Playing golf at Kebsquasheshing Golf Club in Chapleau officially launched at organization meeting on May 15,1924

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Playing golf in Chapleau became official at a meeting in the St John's Memorial Hall, now the home of Branch No 5 (Ontario) of the Royal Canadian Legion on May 15, 1924.

UPDATE: On July 1, 2017, the golf club won the first Buddy Swanson Volunteer Award for 93 years of volunteerism in Chapleau

According to the handwritten minutes, now available on the Chapleau Public Library site, the meeting was held "for the purpose of organizing a golf club' to be called the "Kebsquasheshing Golf Club".

The golf course was located where it remains to this day on land that appeared to have been provided by V.T. Chapple and G.B. Nicholson, under a lease agreement. The club house had been the summer home of Mr. Nicholson.

The first executive consisted of president H.C. Nelson; vice president Dr. J.J. Sheahan, and secretary-treasurer A. McNiece Austin. To get organized, the club used a constitution from the Woodstock Golf Club. A lease for use of the land between the club and Mr. Chapple and Mr. Nicholson for the year 1925 was also on the agenda. Terms of the lease were not in the minutes.

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The meeting decided that the annual fee "for gentlemen be $15 and that for ladies $5" with an initiation fee of $25 for "gentlemen" and $12.50 for ladies decided upon at a later meeting.

One of the first issues raised was the matter of playing golf on Sundays, and after some discussion over a couple of meetings the "playing of Sunday golf on the links be prohibited and that any member violating this rule be expelled from the club". Father Romeo Gascon who was very active in the golf club made the motion.

However, in reading the minutes, it seems that over the years, while the ban was not completely lifted, Sunday golf may have been permitted on the back holes -- which gave me a chuckle. I did not discover date when Sunday golf was officially permitted but into the 1970s the Lord's Day Act governing Sunday sports was in effect in Ontario.

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Ladies were asked to wear flat heeled shoes while men had to wear rubber soled shoes.

Although ladies were permitted as members from the beginning, if my memory serves me right,  there was a "Ladies' Day" each week which was one afternoon. I mention it because my grandmother Lil (Mulligan) Morris was a golfer and I recall being her caddy in the late 1940s... which meant I carried one club. I don't recall if she and her friends Mrs. George Fife and Mrs. Elsie Wilkinson played on other days.

By 1925 the clubhouse had undergone some renovations and a lawnmower had been purchased. The House Committee was composed of ladies only.

The club also decided that "all male visitors, transients or temporary residents be charged annual fee of $25 for the use of the course for the season payable in advance" but it did not entitle them to any of the privileges of full members, only use of the golf course and clubhouse facilities.

In 1927 at the third annual meeting the failure of some members to observe club rules led to a decision to draw up a list of "Don'ts" which was to be mailed to all members. The list was not included in the minutes.

present clubhouse

In 1930, Mr. Nelson retired as president and was made an "honourary member". He was succeeded by Father Romeo Gascon, the vice president at the time who was also parish priest at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church.

I found it fascinating to go through the golf club minutes of meetings all handwritten in a book which was used until 1986 when Richard Duhaime was president and Yvette Joyal secretary.

 I will return to take a closer look at "playing golf in Chapleau" a bit later, but when I saw that the club was founded on May 15, 1924 thought it appropriate to mark the club's 93rd anniversary. Congratulations, and I follow your doings on Facebook!

My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Golf club members early 1930s.. Note toboggan slide 1 Mrs. Jack McClellan, 2 Mrs. Harry Wolfe, 3 Mrs. Geo. Collinson, 4 Mrs. Geo. Fife, 5 Mrs. W. Grinton, 6 Mrs. A. Kinahan, 7 Mrs. Mel Copping, 8 Mrs. Dr. Sheahan, 9 Mrs. Buck Stone, 10 Mrs. G.L. White, 11 Miss B. Pallett, 12 George Collinson, 13 Mrs. A.L. Morse, 14 Mrs. D.O. Payette, 15 Reg. Thrush, 16 D.O. Payette, 17 Geo. L. White, 18 Mrs. T.R. Serre, 19 Miss Hilda Burch, 20 C.P.R. Supt. McGregor, 21 Mrs. A. Austin , 22 Mrs. E. Sootheran, 23 Mrs. Helen Crichton, 24 Mrs. Wm. McMullen, 25 Mrs. T.J. Godfrey, 26 Mrs. R.J. Gawley, 27 Dr. R.J. Gawley, 28 V.T. Chapple, 29 Mr. Coussineau, 30 Wm. McLean, 31 T.J. Godfrey, 32 Geo. Fife, 33 Father Gascon, 34 Ron Serre, 36 John McClellan, 37 A.A. Kinahan




View of golf course from field behind where present civic centre located now. Ladies not identified. Nicholson summer home which became golf club house can be seen. Early 1900s.

