Making peace by overcoming ugliness with beauty, meanness with generosity, lies with truth, evil with good!

Let me share some thoughts expressed by Rev. Canon H.A. Sims, the Rector of St. John's Anglican Church in 1948. They seem as appropriate today on this Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) in our troubled world as they were three years after the end of World War II.

In part, here is what Canon Sims. a World War I veteran,  said:

"There is not the slightest necessity for civilized men to destroy their civilization in warfare. Nothing is settled by warfare which could not be better settled in some more reasonable, humane and decent way.

"Warfare is caused by men  who have allowed the spirit of the devil rather than the spirit of God to determine their thinking.

"Peace does not come through wishing for it or through praying for it... peace comes only from those who make it; who work harder at making peace than men working at making war.

"We must make peace by working hard at overcoming ugliness with beauty; overcoming meanness with generosity; overcoming lies with truth and by overcoming evil with good."

I was at the church that night with my family because a memorial prayer desk was being dedicated in memory of my father, Flying Officer James E Morris, who was killed on active service in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1943 during World War II. I was seven years old.

In his incredible book, 'The Ordeal of Total War', Gordon Wright tells us that Sir Winston Churchill once commented that the effects of World War II, will be felt by those affected by it for at least 100 years. Trust me, Churchill was right. I am just shy of 77 now , and have lived with that war every day of my life.

Every time I hear of the death of one of the member of our armed forces, or for that matter police officers, firefighters, and other first responders, my heart goes out to their family and friends. I know, I care  and I understand.  My email ias mj.morris@live.ca

David Dillon of Chapleau shares highlights of career starting as deck hand travelling the world rising through ranks to ship Captain

Captain David Dillon

David Dillon, born and raised in Chapleau, has been promoted to the rank of ship Captain, Currently he is Captain of a ship  called FERBEC and travels a steady run between Havre St-Pierre QC and Sorel QC carrying limenite rock which makes titanium steel. The ship travels the world also and in the past year has traded in Australia, Asia, Turkey a nd Venezuela. The ship is 187 meters long (Two football fields), 32 meters wide, 14 stories and load to a draft of 12 meters deep.

After seeing an announcement on Facebook that he had risen to Captain of a ship, I contacted him, and he kindly agreed to share his fascinating story of life at sea. I extend my most sincere congratulations to David on his achievement. 

David's father Jim Dillon was in large part responsible for the revival of Chapleau Winter Carnival in the mid 1950s. When I was president of the Student Council at Chapleau High School in 1957-58, he appointed me to the carnival committee as the youth representative.  Jim was also manager of the Chapleau Intermediate Huskies. David's brother Mark played on the last hockey team I coached in Chapleau.  My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Here is David's story. 

By David Dillon

 Born and raised in Chapleau by two great parents (Jim and Noella) I was always encouraged to try things. Chapleau brought the adventure out in me starting with camping and fishing in the wilderness, gazing at stars in clear skies and surrounded by nature I wondered about the world outside of our small town. As I got older I wanted more adventure and high school gave me the opportunity to travel on school trips meeting other people and seeing other towns. There was no internet so travelling was the way to go and when you're 14/15 years old the only way was hitch hiking or hop the freight train. 

Well it wasn't long before I found myself wanting that adventure all the time so I left high school before graduating (I actually quit at 15 and left to find work in Wawa). After working in construction for the winter I returned to Chapleau to go back to school but was bored so I decided to leave school again and work at Lafreniere's lumber mill, then in the summer of 1973 I went to visit some friends in Parry Sound. They convinced me to stay so I started looking for work and although it wasn't my first choice I was given the opportunity to work as a deck hand on a ship called the CCGS Alexander Henry, a Canadian Coast Guard buoy tender and icebreaker built in 1959 serving on the Great Lakes. 

In 1975 I transferred to the Louis S. St Laurent, Canada's largest icebreaker, based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. I spent the following 3 years travelling to the high Arctic escorting ships to supply the small and isolated communities. I reached 79 degrees northern latitude at an abandoned RCMP station setting up fuel caches on Ellesmere Island, 600 miles from the North Pole (about the same distance as Chapleau from Toronto). I slept under the Midnight Sun in nothing more than a sleeping bag to keep me warm and a piece of canvas to keep the summer snow off of me.

As I stood at the last known encampment of Sir John Franklin, I gazed upon this great vastness witth the same eyes and wonder of these people before me. I travelled through the Northwest passage through 12 feet of ice, the very passage that Franklin and his expedition sought. I was in awe and I was hooked, it was no longer a job but a career and lifestyle that chose me and I chose it.

I moved up the ranks to leading seaman and wheelsman and it was then that I decided it was time to do my licensing to be a navigating officer. I went to the Nova Scotia Nautical Institute in Halifax which was located in Pier 21 which is now a museum and historic site where immigrants from all over the world first came to Canada to start their new life, how fitting, seeing as how it was my new life I was embarking on also. 

I completed my watchkeeper's license in 1978 and was on my way, looking to travel and see more of the world. I started working on cargo ships and now I was no longer the student but th the same eyes and wonder of these people before me. I travelled through the Northwest passage through 12 feet of ice, the very passage that Franklin and his expedition sought. I was in awe and I was hooked, it was no longer a job but a career and lifestyle that chose me and I chose it.

