THE HOUSE AT EATON CORNER: CHANGES AND CHALLENGES $10 Quebec

VOL 9, NO. 2 SPRING 2015 HeritageNews

Radio Days Exploring the History of English-language Radio Black History Ernest DuPorte, Rosie Douglas, and Ray Brown Industrial Landscapes Drawing Cantley’s Iron Mine QUEBEC HERITAGE NEWS

Quebec CONTENTS

eritageNews Editor’s Desk 3 H Drawing the line Rod MacLeod EDITOR RODERICK MACLEOD Letters 6 PRODUCTION Mystery solved, at long last David Gawley DAN PINESE MATTHEW FARFAN Finding a friend: another mystery Daniel Parkinson

PUBLISHER Mystery Object 6 THE QUEBEC ANGLOPHONE HERITAGE NETWORK President’s Message 7 400-257 QUEEN STREET Knowing what we need to know Simon Jacobs SHERBROOKE, QUEBEC J1M 1K7 WHA Turns 70 8 PHONE Rod Macleod 1-877-964-0409 (819) 564-9595 FAX Curator’s Handbook 9 (819) 564-6872 No cats or cakes Heather Darch CORRESPONDENCE Restoring Historic Paul Holland Knowlton House 10 [email protected] Kathryn Lexow WEBSITES WWW.QAHN.ORG WWW.QUEBECHERITAGEWEB.COM Eaton Corner Museum 11 WWW.100OBJECTS.QAHN.ORG Changes and challenges in 2015 Kevin Armstrong

PRESIDENT The Story Behind the Portrait 12 SIMON JACOBS Further F. S. Coburn intrigue Nick Fonda EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & WEBMAGAZINES EDITOR Walking Black Montreal 15 MATTHEW FARFAN The Sir George Williams Affair Ashlie Bienvenu OFFICE MANAGER KATHY TEASDALE Montreal on the Air 16 Sandra Stock Quebec Heritage News is published quarterly by QAHN with the support A Man of Many Firsts 20 of the Department of Canadian Heritage and Quebec’s Ministère de la Culture et Earnest Melville DuPorte Dorothy Williams des Communications. QAHN is a non-profit and non-partisan organization whose mis- Alfred Edwards and the Haycock Mine 21 sion is to help advance knowledge of the history and culture of the English- Wes Darou speaking communities of Quebec.

Annual Subscription Rates: Champlain’s Choice 24 Individual: $30.00; Institutional: $40.00; Joseph Graham Family: $50.00; Student: $20.00. Canada Post Publication Mail Agreement Number 405610004. Ray Brown in Quebec 26 The forgotten years Bill Young ISSN 17707-2670 PRINTED IN CANADA No Joy in Mudville 29 Review: Agony to Ecstasy: The 1994 Expos Rod MacLeod

Cover photo: Watercolour by Denis Palmer, The Village of Eaton Corner. Photo: courtesy of the Eaton Corner Museum. 2 SPRING 2015