Members of the golf club circa 1926 in front of the clubhouse which had been summer home of G.B. Nicholson

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MM

Awakening 'enormous sleeping potential' of Chapleau to 'make awesome things happen'

NOTE: When Jason Rioux contacted me about the possibility of an article on Chapleau's "enormous sleeping potential" I immediately agreed to be part of the supporting cast along with Bishop Tom Corston, Tanya Keech, and others. As Jason notes, "This is our Chapleau, let’s make awesome things happen together." I hope you will share your ideas with Jason. His email is jason.rioux@gmail.com. Mine is mj.morris@live.ca

By Jason Rioux
The town of Chapleau has strong roots in entrepreneurship and pioneering….enabled and inspired by a special mix of ingredients: the long standing First Nations communities and the wisdom of their Elders, the Hudson’s Bay Trading Post that opened trade and export potential, the Canadian Pacific Railway with its army of railroaders and nation-building transport, the forestry industry with the strengths of its loggers and biomass exports, and the broad mix of small businesses that started, flourished, and retired over the last 100+ years.

 Chapleau's first entrepreneurs were likely T.A. Austin who opened the first general store in December 1885 and Richard Brownlee who established a barbershop in a tent in February 1886.  This mix was the essence of economic growth that established Chapleau for what it is today.

1886 T. A. Austin store and Richard Brownlee barbershop

We all have memories of special times, places, and experiences that were enabled by our early settlers, current and past business men and women, and community leaders, big and small, that took the initiative to start or do something new, that people wanted or needed, for the betterment of everyone in Chapleau, and for those that were lucky enough to visit.

Young Street Chapleau early 1900s from Birch. 

Chapleau has enormous sleeping potential for new small businesses to start and grow.  Everyone has something they are gifted with…something they love to do…something from which people could enjoy and benefit.  Perhaps even something that we can export.  There has never been a time so needed, so encouraged, and so enabled for  you to give something a shot.  That something is for you to determine.


If you are reading this and thinking, “surely, this is targeted at other people”, then think again.  Whether you make the best sugar pie in town, have a passion to teach arts, or can play the fiddle like a wannabe Ashley MacIsaac, there is now a place for you to share and benefit from this talent, and here’s how!

“The Rustic Bear Den”, in the transformed lower level of St. John’s church, is now set up as a community hub, with a café and artisan marketplace.  This is a flexible rustic space that accommodates dozens of small entrepreneurs to co-exist and show off their talents.  Think of it as Chapleau’s new Trading Post!  The commercial kitchen is available for preparing and baking your special foods (like your sugar pies), for sale both outside and inside the café.

The flexible space can be used to display and sell your homemade artisan products, or even better, use it as your workshop to make your products on site and add to the buzz.  Dream up your special event and host it there too, nothing is too wild, you’d be surprised.  Pitch your ideas to Tanya (Longpre) Keech for anything in this space, she is your go-to person.  tanya.keech@gmail.com


The upstairs of the church is also open to new ideas.  Certainly the priority is ensuring that any new ideas are fully compatible with the Anglican Church proceedings that take place on Sunday mornings.  For those that have not seen the upstairs of St. John’s, it is a very special space that is completely original and full of wonderful character.  It can accommodate over 250 people, kept warm year-round, and most importantly it has “acoustics” that are second to none.

Whether you are budding local musicians looking for jam space or a recording studio, vocalists looking to host acapella competitions, or the organizer of special events of any kind, this special space is available to be experienced and enjoyed by the whole community.  


And last, but not least, the parking lot behind the church and the vacant 2 acres of waterfront land where the old public school once was, are also open to entrepreneurship potential.  Farmers markets, large annual festivals, community gardens, and other tourism and waterfront related services could all be pursued while longer term development plans are being worked on for the land.  If you have a passion for anything that could flourish outdoors, you can lead the charge and make something happen.


