Canadian Pacific Railway stretched budget in designing efficient, economical buildings such as standard T-1 depots including Chapleau by 1886, Ian Macdonald writes

Survey crew 1884 with natives near Chapleau CPR Archives 

Ian Macdonald, former Chapleau resident  who at one time worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway, and is now retired head of the department of architecture and professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba, shares his research into the CPR's strategy  of stretching budget by designing  a limited number of efficient and economical building types and duplicating them as many times as necessary. The CPR standard T-1 depot is a good example of this strategy. Here is Ian's story on the T-1 depot. He will share more on Chapleau's railway heritage in a later column.  Thanks so much for this insight Ian.  MJM

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By Ian Macdonald

Chapleau’s railway heritage commonly refers to locomotives and rolling stock but also includes the town itself and what makes it unique and distinctive.

Chapleau, as a community, actually began 82 miles east of the town’s present location at Biscotasing. Westbound track laying crews had proceeded as far as Bisco by early October 1884 where a temporary divisional point was established. The CPR’s survey team laying out the route and staking out the town site had reached Chapleau in the fall of 1884. The track laying crews, hard on the heels of the surveyors, arrived at Chapleau in February 1885. In a matter of a few short months, the CPR would have to build a fully operational permanent divisional point and relocate an entire community from Biscotasing to Chapleau. Speed of construction was therefore one of the major factors influencing how things would be built.

Missinaibi station CPR Archives Ian Macdonald collection

Chapleau was one of the last divisional points on the massive railroad project to be built at a time when the financial resources of the CPR were close to being exhausted and the Ottawa government was in a state of complete chaos. In those desperate days it was necessary to make one dollar do the work of a hundred. Chapleau’s buildings would therefore be no more or no less than what was necessary to do the job. Building solutions had to be innovative, cost effective and functional.

Bisco station. CPR Archives Ian Macdonald collection

One of the CPR’s strategies of stretching budget was to design a limited number of efficient and economical building types and duplicate them as many times as necessary. The CPR standard T-1 depot is a good example of this strategy. Apparently by 1886 there were sixty-two depots built from the same set of drawings. The T-1 depot type consisted of a 30 ft. x 24 ft. two storey building and a 24ft. x 40ft. single storey baggage room. The first depots at Missinaibi and Biscotasing were examples of this kind of building. 

T-1 Drawing CPR Archives Ian Macdonald collection

The first depot at Chapleau was similar to the typical T-1 with the exception of a larger single storey component, which was fifty feet in length and contained the baggage room, Dominion Express and a restaurant. The original Chapleau depot was purchased by G.B.Nicholson in 1910, relocated to Monk Street and converted to housing. These buildings, still fully functional, are one of the last existing examples of this iconic CPR depot and most certainly the last example of a divisional point depot

Chapleau station CPR Archives Ian Macdonald collection

It should be noted that the exact system that the CPR used for classifying their early depots is either unknown or not obvious. T-1 which is short for Type-1 is the most commonly used reference for this depot type . They have also been occasionally referred to as “Van Horne stations”.

As a matter of interest, one of the only other remaining T-1 depots in existence is located in Stirling, Ontario near Trenton. An enterprising community group, sensitive to the practical value of heritage, acquired and relocated their depot to a new location on a new full basement foundation. The building was completely restored and now provides space for the Stirling Rotary Club as well as a variety of local community events. One might imagine the possibility of the original Chapleau depot enjoying a third life someday as, say, a convenience store and coffee shop that was part of a Railway Heritage park.

Renovated T-1 depot at Stirling. Ian Macdonald collection

A  few years ago, Bill McLeod asked me to write a few pages on Chapleau buildings for his most recent book on Chapleau titled Chapleau: Retrospective on Life in an Isolated Northern Community. I thought I could cover the subject in two or three pages and wound up sending him a forty five page monograph. I was, even at that, just scratching the surface and Michael has graciously provided me the opportunity of writing one additional column on the subject.

My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Bishop Tom Corston to receive Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal

Rt. Rev. Thomas A. Corston, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Moosonee, will be presented with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Ontario Command of the Royal Canadian Legion on April 13.

Bishop Corston, who was born and raised in Chapleau, the son of Frances (Jardine) and the late Henry Corston, serves as Chaplain to the Ontario Command of the Legion. For many years, he was the padre of Legion Branch 72 in Sudbury, when he was rector of the Church of the Epiphany.

He was elected Bishop of Moosonee in 2010. St. John's Anglican Church, Chapleau, which he attended,and where he was ordained deacon, is part of the diocese.

Upon learning the news, Bishop Corston posted on his Facebook page: "Just been informed that I am to be presented with the Queen's Jubilee Medal by the Ontario Command of the Royal Canadian Legion on April 13th. Very humbling. I am mindlful of the sacrifices made by my father, wounded at Caen, France in 1944 and all Veterans past and present."