EDITOR’S DESK Drawing the line by Rod MacLeod

fter considerable hesitation, I ed in my mind – even though it’s deucedly a “safe space” for women on campus, and I will admit that I am Charlie. hard to take a stand on some of them with- had to wrestle with my instinctive hostility Hesitation? Let me explain by out being contradictory on others. But the at being seen as a threat – until I came to saying that over the past few process has been rewarding. realize the enormity of the male world we Aweeks I’ve been musing rather obsessively Let’s start with the Montreal Mas- live in. In the days following December 6, over strip searches, offensive humour, and sacre. The reminiscences from that shock- a debate raged over whether the massacre Western Civilization. More than I usually ing day, along with the discourse on the had been just the work of a disturbed nut do, I mean. And I never quite seem able to current state of feminism, made for good if (my view, initially), or whether it reflected draw a conclusion I feel comfortable with heart-wrenching reading that took me back a broader hostility towards the achieve- and end up envying those people who pro- to a seminal period in my own intellectual ments of women (a view I came round to, nounce on recent events with table-thump- development. A grad student in December after listening to the fears and frustrations ing certainty. 1989, I was already on a fascinating learn- many women expressed). I realized that, as What a season it has been! Quite apart ing curve regarding women’s history and a man, I took an awful lot for granted. from the murderous insanity in the Middle the importance of gender in history – Flash forward a quarter-century and I East and Africa (but inevitably listen as my 17-year-old daugh- connected to it), we’ve had two ter articulates, with at least as assaults on Canadian soldiers much passion as my former fel- on their native soil, one of low grad students, the vital im- which involved an attack on portance of feminism in today’s Parliament, a hostage taking in world. I see her despair for peo- downtown Sydney, and the in- ple, especially women, who dis- famous bloody commando raid miss the term as outdated, even on a satirical magazine in Paris intolerant. I cringe at her ac- followed by a massacre of counts of trying to establish pro- shoppers at a nearby kosher su- ductive working relationships permarket. On December 6, we with young men that do not in- marked a quarter-century since volve inappropriate contact, and the “Montreal Massacre” of 14 of what men say to her in the women at the Polytechnique. In street or out of the windows of February, a fifteen-year-old girl passing cars. I read, dutifully but was forced to take her clothes with much interest, the book my off by a school principal in a manner that notions which, until then, hadn’t played daughter has given me: Sally Armstrong’s the education minister declared was “re- much of a part in my training and which Ascent of Women, full of horrific accounts spectful. ran somewhat contrary to my liberal out- of the brutal oppression and degradation of Government is also thinking of oblig- look. By that I mean that liberalism ac- women around the world, though also of ing women who do not wish to reveal their cords everyone an equal chance and does heroic efforts by women to overcome these faces at a citizenship swearing-in to do so, not censor – beliefs that feminism chal- crimes condoned (and sometimes commit- while a local judge refuses to hear a lenges when it points out that the experi- ted) in the name of religion, culture, or, that woman’s case because she was wearing a ence of women in most societies is signifi- most slimy residue of the two, honour. Atti- hijab. We have legislation to crack down cantly different from that of men, and that tudes towards rape alone underscore how on terrorism and renewed calls for a charter on a so-called level playing field men very much of a man’s world it is, in much of the of values. An outspoken Muslim preacher often have a huge advantage because of world. has been refused permission to build a cultural expectations and physical pres- Of course, we like to think that we’ve mosque in east-end Montreal. A year-end ence. Equally often, men tell dirty stories made progress in our part of the world. review show features a white actor in and make lewd remarks and do other Surely we have. Surely the cases of #Been- blackface, which many find acceptable. things that can poison a working environ- RapedNeverReported and similar ordeals, Vandals spray swastikas on cars in NDG. ment for women. To see the situation from however much they may undermine com- And that’s just as of the time of writing. No a female perspective was (and is) to ac- placency regarding women’s rights and wonder I’m awake at night! knowledge the damage that traditional freedoms, do point to a kind of progress: It’s true that I’ve lumped a lot of is- complacent attitudes can do. Some of my we can talk about it now. The fact that sues together here, but they are all connect- fellow students were campaigning to create women are speaking out, that it would

