Reflections on Chapleau Moments: "With old friends, you've got your whole life in common"

Reflecting on having written Chapleau Moments for seven years now, increasingly I agree with a comment once made by country singer Lyle Lovett about old friends.

"You don't have to have anything in common with people you've known since you were five. With old friends, you've got your whole life in common." the singer wrote.

For example, when Kevin Walker contributed his "I'm so Chapleau" anecdotes, others commented, all having Chapleau in common, no matter where they may live now.

In 2015, after Dakotah Woods started to play for the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, it resulted in much hockey talk, mostly about who (in my opinion) was Chapleau's greatest hockey player. 

As an aside Dakotah has visited Chapleau and met with youth from Brunswick House First Nation and Chapleau Cree First Nation... Watch for details!

That's one I wouldn't touch although several who played on teams I coached and managed in the 1970s would most assuredly be in the running -- "homebrew and otherwise" -- which incidentally was the title of a column written by my father Jim Morris in the Chapleau High School magazine circa 1932. How do I know as there was no byline on the story -- the late D.J 'Jim' Broomhead, a friend of my dad's told me so.

My personal favourite hockey player as a kid was Garth 'Tee' Chambers. 

When I was 'home' in 2015 for the launch of 'The Chapleau Boys Go To War' which I co-authored with my cousin Michael McMullen, it was a mini reunion with friends who still live in Chapleau and those who came home to show support -- yes, Lyle Lovett was right. As we chatted, I realized we had our whole lives in common.

And, thanks to Jim Hong, whose family has been running a business in Chapleau for nigh on to  100 years, we gathered at the 'Boston' about which at least one book could be written.

A highlight of my visit was the kindness of my lifelong -- at least since we were both five -- friend, Ken Schroeder, who took me on a nostalgic tour of backlanes, pointing out all the backyards and who lived there when we were kids.

Ken has an incredible memory, but I still have not quite figured out why he insisted he take my photo in the rhubarb patch in the backyard of the house where he was raised on Aberdeen Street.

I have been doing and teaching journalism and communications, one way and another close to 60 years now, and while doing a column on Ernest Lepine, reaiized that one of the stories I covered was the occasion when Mr. Lepine presented eggs to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau at the CPR station in 1982, and I had photos of it. I covered it for CBC Television News, while living in Chapleau.

I am so pleased to have been able to do  a column about the refugee family which arrived in Chapleau this year, and be able to refer to comments made by the late George Evans about why live in Chapleau. Although George arrived as an adult, I am sure all would agree he was so Chapleau!

During the seven years that I am been writing Chapleau Moments, thanks to Mario Lafreniere, it has struck me time and time again, of the accomplishments of Chapleau people both within the community and beyond its borders  -- ordinary people from a community, carved out of the wilderness of Northern Ontario -- doing exceptional things in times of peace and war.  I have only scratched the surface in sharing their success stories.

In  2016, for example, Chapleau can be justifiably proud of Liz Howard, who became the youngest winner of the prestigious Griffin Poetry prize.

Congratulations Liz.

Thanks to Doug Greig for all his help over the years.

Finally, I am so indebted to my friends Margaret Rose (Payette) and Bobby Fortin for kindly loaning me the Richard Brownlee Papers which provide such meaningful insights into the early history of Chapleau. 

Incidentally, Mr. Brownlee became my first real friend before I was five years old. My mother Muriel E. (Hunt) Morris and I were living with Mom's sister Elsie and her husband B.W. 'Bubs' Zufelt on Beech Street. 

I would wander over to Main Street and Mr. Brownlee's barber shop to visit. He would take me for drives in his car. When my grandmother Edythe Hunt came home in 1944 after serving as a nurse in England during World War II, she arrived with her arm in a sling. I couldn't wait to go and tell Mr. Brownlee that "Hitler had wounded her." She had sprained her wrist!

Thanks to all who have been in touch with comment, ideas, suggestions. Yes, we do have our "whole lives in common." 

Thomas Wolfe told us that you, and me, "can't go home to your family, back home to your childhood ... back home to places in the country, back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting all the time -- back home to the escapes of Time and Memory." Sorry Mr. Wolfe but I disagree.

Every blessing!  My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Chapleau railroaders bring honour to community winning first aid awards including national championship in 1927

A "splendid banquet" was held in the YMCA to pay tribute to four Canadian Pacific Railway employees who had demonstrated their skill in first aid which included a  national championship in 1927.
 
The Dominion (as Canada was in 1927 when they achieved their success) championship team was composed  of A.L Smith (captain), Harry Searle, R.K Smith and E.R. Moncrieff, the Chapleau Post reported. 
 
However, the team enjoyed more success in 1927 than winning the Montizambert cup and individual gold medals emblematic of the Canadian championship,  but they also won individual silver medals as runners-up in the Wallace-Nesbitt competition for the best four railroader first aiders in the Dominion, which was lost by the narrow margin of two points; the championship of Algoma district for the CPR,  and the provincial shield for the championship of the province of Ontario.
 
In winning the Algoma district championship they were assisted by V. Goldstein and Ernie Quelch.
 
