Wilf Simpson described Chapleau as "thriving community" in the 1970s as trend to tear down and renew community changed its physical face more than any time in its history

from l Boo Hong, R J Lemieux, Ken Schroeder, Wilf, unknown, Gordon Bolduc,Rita Morin

Chapleau was a "thriving community" on the edge of the Chapleau Game Preserve, the largest game sanctuary in the Western Hemisphere in 1977, Wilf Simpson wrote in a community profile, prepared for the Chapleau Chamber of Commerce and the Township of Chapleau. 

Wilf served as the township's deputy clerk for 22 years, and previously had been the editor of the Chapleau Post, where his father, Arthur Simpson had been the editor and publisher for many years. 

He was also very well known for the Wilf Simpson Orchestra which played at countless number of dances in Chapleau, and was also a member of other musical groups. 

After receiving a photo recently from Vince Crichton of Wilf playing with a Chapleau High School orchestra, with  the members attending the school at the same time I did, I reread Wilf's profile, last published in 1977, where he shares his observations on the people, life and times of the community from its beginnings in 1885.

Wilf notes that the community was named after Sir Joseph Adolphe Chapleau who had served as prime minister of Quebec, secretary of state for Canada and Lieutenant Governor of Quebec.

He writes that one of the first uses of the Canadian Pacific Railway was in the movement of troops west to quell the Riel rebellion. At this time, "the steel had not been laid past Missanabie, some 65 miles west of Chapleau and it was necessary for the troops to detrain at Missanabie and move the guns and equipment across the ice on Dog Lake and entrain on another train to continue their journey west".

He added that some of the equipment went through the ice and in  1977 it was believed there were still some relics to be found on the bottom of Dog Lake.

Wilf refers to Chapleau as a "robust community" before the gold rush that brought Timmins and the Porcupine area into prominence. A fascinating anecdote, Wilf told, at least to me, was the story of Robert J. Renison, a young Anglican priest who later became bishop of the Diocese of Moosonee, referring to Chapleau as the only "window" of the north. It was necessary for miners, trappers and surveyors to "trek through the bush to Chapleau to receive or mail letters and to use the modern railway facilities to send telegrams" after 1885 when the CPR arrived in Chapleau.

He also noted that many of Chapleau's First Nations citizens are descendants of those who brought their families "on the arduous canoe trip from James Bay up to Chapleau via the Albany waterway. It may seem strange to some when I say 'up' to Chapleau but the waters of the Chapleau River flow north to Hudson Bay".

Chapleau also played a leading role in the construction of the Grand Trunk Railway, now Canadian National. When the right of way was being cleared and road bed being made ready, food and materials were shipped to Chapleau on the CPR. Wilf explains that the materials were unloaded at Chapleau and from there shipped to Elsas in barges and boats -- adding that "the route is still open and makes a fine canoe trip" with excellent fishing along the waterway. 

Wilf writes that "isolation plagued Chapleau for over half a century" as except for the CPR there was no way in and out --- except of course by the waterways!

However, he writes about Arthur Grout and Earle Sootheran chatering a plane to fly out to the Goose River, catch a mess of speckled trout and present it to the steward on the Royal Train carrying King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on their Royal Tour on May 24, 1939. (As an aside, I just read this morning that the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League, rivals of the Kootenay Ice from where I live in Cranbrook, presented season tickets to Prince William, their great grandson, and his wife Kate for the upcoming season.)

Wilf writes that it may be of some interest to know that in those years when cars were shipped to Chapleau on the CPR as there was no highway until 1949, Chapleauites going on vacation, would ship their cars to Sudbury, and off they went from there.

"The cost by freight on a flat car was less than $100.00. A small thing -- but not so small when one considers the CPR excursion fare to Toronto was $8.55 return. Passengers were welcomed with open arms in those days".

By 1977, when Wilf wrote his final profile, Chapleau was no longer isolated, and was known as the "Crossroads of the North" with highways linking the community to the outside world. (There was also daily air and bus service and the passenger trains were still running.)

Chapleau boasted a "fine shopping area" a movie theatre, two hotels and five motels, and  an "excellent safe supervised beach and playground".

Wilf writes that the 1970s "saw more changes in the face of Chapleau than any years in its history and "the trend to tear down and renew" was continuing. Gone were the old CPR station and the large storage ice houses, the old "Horseshoe" bridge, the old Chapleau High School, the Sisters of St Mary Convent, Sacred Heart school, YMCA and annex, part of the CPR shops facing Lorne Street, the old firehall, town hall and town garage, the Chapleau Memorial Community Arena and Lady Minto Hospital.