3 Photo: Rod MacLeod. QUEBEC HERITAGE NEWS seem to be harder to get away with abusive women. To me it was clearly no coinci- sion. Sigh. The producers of the show with behavior, suggests that things are better dence that the criminals’ fall-back attack the actor in blackface refuse to accept re- than they were a quarter-century ago, let was on a kosher grocery and that the vic- peated complaints from Black (and other) alone three or four centuries ago. At any tims were Jews, any more than it was a co- Montrealers that such material is deeply of- rate, we’re miles better than large parts of incidence that all the victims at the Poly- fensive. They invoke freedom of speech: the world where people value their own technique were women. Curiously, though, art is supposed to make you uncomfort- honour above the safety, let alone the hap- the 1989 voices denying that the massacre able, they say, although the argument piness, of their children. When you’d rather was partly the result of broader social prob- sounds like an excuse when it is uttered in see your daughter dead than bring shame lems were mainstream liberals uncomfort- defence of actions that seem wilfully in- on your family, you have a serious prob- able with putting the blame on anyone but sensitive. lem. You also have a serious problem if the lone gunman. Today, it is typically the The same is true, alas, for Charlie you condone the death of someone who in- people defending freedom of speech to the Hebdo. When I got around to looking at sults your faith. Several times now in re- hilt (a classic liberal position) who are the their typical output (if you haven’t yet, I’d cent years, we’ve witnessed the spectacle readiest to identify a social problem, name- advise against doing so), I was taken aback of violent protests leading to dozens of ly Islamic fundamentalism. Or, if you push by how crude and tasteless it was, some- deaths over depictions in Western media of many of them, Islam. There is a growing thing I’d expect to find on the men’s room Muhammad. In itself, such violence can be tendency in the West to paint Islam as the wall or on the pages of high school boys’ attributed to mass hysteria, akin to whatev- enemy, denigrating a religion that 1,000 notebooks. Charlie, apparently, loves to of- er motivates soccer hooligans to riot when years ago (during the “Caliphate” ISIS fend. Muhammad is a frequent target, as their team has been disgraced. Until, that seems so perversely bent on recreating) the offence quotient is invariably high, but is, armed thugs deliberately break into a was a whole lot more open and tolerant all kinds of ethnic groups are also lam- magazine office and murder the authors of than any corner of Christianity, and that is pooned, mercilessly. It is difficult to see some of these depictions. still embraced by millions of decent and what great social benefit comes out of the The right to express oneself, in word accepting people today. All kinds of politi- lines they draw, unless it is to test our toler- or image, is obviously nowhere on the cal forces are lining up behind freedom of ance for the noxious. Unfortunately, the fa- radar of those who cannot tolerate offense. speech (the ultimate good) as a bulwark natics who gunned down much of the In response to the massacre at the Charlie against Islam, which supposedly denies it. Charlie Hebdo staff had no tolerance at all. Hebdo offices, political leaders from It has been a long time since freedom of Since then, a great many people have ex- around the world gathered in Paris to de- speech has been held in such esteem – al- pressed, if not sympathy for the gunmen, at nounce fanaticism and support freedom of though, ironically, its strongest proponents least an understanding of what provoked speech. It was a moving spectacle, even are often willing to sacrifice freedoms for them. Such an attitude is unconscionable if though some of those leaders condoned all greater security. Even more ironically, fem- it accompanies a conviction that Charlie kinds of repression in their own countries, inism is now being used in the battle somehow “asked for it,” the way that rape including many Western nations where one against Islam, which supposedly denies it victims apparently “ask for it.” However, can be arrested for saying certain things. as well. Anything to paint our current the suggestion that the artists of Charlie Also moving was the determination of peo- dilemma as a clash of civilizations. Hebdo should have respected repeated re- ple everywhere to purchase the next copy Thinking about all of this set off alarm quests by Muslims not to depict the of Charlie Hebdo, to the point where tens bells as I contemplated my endorsement of prophet, and especially not so vulgarly, is a of thousands were quickly sold out. Not intellectual freedom in the wake of the valid one – except that in the current cli- only did I intend to buy my own copy on Paris attacks. Did I want to side with those mate one cannot suggest this without being principle (much as I rushed to purchase who seemed to be invoking freedom of branded a friend of terrorism. But if we’re The Satanic Verses in 1989) but I seriously speech in order to speak ill of our fellow going to criticise theatrical and television considered reproducing the offending im- citizens? If you were to translate much of producers for not “getting it” when Blacks age in the Quebec Heritage News. “Edi- the anti-Islamic invective floating about in- say that blackface is offensive, should we tors of the world unite! You have nothing to sexist or racist terms, it would shock. not criticise Charlie Hebdo and other car- to lose but…” Well, I guess you could get Feminism has shown that words and im- toonists for not “getting it” when Muslims gunned down, but that’s a small price to ages can hurt: offensive jokes and inappro- say that the depiction of Muhammad is of- pay for intellectual freedom, isn’t it? Pub- priate behaviour can inhibit women from fensive? Aren’t we at least trying to get lications that opted not to reproduce these functioning in public and in the workplace, along? images were often jeered at by the coura- while pornography impedes rational social If the only option is absolute freedom geous ones that did. and sexual interaction. It isn’t a crime to of speech, then we are obliged to put up Yes. Well. Maybe. Actually, hang on a tell an off-colour joke, but somehow we’ve with a heck of a lot. People denying the moment. managed to train ourselves not to put up Holocaust. People claiming that certain As the discourse went on, a familiar with it. The problem certainly hasn’t gone races are inherently superior to others. debate emerged over whether the perpetra- away, but when did you last hear a sexist People arguing that homosexuality is tors of the massacre were isolated fanatics joke uttered in polite, mixed company? against God’s law. People writing songs or whether they represented a deeper For that matter, when did you last see about raping women. Do we want that? If malaise, in this case “Islamism,” with its racially offensive material? Oh, right: on we agree that everyone can be as obnox- inherent antisemitism and oppression of the stage in Montreal, and on local televi- ious as they like without legal ramifica-

