Chapleau Curling Club 1971 season headed by president Ed McCarthy ended with 'zest' as Charlie Law rink won final bonspiel

Ed McCarthy, president of the Chapleau Curling Club in 1971, said the season got off to a shaky start but it ended with a lot of good curling and fellowship.

The Chapleau Sentinel reported that the final bonspiel saw 16 rinks in action battling it out for top honours. Charlie Law who had been "threatening" all season emerged as the winner of the "A" Event following a "fierce battle' with the David Bromley rink.

Charlie had Janet McCarthy as third, Bill Ward as second and Mae Ward as lead. David put up a good fight with Marianne Crichton as third, George Boyd as second and Mona Rioux as lead.

In the "B" Event another "ding dong" battle saw Bill Bromley the skip, and members Marcel Labelle, Anita Deluce and Millie Labelle pull out a close win over Fred Johnson and his rink of Sandra Schultz, Rodney McAuley and Irene Johnson.

The "C" Event was another well contested game which was won by the George McLeod rink. Members were Phyllis O'Riley (to become Phyllis McLeod a bit later) and Ed McLeod and Penny Park.

They all helped George defeat a rink skipped by Peewee Rioux, who had great help from Freda Rioux and Jim and Dianne Collings.

The Sentinel noted that in the finals of all three events there "many incidents of interest to liven up the contests with a six ender along with a couple of five enders helped the games onto an even keel when it seemed like a runaway was in progress".

Apparently it happened in each of the final games and added "zest" to them. A social and dance ended the final bonspiel.

However, a couple of weeks earlier Peewee Rioux and his rink won the First Event in the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 5 annual Shamrock Bonspiel. They were awarded a trophy by Ray Bradley of Molson's, as well as jackets.

I sent a note to Mario Lafreniere of the Chapleau Express with this column about the wonders of technology, commenting that I put this one together while enjoying sunny Orlando, FL, and picked curling in Chapleau as the topic. Thanks Doug Greig for Chapleau Sentinel. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Great excitement prevails in Chapleau on VE Day in 1945 with whistles blowing and church bells ringing

 

George Collinson (centre) honored for 50 yrs in RCL, left is son Toddy and right John Rose

Very great excitement prevailed in Chapleau on May 8, 1945 with the news of the unconditional surrender of Germany which became commonly referred to as Victory in Europe or "VE Day".

The Chapleau Post reported that the "very atmosphere" in the community seemed to change at once. "Whistles from the CPR engines and shops, fire sirens blosing and church bells ringing made the people realize that at last the great day had come.

"Everyone was happy that at times it was hard to know whether to laugh or cry. As if by magic flags appeared on housefronts.

"Schools were closed immediately and the children were excited as the older people."

A peace celebration dance organized by the Canadian Legion was held with the Town Hall filled to capacity.

Later a VE Day celebration was held but a "very cold wind and snow" made outdoor activities impossible so they took place in the Town Hall.

Les Beeston was the master of ceremonies and a "carnival spirit was evident."

Speakers included Reeve Frank Edwards, Reg Thrush, Harry Searle (one of the main founders of Branch Number 5 and a World War I veteran), and Rev. H. W. Strapp, the minister at Trinity United Church.

A play "The Trial and Hanging of Hitler" was perfromed. It starred A.H. Leigh, Reg Thrush, Vera Purich, J. Deluce and Ross Kemp.

Following the celebration which included a treat of hot dogs, the children paraded to the Regent Theatre for a free show.

A Monster Dance was held in the Town Hall in the evening.

Writing about VE Day, my aunt Marion Morris, who had lost her brother, my father Flying Officer James Morris , who was killed on active service in the RCAF on July 16, 1943, noted in a letter to me many years later "parishioners of all faiths streamed into their churches -- no parade -- just Thanksgiving for all the boys and girls in the services and prayers -- joined together from all churches."

After VE Day, the Legion organized a Service of Thanksgiving at the Cenotaph. Children from all the schools attended as well as a huge number of citizens.

Speakers included Walter Steed, a World War I veteran and branch president at the time  as well as Rev. J.H. Morris of St. John's Anglican Church (no relation) and Father Romeo Gascon, of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church.

Wreaths were placed on the cenotaph by Reeve Frank Edwards, Mrs. L.A. Montgomery, Ross Whitney, Terence Delaney and Hiram Paul. The Last Post was played by Tom Godfrey Sr. Father Gascon pronounced the Benediction

 The Canadian War Museum web site sums up the end of World War II in Europe: "On April 30, 1945, Hitler committed suicide. On May 5, German forces in North-West Europe surrendered. Victory in Europe, or VE, Day was officially celebrated three days later. 

