CPR recreation club formed as Legion elects officers and first hockey game of season played in 1947

Community leaders late 1940s Names below

The Canadian Pacific Railway Recreation Club was getting underway while Branch Number 5 of the Royal Canadian Legion was electing officers, and the first pre season town league exhibition game was played in the "old old" arena on Lorne Street.

On the municipal election front, B.W. 'Bubs" Zufelt was elected to his first term as reeve, and Mrs. Maud Hands became the first woman elected to Chapleau council.

The Chapleau Post was reporting the news as the community was moving forward two years after the end of World War II.

J.E. Edwards, the CPR freight agent had organized the meeting to establish the recreation club which would contribute to "the welfare of sports of all kinds" as well as recreation and social activities.
One of its immediate priorities would be the CPR hockey team managed by Mr. Edwards and coached by Denis Serre, according to the Chapleau Post.

Elected at the organization meeting were Hon. President A.W. Harris and Hon. Vice Presidents W.A. Almand and Fred Depew. It was common then to have "honourary positions.

The president was J.M. "Mac" McAllister, who had come to Chapleau as an imported hockey star. After his playing days, he became an excellent referee.

Junior Team circa 1948-49

Vice presidents were R. Thompson and D. Melville while the treasurer was D.J. Bowker. Executive committee members were Albert Corston, Ed Swanson, Mr. Edwards, Ken Lacombe, D. Serre, W.N. Hawke, Willard Morrison, R. Thompson, Fred Depew and Cecil McAdam.
Meanwhile over at the arena  there was a "large crowd" on hand for the first per-season game of the town hockey league. This league was highly competitive for years and was full body contact.

They named the teams Reds and Whites and the Post noted that Yvon 'Shorty' Morin of the Whites scored two "quick" goals in the first period followed by Reggie Sonego of the Reds with two "quick" goals. Other goal scorers included Garth "Tee" Chambers, Baisel Collings, Tom Godfrey, Chuck Corston and Greg Lucas.

Over at the Legion Hall, Branch No. 5 was holding its election of officers with J.M. "Jack" Shoup, a veteran of World War I and II elected president with Henry Therriault and Rene Aquin elected first and second vice presidents respectively.

Other officers were secretary D.T . "Toddy" Collinson and treasurer Fred Matters. The auditors were Harry Searle, George Collinson and Steve Therriault. Executive committee members were Mr. Searle, after whom the branch came to be named and Ovide Cote, Willard Morrison and Walter Steed.

As I was reading the Chapleau Post, it struck me that just two years after coming home from World War !!, these veterans were becoming very involved in community life at the Legion as well as elsewhere. No wonder they are called the "exceptional generation". They were joining the World War I veterans who were already involved.

Thanks to Doug Greig for the Chapleau Post. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Chapleau Junior hockey team circa 1948-49.  Back row are from left Orville Robinson, Doug Swanson, Lorne Riley, Greg Lucas, Tee Chambers, Fred Goheen, Keith Strapp, Toddy Collinson, Ernest 'Sonny' Bignucolo, D.O. Payette (manager), Pat Serre, Ross Hamlin, George Payette. Front from left, Yen Hong, Bob Evans, Reggie Sonego, Ross Thornton (coach), Tom Jardine, Angelo Mione, Johnny Morin, Mike Mione, Clarence Fiaschetti.

 

Some of Chapleau's most involved citizens as the boom years were starting after World War II. From left Dr David Lougheed, Arthur Grout, Cecil Smith, unknown, Walter Steed, Reg Thrush, Reeve B.W. "Bubs" Zufelt, Ernie Lepine, Eli Brunette, J.M. Shoup, Richard Brownlee, Dr G.E. Young, George Fife, Charles W. Collins

Celebrating Social Media Week with great choirs and organists

Joel Vinge, MJM (Sally Passey photo

While musing about how to celebrate Social Media Week, I decided to listen to some great choirs complete with the passion of great organists on Youtube.

I am able to enjoy them again thanks to the generosity of my friend Joel Vinge who recently gave me a set of super headphones. In an admission of my approaching Winter years, and a bit of hearing impairment, I accepted them and spent a totally marvellous afternoon attending concerts featuring great choirs.

Choirs and organs by the way are not part of  my upbringing: they are part of my DNA. My grandfather George Hunt, who played organ in churches and, yes, piano in English pubs, played for family concerts Sunday after church. His daughter, Muriel, my mother, with her incredible soprano voice, was a soloist, choir director and director of musicals, including 'HMS Pinafore' by Gilbert and Sullivan.

In the interests of full disclosure though, I must admit that I neither play nor sing well, but have directed concerts and musicals and studied drama at the University of Toronto.

Enough already. You are wondering what the history of my family in music has to do with Social Media Week underway from September 22 to 26, and the theme is Reimagining Human Connectivity: The Future of Now, Always On, Always Connected

Everything.  I attended my Youtube concerts, featuring the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. the choirs of the National Cathedral in Washington, Westminster Abbey, St. James Cathedral (Toronto), St. George's Cathedral (Kingston). St. Paul's Bloor Street (Toronto) and a few others.

Youtube is a huge player in social media, and there I was in front of my computer being connected in a moment to great choirs of my choosing -- in effect experiencing the future of now, always on, always connected. In fact I am listening to selections by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir as I type.