4 SPRING 2015 tions, are we not undoing several decades others. If none of that works and we are left mere moral outrage from serious concern of progressive achievements in gender and feeling offended, so be it. for the status of women and minority race relations? If we abandon standards of Take for example the image I chose in rights, where does one draw the line? I’d conduct, are we not effectively giving the the end to accompany this article. Some of be inclined to say incitement to violence: to floor to whomever talks the loudest? Per- you will recognize it as “Pierre Elliott hold a prejudiced view of an individual or haps I’m being unfair by assuming that Trudeau’s Famous Finger,” by Serge Chap- group is a personal matter, but to stand up people only do good when the law compels leau, drawn in about 1980 in reference to and call for that person’s or group’s perse- them to. It’s nicer to think that most of us the prime minister’s petulant response to cution is criminal. But what exactly consti- refrain from murder because we value hu- some anti-French hecklers. Maybe you tutes a call to violence is often unclear. If a man life, not because there is a command- found it offensive when he did this. Maybe group has suffered unspeakable violence in ment to that effect and a police force ready you approved of the gesture but found the the past accompanied by slurs and insults, to apprehend us. It may be that we don’t caricature grotesque and disrespectful of then the reiteration of said slurs and insults need any kind of hate crime legislation be- our nation’s leader. Maybe you are feeling may likely imply a resumption of the vio- cause the vast majority of us will not get up a degree of outrage now, even though the lence, even if a call to violence was not on soapboxes and spout racist inanities nor gesture is a part of our history and the im- overtly stated. In 1913, several Montreal listen to those who do. Or maybe we Jews brought a lawsuit against notary can just get around the problem by forc- Jacques-Édouard Plamondon, who had ing the fanatics to move along or to given a whacko speech about Jews and zone them out of the way as we did to the blood libel that had led to riots and that firebrand imam wanting to build a the smashing of Jewish shop fronts, al- mosque in an east-end Montreal neigh- though Plamondon had not specifically bourhood. Or maybe if there is no legal advocated this. Could one argue that the way to silence someone whose views actions of Charlie Hebdo were not so far we dislike we’d be justified in using vi- removed from this sort of indirect incite- olence… Oh dear. ment to violence? That is to say, they I think a helpful way to approach knew from past experience that publish- this problem is to ask ourselves whether ing drawings of the prophet typically we can live with a particular offence. It leads to protest and often death, yet they used to be that all kinds of words were continued to draw. It would, of course, be illegal, meaning that you could be ar- ridiculous to blame the Charlie artists for rested for saying or writing them – but the deaths of rioters, any more than soc- now the worst that will happen is that cer players should be blamed for losing your words may get bleeped on televi- games when there is precedent for fans ri- sion or your film will receive an R rat- oting. Still, something about those draw- ing. Not so long ago, homosexuality ings smacks so much of willful provoca- was a crime; now we tend to be open tion that it is hard not to consider the con- about it, at least to a degree that would nection. Evidently, drawing that line is a have been shocking even a generation complicated business. ago. Now we’re inclined to say, if you At the end of the day, the bottom line don’t like to hear coarse language don’t is that the Charlie Hebdo artists did not watch certain shows or movies, if you’re age is part of a prestigious museum collec- deserve to be gunned down. It doesn’t mat- offended by homosexuality, or by breast- tion. Maybe you think the Quebec Her- ter a whit if I find their work obnoxious feeding in public, or by women in short itage News should be above depicting this and juvenile, or even if millions were of- dresses, perhaps you should just look the sort of thing. You might write a letter to the fended; the answer to something you don’t other way. It may be a tall order, but per- editor (please do) or cancel your subscrip- agree with is not murder. Anyone who haps Muslims who are offended by car- tion (please don’t). But whatever your re- writes or draws or composes, or values the toonists depicting Muhammad should just action, I’d put money down that you aren’t work of those that do, should be horrified ignore what they don’t like; if you believe about to go on a murderous rampage in and outraged by this attack. We are all vul- something is blasphemous, then leave the protest. OK, I’m not saying that Trudeau is nerable – and if the clash of civilizations blasphemers to their fate. Or engage them up there with Muhammad when it comes continues, as I fear that it will, and modera- in respectful debate, the way opponents of to a sacred figure whose slander can be ex- tion provokes suspicion on both sides, the the use of blackface do. Indeed, the more pected to cause offense – but as an exercise range of targets will only increase. Today, discussion the better; information and edu- in assessing one’s capacity for offensive- Charlie Hebdo. Tomorrow…? cation have a wonderful way of dispelling ness Chapleau’s image is telling, I think. Maybe it would be safer if I pulled prejudice based on unquestioned tradition In recent decades, most of us have gotten this column. Oops, too late. or moral indignation. No doubt we could quite good at recognizing moral outrage for all benefit from a greater appreciation for what it is, and dismissing it – maybe after a why we react to what we hear the way we valium. do and how what we say is perceived by But when it comes to distinguishing