Thanks to Doug Greig. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

 

 

Nicholson generosity left Chapleau with 'most elegant and distinctive of all Royal Canadian Legion properties in Canada'

Royal Canadian Legion hall Chapleau

Lt. Lorne Weller Nicholson was killed in action just one week before the armistice that ended World War I on November 11, 1918.

The Toronto Star of November 26, 1918, in his obituary said, "Lieut. Nicholson went overseas with the 227th Battalion, 'Men-of-The- North. He was transferred to the 4th C.M.Rs and went to France in 1917. 

The Star story continued: He was wounded with shrapnel in January of this year (1918), but recovered quickly, not leaving his battalion. He was wounded again in April, and was in a Canadian hospital in France when it was bombed and more than 300 lives lost.

"He was transferred to the Prince of Wales Hospital in London, where after three and a half months, he fully recovered, returning to his battalion on September 29. He was in the lines continually from that time until just one week before the armistice was signed when he made the supreme sacrifice".

Lorne Weller Nicholson was the only child of George Brecken and Charlotte (Weller) Nicholson On April 19, 1920, the St. John's Memorial Hall, first called Parish House, which his parents had built, was officially opened.

As George Evans once wrote "It is significant that the donors of the building did not put their names on the monumental inscription: they were content that the world remember them simply as the father and mother of Lt. Lorne W. Nicholson."  

It reads: "St. John's Parish House. In memory of Lt. Lorne W. Nicholson and all those who with him voluntarily gave their lives in the Great War. Erected by his father and mother A.D. 1919", and at the bottom of it, the words from the Gospel According to John, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends". (John 15:13)

Mr. Nicholson was the first reeve of Chapleau serving from 1901 to 1913, and at the time the hall was opened was the Member of Parliament for East Algoma , and Mrs. Nicholson had been one of the first school teachers in Chapleau.

Some of those participating in the memorial service at St. John's Anglican Church and official opening at the hall included  Rev. John Nelson Blodgett, Rector of St. John's Anglican Church; Rev. Dr. Robert John Renison, later Bishop of the Anglican Church diocese of Moosonee; Rt. Rev. John George Anderson, Bishop of Moosonee; Reeve Max Brunette, Township of Chapleau; Rev. George Prewer and Rev. White.

Lt. -Col. C. H. LeP. Jones , the commanding officer of 227th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and Major D.M. Brodie also participated.

Ian Macdonald, retired head of the department of architecture and professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba, who has researched and written extensively on Chapleau buildings kindly agreed to let me share some of his thoughts about the building, now commonly referred to simply as "The Legion".

"A building as distinctive and prominent as the Nicholson Hall accurately reflected the public honour for war sacrifice, military service, veterans and the Union Jack that the World War I vets fought under. The Victorian gothic revival style of the building, which is closely associated with monarchism, reminds us of the significant cultural role of architecture and the British Dominion that we were at the time," Ian wrote.

"The Canadian Parliement buildings were also built in the same style to echo the architecture of Westminster and provide a permanent reminder of our British heritage."

"The Legion Hall is formally organized around a central axis, and the gothic revival windows, doors and details are what most individuals would associate with a religious building," Ian noted.

In fact, when I googled Chapleau Legion Hall recently, a photo popped up on a web site and whoever posted it, thought it was a church. A Chapleau person had posted a correction in the comments section.

Ian also speculated on what the Legion in Chapleau might have built, had it not been for the philanthropic act of Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson, albeit that it was first given to St. John's Anglican Church as a parish house.

"There are plenty of examples of other Legion facilities in small Canadian communities to provide an idea of what might have been", Ian wrote, adding that the Nicholson generosity "has left Chapleau with what is probably the most elegant and distinctive of all Royal Canadian Legion properties in Canada. It is clearly the most sophisticated building of its time in Chapleau."

By the 1930s and the onset of the Great Depression, St. John's was no longer able to maintain the hall, and it was subsequently closed and turned over to the municipality. Branch Number 5 of the Royal Canadian Legion rented it for some years until 1955 when B.W. "Bubs" Zufelt was reeve, the Legion took ownership of the building. Mr. Zufelt was made a life member of the branch for his efforts.

On November 11, Remembrance Day, Chapleau will once again "remember them" including Lt. Lorne Weller Nicholson and all those who gave their lives in World War I, World War II, Korea and NATO service.

My thanks to Ian Macdonald and Doug Greig for their assistance. My email is mj.morris@live.ca