Pitch your ideas for the upstairs and outside spaces to Jason Rioux directly at jason.rioux@gmail.com.


New ideas can be pitched at anytime.  This is an open door opportunity for the whole community.  No idea is too silly or crazy.  We are looking for people with “fire in the belly” and the initiative to try something new.


This is our Chapleau, let’s make awesome things happen together.

Pioneer citizen Elizabeth Holding a 'vital part' of Chapleau development for over 50 years

Elizabeth Holding was "a vital part of the development" of Chapleau for more than 50 years, according to a tribute in the Sudbury Star after she died in 1959.

Although the writer is not named I assume it was Margaret Costello who was writing for the newspaper in 1959 as Chapleau correspondent.

The story notes that St. John's Anglican Church was "blanked with flowers and filled with friends to pay final tribute to one of Chapleau's earliest and well loved residents." The funeral service was conducted by Rev. J.G.M. Doolan, the church's Rector.

Born in England, the daughter of Robert and Louisa Holding, the family arrived in Chapleau in 1890. For the first six weeks until their belongings arrived, "wooden boxes served as tables and chairs while the floor served as beds."

 Her first schooling was in a tent located beside the present Trinity United Church, and continued in the first school house on Pine Street beside the Anglican church rectory. Her teacher there was Miss Charlotte Weller, who would become the wife of G.B. Nicholson, Chapleau's first reeve, and prominent businessman, later a Member of Parliament.

Apparently she was an excellent student as the article notes that "her keen mind absorbed readily what she was taught" and "her school work bore the stamp of care, order and attention " that were evident through the years in her daily living.

Her father, Robert Holding, built a house on Beech Street calling it the Crusoe House, recalling a seafaring experience he had when he was marooned on an island.

On July 1, 1900, she married Charles Frederick Vice, who was an engineer on the CPR. They lived in Crusoe House.

"During the early years of the railroad wrecks were not uncommon. Survivors were brought to Crusoe House for food, shelter and care. There was always room for those in need of help."

Now Mrs. Vice, she started to become active in community affairs and when Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson built St. John's Parish House in 1919  in memory of their son Lorne and his friends who were killed in World War I, (now the Royal Canadian Legion Hall),she and her husband became its supervisors. She also became the librarian.  The building was officially opened in 1920.

Very active in the life of St. John's Church, she sang in the choir, taught Sunday School, and was active in the Women's Auxiliary and member of the Nicholson Bible Class. This class was taught by Mr. Nicholson for more than 25 years, assisted by Mr. P.J. Collins, the father of Charles W. Collins.

In the wider community, Mrs. Vice was a charter member of the Ladies of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, the Orange Lodge, the Canadian Club and other organizations.

Her father, along with other business ventures, was a prospector with great faith in the future of Chapleau and area and his daughter showed public   spirit and great interest in the growth of the community, the article noted.

Frederick James Annand, a friend of her husband's arrived on the scene, and he and Mr. Vice worked on the construction of some of Chapleau's oldest buildings. Mr. Vice was a stonemason by trade.

Mr. and Mrs. Vice somewhat later moved to Swayze for a for a  time, and a newspaper reporter covering the gold mine story interviewed them. Mr. Annand who had left the area saw it and got back in touch.

In 1942, Mr. Vice died and Mr. Annand once again saw the story. He got in and in 1947, he and Mrs. Vice were married, and moved to the United States, but her life always remained "entwined with Chapleau's development."

Mr. and Mrs. Vice had four children: two daughters, Mrs. Leo Racicot, Mrs. R.J. Bernier, and two sons, Lloyd and Robert.

The friends involved in her funeral service at St. John's reads like a who's who of Chapleau pioneer families. Honourary pallbearers were E. Glabb, Simon Kruger, Charles McKnight, A.L. Montgomery, William Card and Arthur Whybray. Pallbearers were Grant Somers, Charles McKee, Gordon McKnight, Keith Scott, D.J. Broomhead and Willard Morrison.

Like so many other women in Chapleau's history, Elizabeth Holding .... "Because of her" the community was a better place! My email is mj.morris@live.ca

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MM