5 Serge Chapleau, “Pierre Elliott Trudeau's Famous Finger,” 1980. McCord Museum M998.51.1. QUEBEC HERITAGE NEWS Letters Finding a friend: another mystery Here is a short follow–up to my story Skiing to Grandma’s (Quebec Heritage News, Winter 2015). In her February 13 diary entry, Clair had written that at noon hour, “a friend of mine died” and that his funeral would be on Saturday. Her actual wording was a little puzzling and I assumed that she was referring to the death of a child. However, I could not find anything in the Drouin Index about a death at Waterville or area on that date. Jim Knutson, who has been responsible for Greenwood Cemetery at Waterville for many years, was curious about this reference to Clair’s “friend” and checked the Sherbrooke Record micro file. In the February 14, 1936, issue, it was reported that James Riches Moy, age 81, had died on February 13. He is buried in Greenwood with his wife, Cynthia Gilkerson. At first, I was puzzled that a little girl would refer to an elderly man as “my friend.” I began to think about what I knew about Mr. Moy. He had Mystery solved, at long last been a foreman at the Dominion Snath Factory in Waterville and his son-in- law Bert Ryder was a cabinet maker there. Both men were friends of my In the Winter 2012 edition of Quebec Heritage News, there is a mystery (and Clair’s) Aunt Bertha Parkinson; she was the office manager and treas- photo which you may already have identified. urer at “the Snath.” I am told by Stan Smaill, that the station appears to be at Richford, As I write this note, I am seated at a small desk and I remember being Vermont. The building was reduced to one story when the location told that it was made for Aunt Bertha by Mr. Moy. ceased to be an office for the local railroad. In a recent phone chat with Clair, she remembered Mr. Moy as a kind, older gentleman. So the mystery is solved. James Moy was a family friend David Gawley and one who was appreciated by eleven-year-old Clair. His death and funer- Westmount, Qc. al were of import to her and she included this in her daily journal.

Our thanks to David Gawley for shedding light on this mystery photo. Daniel B. Parkinson No, we hadn’t a clue. Toronto, On.

Mystery object

Jim Caputo found this item in the Gaspé last summer. He had never seen one before. The Gallop Group Any ideas? Send them to [email protected]. Personalized Investment Management