"At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them", he added.

Chapleau Huskies coached by Buddy Swanson win Max Silverman Trophy as NOHA Intermediate 'B' champions in 1965

Names at bottom

Charlie Purich gives Keith J. 'Buddy' Swanson the credit for teaching him the "fine art of goal scoring" back in the 1960s when he was playing for the Chapleau Huskies. 

Charlie, back in those days, was also referred to as "the catalyst" of the Chapleau High School (CHS-TEEM), which played in the town league and against other competition.

In a recent exchange of email telling me that Laurentian University was reviving its hockey program and that he would be travelling to Sudbury on March 28 for a fundraiser and alumni game, Charlie  also advised that as he played for Laurentian in 1965, he could just be "the veteran" on the blades. Charlie still plays in a Hamilton Oldtimers' League and is the leading scorer on his team.

When Charlie told me that Buddy had taught him the fine art of goal scoring, I got back to him, asking if he would once again explain the "breakaway pass" he learned from his hockey mentor.

Charlie replied: "Speed toward the net.  At the last second a hard drift to the left while the goalie flops.  Continue to drift until the goalie is flat on the ice.  Lift the puck over him and through the space between the post and his raised stick.  Keith Swanson special.  A thing of beauty to see him perform that move."

Buddy Swanson

As so often happens when talk turns to Chapleau hockey, one thing leads to another, and Charlie's sister Pat (Purich) Russell sent me photos of medallions and a team photo of the Chapleau Huskies from 1965.

Coached by Buddy Swanson and managed by Jimmy Dillon in 1964, the Huskies won the Northern Ontario Hockey Association (NOHA) Intermediate "C" title but upped the ante in 1965, the first year there was artificial ice in the Chapleau Memorial Arena, and entered the Intermediate "B" category, playing for the Max Silverman Trophy.

The Huskies won the Max Silverman Trophy defeating the Espanola KVees in a two game total goals to count series played on the new artificial ice in the memorial arena. They had  defeated the Wawa Ironmen three games to one in the semi-final series.

Obviously, Buddy taught the fine art of goal scoring to many players, including Jim St. Amand, who was 19 at the time and scored four goals in the final two game series.

In the finals, the Huskies played without Earle Freeborn, Merrick Goldstein and Gerard Pilon, all of whom had suffered injuries in the Wawa series.

To honour the champions, the Township of Chapleau hosted a banquet for the Huskies in the Legion Hall. In his welcoming remarks, Reeve F.A. 'Nick' Card said the victory meant a "new beginning" for hockey in Chapleau with artificial ice in the arena. He paid tribute to the players on winning a championship in their first season playing on artificial ice. It also meant a longer hockey season.

Reeve 'Nick' Card

J.M. 'Jack' Shoup, the community's longest serving councillor ever and longtime chair of the Chapleau Recreation Committee proposed a toast to Mrs. A.W. "Mrs. Hockey" Moore, without whom the artificial ice project would never have been completed.

Jim Dillon, the manager of the Huskies, noted that Mrs. Moore had raised a total of $17,000, with $12,000 going to the project. It was "the nucleus" for artificial ice, he said, according to a a report in the Chapleau Sentinel.

Mrs A.W. Moore

Andre Rioux, a player on the Huskies, paid tribute to Buddy Swanson for his efforts in coaching the team to its success. In 1966-67, Buddy, with his friend Lorne Riley teamed up as manager and coach respectively - and then Buddy took over coaching duties when Lorne became ill - to launch the Chapleau Junior "B" Huskies,and win the championship in their first year in the International Junior "B" Hockey League. They also won the NOHA championship.

At the banquet master of ceremonies Jim Lane read a telegram of congratulations from Mr. Silverman, who at the time was mayor of Sudbury. Mr. Silverman had coached, managed and owned the Sudbury Wolves, and been president of the NOHA.

Good luck to Charlie in the Laurentian University alumni game, and thanks to him, to Pat (Purich) Russell, and to Doug Greig, a special thanks for finding information on the 1965 champion Huskies. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Chapleau Huskies 1965. Winners of Max Silverman Trophy as NOHA Intermediate 'B' Champions Back:J.St.Amand,J.Babin,M.Goldstein,J.Bignucolo,D.Mizuguchi

Front: A.Bignucolo,C.Purich,J.Dillon-Manager,G.Pilon,K.Swanson-Coach,E.Freeborn,J.Grenon
Centre: A.Rioux,A.Madore,R.Bouillon,A.Martel,D.Futhey,R.Morin,A.Tremblay
 Absent:J.Hong,M.Mizuguchi,J.Paquette-Trainer (Courtesy Pat (Purich) Russell and Charlie Purich)