I found myself on a ship called the Marlhill, a steamship built in 1909, riveted together and sailing as 3rd mate carrying cargo on the Great Lakes. I continued with my certification going to nautical school when I needed to and studying books at home preparing to write exams. Today there are cadet programs in Nautical Science covering subjects such as math, science, engineering, electricity, naval architect, business, law, firefighting, security/terrorism/piracy and more. To reach the level of Master you must be competent in all subjects.

When opportunity came to travel to another part of the world I asked "where do I sign up?" 

As I completed my certifications to Chief Officer and Master I travelled the Great Lakes, Caribbean, North America and Europe on cargo ships of all types, through storms and hurricanes, good weather and good times. You learned to survive, to depend on your shipmates, to become resourceful and use whatever you had on hand to fix or repair something that was broken... there's no Canadian Tire 1000 miles out at sea. 

Sometimes you would spend weeks not seeing land and 2 or 3 months at sea not touching land so sea legs were common when you finally got ashore. You could not walk a straight line as you were so used to the movement of the ship rolling back and forth. Thankfully I was never seasick.

It's been 45 years and I still enjoy my life at sea teaching and passing on stories and experiences to the young people starting off. I do enjoy my time home and someday retirement will come and I will salute and thank the sea for the wonderful life it's given to me and I'll say.

Oh tall spars I have watched you sweep among the firmament,

What aching grief is this what assails me,

That upon leaving you,

I gaze upon your tall serenity,

And I weep.

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Tawagami selected as CPR divisional point but "lakes and swamps" saw it moved to Chapleau in 1885

CPR station 1886

The Canadian Pacific Railway divisional point that became Chapleau was supposed to be at Tawagami, seven miles east of the present community, but because of the lakes and swamps about there, it was situated where it is in 1885.

According to an article in the Richard Brownlee papers, among the very first "white women" who moved to Chapleau were a Mrs. S.B. Eyrie and her daughter Edna who became Mrs. Cressey, they arrived from Tawagami in September 1885.

By the end of 1885, there were about 400 citizens, most of them men. There were some women as residents by this time but many had left for the winter.

Apparently the Eyrie's had a boarding house but a "great bush fire" swept through that section of the fledgling community, and as a result they lived in tents  for about a year.

Also, as Chapleau was being established people lived in two rows of boxcars, one called Goslin Avenue and the other Stovepipe Avenue.

At the same time T.A. Austin set up shop in a tent in "old Chapleau" near the site of where the Lady Minto Hospital was opened in 1914. In February 1886, Mr. Brownlee who was about 18 arrived, and had a barber shop beside Mr. Austin's place of business.

Later in 1886, Mr. Austin built the first store on Birch Street where the Dominion store was later located, and he added a leanto for Mr. Brownlee's barber shop.

T A Austin store 1886

Tom Carr and his family were among the first citizens and they ran the first boarding house, popularly known as the "Pig's Ear," located across from where Smith and Chapple was located. Actually it would have been located across from the Austin store which had changed location. This later became Beamish and Smith then Smith and Chapple, now Chapleau Village Shops.

JMcN Austin then Beamish and Smith then Smith and Chapple, now Chapleau Village Shops

 Mr. Noel de Tilley "had the honour of driving the first engine into the station, that was in the autumn of 1885." Mr. and Mrs. de Tilley lived in a cottage next door to Tom Carr's boarding house.

Most reports I have seen over the years give credit to Mrs. Noel de Tilley for the naming of the community. The article I am using says that "Mr. R. Duschene, the civil engineer found it quite a problem to select names for all the places along the line and turned to her for an inspiration. She suggested that they name this town after (Joseph Adolphe) Chapleau, the Conservative member of parliament and Chapleau it became."

Very active in the community, before the Roman Catholic church was built, it was at their home that mass was sung on Sunday. Visiting priests also made their home with them,

That first winter was apparently bitterly cold and disease was rampant but these first citizens who had left their former way of life to create a new community in the wilderness. And they did. 

A boxcar became the first station, office building and train dispatcher's office. Very quickly a roundhouse with turntable and water tank had been erected. By 1886 a station had been completed.

The article noted that these "sturdy railroaders had a hard winter though, for the roundhouse ... had no doors. When there were snowstroms the section men had to come an shovel the snow away. There was no storehouse for oil. It was kept outside in large barrels and had to be heated before it could be used. For valve oil tey had to use tallow. ...'

I have included a photo of Bill Pellow's delivery wagon as a reminder of how deliveries were made. J.T. Serre made deliveries by dog team and sled in the winter months.

Amazingly, by the end of 1886, churches had been established, and an active social and sports life were underway. By 1889 they were curling and playing hockey, and a brass band had been started. Chapleau's first newspaper The North Star was being published. Mr. Brownlee also noted that the first school with 12 pupils had been started.

On a personal note, I am fascinated with these early years in the history of Chapleau, and so much appreciate having the Richard Brownlee papers, kindly loaned to me by Margaret Rose (Payette) and Bobby Fortin, to help me connect the dots from in the beginning. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

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