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Member Membre

6 SPRING 2015

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Knowing what we need to know Recently, we seem to have It would be crucial to have input from our members, identifying been running from one emer- local work that may have been undertaken but that is not widely gency to another, like heritage known outside the area. These inventories may already be avail- firemen, trying to save yet an- able on the web, or on a local hard drive, or on paper, but not other piece of Quebec’s past easily accessible, with information stored in different formats from the wrecking ball, and and databases. these emergencies seem to be in- We shall soon be sending our members a questionnaire to creasing at an alarming rate. find out where you stand on this issue and how you can help QAHN has written letters of contribute to any potential project. It will initially be sent out by support for the people and or- email, so please do fill it out and send it back when you receive ganizations on the front line of it. preservation, but we need to be I hope to see you all at QAHN’s annual convention, to be proactive when it comes to held this year on June 5 and 6 in St. Andrew’s East / Carillon / tracking heritage issues. This Cushing / Sainte-Marthe. Please don't forget to return the regis- preparatory work should be undertaken now. If we are able to tration forms as soon as possible. identify buildings and intangible heritage now, then maybe we can respond to changes before it is too late. In the past, different inventories of historic buildings and All the best, places have been undertaken, but they have not been central- ized. One of the first things to undertake would be to create an Simon Jacobs inventory of inventories and locate the gaps in our knowledge. President, QAHN

INVITATION SECOND ANNUAL MONTREAL WINE & CHEESE APRIL 23, 2015

The Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN) cordially invites you to its 2nd Annual Montreal Wine & Cheese!

Hosted by QAHN’s Montreal Committee, this informal get-together will be a wonderful chance to exchange ideas about the challenges currently facing the heritage community in Quebec, to explore one of our city’s great gems – the Centre d’histoire de Montréal, and to help QAHN celebrate an important milestone – its 15th anniversary!

We look forward to seeing you!

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER: Dinu Bumbaru of Heritage Montreal.

WHEN: Thursday, April 23, 2015, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. WHERE: Centre d'histoire de Montréal, 335 Place d'Youville, Montreal, Qc. RSVP (before April 15): [email protected], or call toll free 1-877-964-0409.

7 QUEBEC HERITAGE NEWS WHA turns 70

love birthday parties. On December 11, I had the pleasure of attending the Westmount Historical Associa- tion’s 70th, held in the Art Gallery Iat Victoria Hall. The WHA is one of the province’s oldest historical societies, and has the distinction of having helped launch Canadian Heritage of Quebec, which owns the Hurtubise house in Westmount and now many other key heritage properties. I enjoyed sharing birthday cake with local MNA Jacques Chagnon, city councillor Theodora Samiotis, and many other new acquaintances. Best of all was reuniting with old friends, including for- mer QAHN board members Betty Lemaistre, David Freeman, Mark Boun- ty, and, of course, Doreen Lindsay, cur- rent WHA president (pictured, at right). I also touched base with Gary tory of this prestigious institution. Last looking forward to our next chat. The Aitken, whom I had first heard speak on week, I was shocked to hear of Gary’s QHN has lost a writer, and Quebec has the history of the Grace Dart Extended sudden death. I make no claims to have lost a dedicated researcher into an im- Care Centre in January 2013, and who known him well, but I enjoyed all of our portant corner of our history. agreed to let the Quebec Heritage News conversations, appreciating his engaging publish a condensed version of his his- and self-effacing manner. I had been – Rod MacLeod

8 Doreen Lindsay welcomes WHA birthday guests at Victoria Hall, December 11, 2014. Photo: courtesy of the Westmount Historical Association. SPRING 2015

CURATOR’S HANDBOOK No Cats or Cakes The importance of collections management policies by Heather Darch