One of the comments I saw on Youtube was that there is "nothing more beautiful than voices of a great choir and the sounds of a talented passionate organist."

I agree. With all respect to choirs here which I enjoy, I always enjoyed trips to Vancouver where I could attend Christ Church Cathedral and connect to the choir and organist. I have sat in the pews at St. Paul's Bloor Street in Toronto and listened to the Anglican Bishop of Toronto speak "at" the congregation --- as Timothy Findley wrote in his awesome novel 'The Wars'. Best use of a preposition I ever saw!  But mostly I was there for the music not to listen to the Bishop speak at me.

For each choir and each song I heard, a story from my own personal experience arose, and I was connected in a moment to my past, present and future. Also I am Irish on my father's side, and I have a photo of my parents beside my computer, and they are always smiling, but sometimes moreso than other times like they were yesterday. I know. I know!

Let me share one anecdote though that came to mind. In 1935 at the 50th anniversary of St. John's Anglican Church in Chapleau, my grandfather was the choirmaster, my grandmother Edythe, and their daughter Elsie were in the choir, and my Mom was soloist. Mom sang 'Now the Day is Over'. I listened to it sung by the Hastings College Choir. Mom would have enjoyed it as she loved the sound of young peoples' voices.

Social media lets us reimagine human connectivity. We just have to collect metaphors and apply them to do so..

Last night at the swimming pool I was supposed to get some advice on getting rid of my noodle (metaphor there lol). but told Dane Ries I had to leave early to work on my column. Chatting briefly, Dane told me he had learned to play the drums by ear, and that is how my grandfather played too. Grandpa could not read one iota of  music.

Dane is learning guitar by watching others play on Youtube cause he doesn't read music either. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose!

I plan to continue celebrating Social Media Week with Peter, Paul and Mary; Pete Seeger and Daniel O'Donnell, working on reimagining human connectivity. Feel free to share how you are celebrating Social Media Week. Thanks Joel and Dane.. My email is mj.morris@liveca

Armand Ruffo writes rich biography on Norval Morrisseau: Man Changing Into Thunderbird

Armand Ruffo's latest book Norval Morrisseau: Man Changing Into Thunderbird is described as an "innovative and rich biography" of a troubled person who by the end of his life  was considered by some as Canada's greatest painter.

Armand, who was born in Chapleau, and graduated from Chapleau High School, "drawing upon years of extensive research, including interviews with Morrisseau himself, evokes the artist’s life from childhood to death, in all its vivid triumphs and tragedies: his first solo and breakthrough exhibition at the Pollock Gallery in Toronto; his legendary “Garden Party” where he and his agent Jack Pollock flew a coterie of critics and patrons from Toronto to remote Beardmore for an afternoon tea party."

In information about his new book in an email, Armand explained that "Norval Morrisseau (1932–2007), Ojibway shaman-artist, drew his first sketches at age six in the sand on the shores of Lake Nipigon, and his first paintings were in cheap watercolour on birch bark and moose hide.

"By the end of his tumultuous life, the prolific self-taught artist was sought by collectors, imitated by forgers and received the Order of Canada among other accolades. Critics, art historians and curators alike consider him one of the most innovative artists of the twentieth century and arguably Canada’s greatest painter.

"Morrisseau was a controversial figure too, eliciting everything from resentment to outright condemnation. Living on booze, flat broke and exhausted, he often traded art for a drink to the frustration of his agents. Despite immense talent and success, his alcoholism plunged his wife and children into poverty and he spent years bouncing between skid row and jail."

"Norval Morrisseau: Man Changing Into Thunderbird is an innovative and rich biography of this charismatic and troubled figure." 

Armand also writes about Morrisseau’s heart-wrenching battle with alcoholism, then Parkinson’s disease, and exultant “Shaman’s Return” to national status in the Canadian art scene and his solo show at The National Gallery of Canada.

Armand  draws upon his own Ojibway heritage and experiences to provide insight into Morrisseau’s life and iconography from an Ojibway perspective. Captivating and readable, this is a brilliantly creative evocation of the art and life of Norval Morrisseau, a life indelibly tied to art. Armand is also a member of Chapleau Cree First Nation.

Here is some additional information on Armand. He is the author of three books of poetry, Opening In the Sky (Theytus Books, 1994), Grey Owl: The Mystery of Archie Belaney (Coteau Books, 1997) and At Geronimo’s Grave (Coteau Books, 2001).

He has also edited and co-edited(Ad)Dressing Our Words: Aboriginal Perspectives on Aboriginal Literatures (Theytus Books, 2001) and An Anthology of Canadian Native Literature in English (Oxford University Press, 2013).

His screenplay, A Windigo’s Tale, has been shown across Canada and at film festivals internationally.

He is an Associate Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Queen’s University, and lives in Kingston, ON. Armand also has taught at Carleton University, Ottawa. Due to be released in October, you can preorder from amazon.ca from link on sidebar.

Congratulations Armand,  andwhen writing about you and your successes, I can never resist mentioning that you played on the 1970-71 Chapleau Midgets hockey team I coached. Seems like only yesterday. My email is mj.morris@live.ca