most major brands.

As an aside, Mr. Collins became Chapleau's other major retailer, purchasing the Alex Langis share of Langis and Wolfe, and changing the name to Wolfe and Collins in 1928. According to Vince Crichton in 'Pioneering in Northern Ontario', it became Collins and Matters in 1934, and by 1940, had become Charles W. Collins Stores Ltd.

Despite being business competitors Mr. Grout and Mr. Collins served together to assist the community such as the board of Lady Minto Hospital and St. John's Anglican Church. They both were very active community supporters.

Mr. Grout also noted that working hours had improved by the 1930s. When he first started they came to work at seven a.m. and worked every other night until eight p.m. with eleven p.m. being closing time On Saturday. By the 1930s store hours were eight a.m. to 6:15 p.m.  and 11:30 p.m. on Saturdays. However, in the summer the store closed at noon on Wednesdays.

In 1930, Mr. Grout and D.O. Payette took over the store with Mr. Payette as president, and Mr. Grout as vice president. 

The Great Depression started and it was not the best time to be taking over a business.

Mr. Grout outlined their situation. The general offices of the Canadian Pacific Railway were moved which was their "first blow" Then business steadily got worse as operators, section men and the B and B workers were reduced. Lumber offices moved and highway work was stopped and "it seemed like Job and his troubles had nothing on us."

But they survived. "They say that necessity is the mother of invention and it must be so for during those depressing days we cast about to try and find some means to help bolster up the business."

Coal was added and became a major product sold by the store. They became involved in the tourist business and took up contracting, doing home renovations, and as a result adding  lumber and other products. They also started selling gasoline.

Eventually, the Smith and Chapple logo became "Everything for Everybody" and as I read Mr. Grout's article, It struck me that as boy growing up in Chapleau, it sure seemed they had "everything". In fact I worked in the men's wear, furniture, grocery and service station part-time while attending high school and university.

Mr. Grout added that he and Mr. Payette had tried to maintain the firm's hard won reputation of "fair dealing, good quality and good service." In 1987, Smith and Chapple Ltd. became Chapleau Village Shops. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Chapleau business community leads way for elevator at Lady Minto Hospital in 1950s

Leaders in the Chapleau business community led the way when it became apparent in the early 1950s that an elevator and renovations were needed at the Lady Minto Hospital.

The hospital which had been opened in 1914, needed renovations but a priority was an elevator.

At the annual meeting in 1952, Charles W. Collins, the chair of the board, and D.O. Payette, secretary, presented plans for the elevator and other renovations which would include a nurses' residence and apartment for the hospital administrator.

Mr. Collins, the owner of Charles W. Collins Stores Ltd. urged the board members to go on record as supporting the project "100 percent" which they did. Mr. Payette was the recently retired president of Smith and Chapple Ltd.

C W Collins

In July 1954, the Chapleau Post reported that it was a great time for the hospital. "After months and months, in fact years and years, of planning and scheming", a contract had been signed for the construction of an elevator.

The story explained that for the past several years "with the facilities taxed often beyond capacity, the burden has been great upon the entire staff without facilities for quick and efficient handling of patients, supplies and food.

"The elevator has been classed as No 1 priority and ... word was received that the Mason Foundation had earmarked the sum of $20,000 for the hospital".

Arthur J. Grout, who was now president of Smith and Chapple, and had succeeded Mr. Collins as board chair, and N.W. 'Newt' Pellow, who operated Pellow Supply Company , and was chair of the hospital building committee, had met in Toronto with the department of health.

A J Grout

"We pointed out to the department the impossibility of the town of Chapleau undertaking any extensive building program when 75 percent of those admitted to the hospital came from unorganized territory which we considered the responsibility of the province. We had a very good meeting and I think we achieved excellent results," Mr. Grout said.

Although it had been originally decided to locate the elevator in an existing stairwell, but after a visit by an elevator company representative, it was decided that it would be a brick structure conforming to the present hospital built outside the building in a separate shaft in the northeast corner of the doctors' parking lot. Dr. G.E. Young was chief of staff.

 The hospital was located at the intersection of Elm and Queen streets.

The Post reported that the location was ideal as the elevator would serve the entire hospital and noted that "radical changes would be coming as the renovation plan was also undertaken.

As a great deal of work was involved in the installation of the elevator and shaft work would be undertaken but final installation was not expected until 1955. Upon  completion it would "save time and energy" on the part of staff. The hospital was four stories and the kitchen was in the basement for example.

Other than a lift in Smith and Chapple to move goods, it was the only passenger elevator in Chapleau until Cedar Grove Lodge opened in 1978.

The elevator was installed and renovations as well as nurses' residence and apartment were completed -- another example of the good people of Chapleau coming together to make a worthwhile project happen. That in large part is a major feature of Chapleau history. Thanks to Charlie Purich for the Chapleau Post.  My email is mj.morris@live.ca