hen a desiccated cat was Make reference to the policy in oth- artefacts will be purchased, or accepted set on my desk as a poten- er projects, use it often and keep it up- as temporary loans, or obtained through tial donation to augment dated. a “donations only” rule, and determining the Loyalist collection (it A good policy will set guidelines for who in fact will be making the decisions was,W after all, found between the walls record keeping and documentation too, regarding acquisitions, are necessary for of a Loyalist house, thereby making it a and it will help you define the regula- good stewardship. “Loyalist cat”), a fine piece of paper- tions regarding loans both incoming and In the same manner, the criteria for work called the “collections manage- outgoing. Not only that, this “museum deaccessioning an object (that is, elimi- ment policy” allowed me to respectfully bible” will say who can gain access to nating an object from your collection in decline said cat in the box. collections while ensuring their safety. an ethical manner) must also be speci- What should a history museum fied. collect? If you work in a small muse- Historical collecting is hard. Un- um you are likely faced with this derstanding your local and regional question almost every day. Sometimes history will help define your collecting just saying no to a potential donor area as well as its time frame. Being seems impossible, so objects can mindful of an object’s relevance to a come into the collection that really collection and how it represents signif- shouldn't be there at all. If you have icant events, noteworthy individuals, trouble deciding what to accept or re- or the community as a whole, will ject it could be because you haven’t serve to define it. set down on paper the list of limita- Our collections are held in public tions and guiding rules for your muse- trust and so we are obliged to uphold um. ethical, legal and professional stan- All museums and archives need a dards. A collections management poli- comprehensive and clear collections cy will help a museum fulfill its re- management policy and it must be the sponsibilities of maintaining a well- core document to support the mission managed and organized collection. and purpose of each organization. Not Remember that even if you write a to have one is a serious mistake. policy it's worthless if it's ignored. The formal definition states that a The “Loyalist cat” (Rest in Peace) collections management policy is a set was not accepted as an object. The of rules that document t “ick” factor aside, it would have no he standards and practices neces- use in the education program, its his- sary to develop, care for, and make Back in the 1970s, when this decayed and undocument- torical relevance was thin at best, and available for use, the artefacts within an ed wedding cake was accepted into the permanent col- its conservation and condition require- institution's care. In other words, it’s a lection of the Missisquoi Museum, the museum had not ments and exhibition capabilities were yet adopted a working collections management policy. document that defines the scope of the not supported by our collections man- museum's collection and explains the agement policy. management roles of those responsible In a sense, a collections manage- for its security and conservation. ment policy states what your museum Anyone working with a museum will do and what it won’t do when it Heather Darch is curator of the Mis- collection should know about the policy comes to its objects. sisquoi Museum, a past director of the and must have a clear understanding of The policy upholds ethical behav- Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network what ought to be collected. You don't iour and it guarantees that the museum (QAHN) and a heritage consultant have to memorize it, but keep it handy. will acquire artefacts only if it has ade- whose recent assignments include co- In QAHN's Security for Heritage work- quate resources – human and financial managing QAHN’s Security for Her- shops held throughout Quebec last year, resources, as well as procedures to docu- itage, Outreach and Workshop Initiative experts in the museum field stressed re- ment, store, research, exhibit and inter- (SHOWI). peatedly the importance of having a pret the items being considered. working collections management policy The mode of acquisition is an essen- fully supported by the museum’s board. tial element to a policy. Determining if

9 Wedding Cake. Missisquoi Museum Collections, C597. Photo: Heather Darch. QUEBEC HERITAGE NEWS

RESTORING HISTORIC PAUL HOLLAND KNOWLTON HOUSE by Kathryn Lexow

he Knowltons of Newfane, Vermont, played a signifi- cant role in the history of the early Townships. Archi- tecturally, as one of the oldest log buildings in the Eastern Townships, the 200-year old house of the founderT of the village of Knowlton is undergoing restoration. It will showcase pioneer living of the early nineteenth century and the life of Paul Holland Knowlton, who purchased the cabin for his home in 1815. Regarding the questions of when the log cabin was built, and who actually built it, the report by Cyrus Thomas, published in 1866 in Contributions to the History of the Eastern Town- ships, states: “About 1809, a man named Mills commenced clearing on the lot now owned by Mr. (Christopher) Dunkin. In the same year Captain Ezekiel Knowlton settled on the lot now owned in part by Captain James Ball. In the following year, he tion Committee of the BCHS. The next phases of restoration purchased the land and improvements [usually means buildings] will be carefully executed with the appropriate materials and of Mills, and was proprietor of the lot till 1815, when he sold it techniques. to P. H. [Paul Holland] Knowlton, afterward colonel.’’ The original construction methods, which can be found on In October 2014, the house was moved 1.5 kilometres from the house, include mortise and tenon joints for the roof rafters, its original site to the grounds of the Brome County Historical dowels to secure the roof to the second floor beams, marks Society Museum (BCHS), in Knowlton. The first phase of the characteristic of a system of joinery for hewn timbers known as project included the excavation and construction of a new foun- ‘scribe rule,’ marks of an adze on hand-hewn beams, and marks dation, made possible mostly through pledges from local con- of an upright saw or sash saw. tractors. Once the house was installed on the foundation, a re- It has been heartwarming to see the care with which this stored roof was constructed using old rafters, planks of the phase of the project has been executed by the community. In period and cedar shingles. The gable ends include windows of February 2015, the Town of Brome Lake generously awarded red cedar which were fabricated locally according to the origi- $25,000 towards materials and labour for the restoration. nal design. We are most appreciative of all the contractors, suppliers According to the available funds, the restoration is being and donors who have kept the project going. In the spring, more handled in phases and in keeping with the log home’s old charm financial help is needed to continue the successful restoration of and character. The building boasts original sixteen inch logs, the original log walls, the floors, the stairs to the second floor timbers and flooring, which have been evaluated by a Restora- (the sleeping loft), the chimney, hearth and cooking area, and the external stonework on the foundation walls. The goal is to complete the restoration for July 2015, in or- der to celebrate 200 years since the arrival of Paul Holland Knowlton to the shores of Brome Lake. To contribute to this project, please make cheques payable to the Brome County Historical Society, indicating “PHK House’” on the memo line. Tax receipts are issued for donations of $25 or more. Please include your full name, address, tele- phone number and email, and send donation to BCHS, 130 Chemin Lakeside, Knowlton, QC J0E 1V0.