Before sharing more details, I just have to comment that when I came across the story of this remarkable achievement by the Chapleau railroaders in 1927, I was totally amazed -- not because I doubted their ability, but it was another example of citizens from a small community achieving great success far beyond its borders.
 
The only team member I recall knowing was Mr. Searle who was the passenger agent at the station for many years, and World War I veteran, who became so well known as the first president of  Branch Number 5 (Ontario) of the Royal Canadian Legion, and had led the Chapleau delegation to the Legion founding convention in Winnipeg in 1925. The branch is named after Mr. Searle.
 
The Chapleau Post reported that the team's prowess had been demonstrated at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto in August 1927 at the request of the Ontario Workmen's Compensation Board and had been "highly commented upon" by officials. 
 
The Canadian championship team members were presented with gold stick pins by their friends in Chapleau, while Robert Von Goldstein was presented with a handsome briar pipe in recognition of his interest in first aid work prior to his retirement.
 
Master mechanic T. Hambly "eulogized the team for their brilliant performance and commented on the distinction they had brought to the town of Chapleau, but also to Algoma district (of the CPR)"

When team captain A.L. Smith was called upon to speak, he was interrupted before he could begin when the 100 present arose en masse singing "They are jolly good fellows" followed by three cheers and tiger. Mr. Smith expressed thanks of the team for the wonderful reception and interest in their success.
 
Dr. J.J. Sheahan spoke about the "Safety First" campaign started by the CPR, making reference to the reduction in number of accidents now occurring, adding that efficient first aid could greatly lessen the suffering involved. 
 
Mr. Searle paid tribute to Fred Wilson for the considerable time and effort he had spent on first aid work laying the excellent foundation prior to his departure from Chapleau.
 
Rev. Harold Hesketh, rector of St. John's Anglican Church, spoke about the team's achievements and the "honour which had come to the town and the steady and painstaking work necessary to become the leading first aid team in the Dominion of Canada". 
 
To wind up the the evening a musical program was presented followed by votes of thanks to the YMCA for the splendid banquet. All joined in the singing of "Auld Lang Syne" followed by the national anthem. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

 
 

Chapleau Post Office became 'show place' of town named a federal heritage building in 1990

As the Chapleau Post Office building was nearing completion in 1950, the Chapleau Post predicted it would be the "show place" of the town, adding that "it will be by far the most beautiful and modern building" in the community.
 
"The building is equipped with every modern convenience both for beauty and practicability," the newspaper reported.
 
And so it was, located downtown, at the intersection of Birch and Lorne streets, it became a major focal point of community life on a daily basis, and has been since it was opened. Originally approved before the start of World War II when the basement was started, construction was halted because of the war, and resumed in 1949.
 
On May 5, 1949, the Chapleau Post reported that a $165,000 contract had been let to the firm of Hill, Clark, Francis and that construction should begin within a few weeks. 
 
The newspaper contacted Ovide Cote, the secretary-treasurer of the Chapleau Liberal Association who said the organization had received nothing official but "he had heard unofficially that the contract had been let and he considered the report to be accurate."

 
The department of Indian Affairs office would be located on the second floor. An apartment for the custodian was also on the second floor.
 
The Post article went on to outline some of the main features of the new building which included mention that given the building's southern exposure "large windows reach to the ceiling making the room bright without the use of artificial lighting."
 
"An up-to-the-minute feature of the new building is the inside loading ramp. Mail trucks can back right into the receiving room. This will be a grand feature in the winter months or during inclement weather."
 
"Entering the building from the Birch Street entrance, a large lobby will contain the boxes of the businesses and individuals who now occupy them in the present post office. A feature of convenience in this lobby is that it is not necessary to go into the main post office to get mail out of the boxes.
 
"Large double doors lead from the lobby into the main post office and these can be locked when the post office closes, leaving the lobby open for the convenience of box holders."

 
Looking back at the Chapleau Post detailed report to its readers some sixty odd years later, it struck me how exciting it was in 1949-50 that Chapleau was getting a new post office.  I was eight years old as it was being built.
 
Fast forward now to an excellent article with drawings by Ian Macdonald, professor emeritus and retired head of the department of architecture at the University of Manitoba. Ian lived in Chapleau and attended Chapleau Public and Chapleau High schools.
 
Ian noted that "the Chapleau Federal Building was designated a recognized heritage building for its architectural and environmental significance.
 
"It is an early and particularly example of design inspired by International style and utilized by the Department of Public Works in the construction of numerous small federal buildings across the country after World War II."
 
Ian added that "the philosophy of the International style was the honest expression of structure, function and materials, as well as the elimination of superficial ornament. The building is a focal point of local activity, as well as a physical landmark due to its prominent location at the main business intersection. It is also one of only a few early structures to have survived in Chapleau."
 
It was designated in 1990 as a recognized federal heritage building by the Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office. I highly recommend that you visit the Chapleau Public Library web site and click on 'Post Office by R. Ian Macdonald' for all the complete details about this major historic site in Chapleau . My email is mj.morris@live.ca