In the same period, between 1966 and 1978, the new physical face of Chapleau included a new hospital, separate schools, low rental housing, high school, bridge and overpass, water plant, Chapleau Recreation Centre, Chapleau Civic Centre, Cedar Grove Lodge for Senior Citizens and a new golf clubhouse as well as a new CPR station. A housing development also was well underway in the Planer Area and planning for the new bridge and road to that area started as were those for a new sewage treatment facility. The Chapleau Municipal, now Gene Bernier Airport, was in use, and by 1979, the runway had been extended.

"It is now possible to have lunch in Chapleau and dinner in downtown Toronto after a leisurely flight...", Wilf wrote.

He told his readers that "Chapleau is a friendly town. You will get a friendly 'Hi' on the Main Street from someone you never saw before. Our people are eager to help the visitor.. and the northern air and waters are yours to enjoy..."

My thanks to Joy (Evans) Heft and Michael and Alison (McMillan) McMullen for making available a copy of Wilf's profile and to Vince Crichton for the photo. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Remember the cheery voice of the telephone operator, 'Number please'

Remember those days in Chapleau when you picked up the telephone and you would hear a voice say, "Operator" or "Number please" or "That line is busy" or maybe even your name if it was late at night, and the operator was working alone, and calls were slow.

When I was away at school in the Sixties, and even after I started in the newspaper business as a reporter, on occasion I would call home late at night to catch up on the local news from the operator. Our home number was 188 as I recall. Do you remember yours?

Michael and Alison (McMillan) McMullen brought those memories back to me when I received a copy of a brief history of Chapleau written by the late Wilf Simpson in the Seventies from them recently.

Wilf, who was the deputy township clerk for 23 years, wrote the history in the Seventies and I wrote the foreword to an updated version of it in 1977 when I was reeve but had lost my copy somewhere along the way.

Back to telephones in Chapleau. Wilf noted that Chapleau "was the first location in Ontario, if not in whole of Canada, to have an automatic (dial) telephone system."

It was completed and in operation in 1924 under the name Chapleau Telephone System. Wilf wrote that it was a P.A.X. System and had a capacity of 400 telephones. The equipment was housed in the basement of the old Town Hall in a room later was used by the Cubs and Scouts.

T.R. "Ron" Serre, the township clerk, was the secretary treasurer of the company and G.L. White, a local druggist was in charge of maintenance. Ross Kemp took over the maintenance around 1930-31 and was on the job for a number of years until he left to work for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Jim Mclean took over until the system was dismantled in 1951.

Wilf points out that Chapleau went back to manual (operator assisted) at that time with Bell Telephone taking over. For some reason automatic equipment was not available. The exchange was located in a building on Pine Street between Chapleau Public School and the home of Herb Doig. It later became the by-law officer's office.


In 1965, Chapleau again became automatic with the completion of the new Bell building at Young and Pine Street, but operators were still on duty for long distance calls.

In 1976 Chapleau got direct distance dialing and the day of the telephone operator pretty well disappeared.

Wilf commented on this move: "In 1976 'Mother Bell' gave Chapleau direct distance dialing. This may have been an improvement generally, but I still preferred the cheery voice of the operator saying, 'I'm sorry sir, all the circuits are busy' to a three minute session of clicks, bangs and bleeps akin to a chorus by the Bachman-Turner Overdrive -- only to terminate with a 'busy' signal."

For those readers who do not remember Wilf, I wrote in my foreword to his booklet that he had always been a keen observer of the municipal scene over the 23 years he spent as deputy clerk, and his previous experience with the Chapleau Post, our weekly newspaper, which was founded by his father Arthur Simpson. In congratulating Wilf on the revised publication of his history, I expressed the hope that he would continue to share his knowledge of Chapleau history with us in years to come.

Just a touch of irony that I am sharing part of Wilf's history with you more than 43 years later in the Chapleau Express, a successor to the Chapleau Post where he was at one time the editor, and on the Internet, using new media communications. Wow!

For many years Wilf also had a very popular orchestra that was a mainstay at local dances throughout the year in the old Town Hall basement or Legion Hall.

His brief history is a very valuable resource on the history of Chapleau, and I look forward to sharing more from it with you in future columns.

But let me finish by bringing you news about a very important development in the history of Chapleau that occurred in 1950. The first diesel locomotive arrived at the Chapleau CPR station, powering westbound transcontinental passenger train Number 7 (the Dominion) from Montreal/Toronto at 12:30 p.m. on Monday January 9, 1950. It was such an historic occasion that school was adjourned early. I remember it like it was yesterday. Thanks to David McMillan, Ian Macdonald and their friends for this one.

Again thanks for all your notes. My email is mj.morris@live.ca This article appears in the February 20, 2010 edition of the Chapleau Express as my Chapleau Moments column.