Kathryn Lexow is a member of the Paul Holland Knowlton House Committee, a director of the Brome County Historical Society, and a member of QAHN’s Communications Committee. For more information, contact [email protected]. Or visit the BCHS’s website at: bromemuseum.com.

Top: PHK house’s new foundations on the BCHS site. 10 Bottom: Lowering the PHK house onto the new foundations at the BCHS site. Photos: Kathryn Lexow. SPRING 2015

EATON CORNER MUSEUM Changes and challenges in 2015 by Kevin Armstrong

ast year was an eventful one for the Eaton Corner Mu- in 2008. seum. The museum installed its new permanent exhib- A number of challenges are anticipated this year, several of it, “A Tale of the Townships,” which tells the history which are common to groups operating heritage sites. Since the of the Townships through various artefacts from its Eaton Corner Museum does not receive regular operational collections.L On display are arrowheads and other tools used by funding, securing adequate funding is a challenge addressed the native peoples in the region prior to European settlement, as largely through fundraising and sponsorship. Storage space and well as tools used by early the proper treatment of arte- settlers, such as a haystack facts are also concerns. cap (to keep hay dry) from “Since the develop- 1889. Photographs of rail- ment of our new permanent way workers capture a time exhibit, which relegated when trains sparked the re- many objects to our reserve gion's economic and cultural collection, we need more life, and family bibles show space for the museum’s col- how heirlooms passed down lections with access for re- through the generations con- search and the creation of nected family members temporary exhibits,” says across time and space. To Jacqueline Hyman, one of accompany this interesting the museum’s directors. new exhibit, the museum “We also have some large hosted a wide range of agricultural equipment events, fundraisers, and which will deteriorate sig- workshops, and launched a nificantly if we don’t find new website: www.Eaton better storage facilities. In Corner.ca. fact, we are not encouraging the donation of artefacts this year, 2015 promises to be just as busy. Renovations to the Foss until we have the space and means to care for them properly.” House will continue, transforming it into a reception area and a Presently, the organization is comprised mainly of volun- multipurpose display and meeting place. The Foss House, con- teers, including its board of directors, and the amount of work structed in the 1820s by Joshua Foss, an early settler from New that has to be done by a relatively small group of people can be England, is one of the oldest homes in the area. It is as an excel- overwhelming. Attracting younger people has become a priority, lent example of a colonial Cape Cod-style home. Acquired by both in terms of clientele and in regard to practical involvement the museum in 2012, it will be used to host temporary exhibits, at the museum itself. the first of which will be of original artworks by local artist Of particular note is the museum's commitment to connect- Denis Palmer, renowned for his skill at capturing rural lifestyles ing to the Francophone community. Over its 50-year history, it and homes in his paintings (see cover). Palmer’s work will be has been largely an Anglophone organization. Today, several available for purchase. Other temporary exhibitions will follow Francophones hold positions on the board of directors. throughout the year. Other projects at the museum are tentative, “We believe the future of the museum and its mission to and will be contingent on funding. Pending a grant from the preserve and tell the story of the history of our area will depend Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ), the on gaining the interest and support of the entire community,” digitization of existing collections will continue, making photo- Hyman says. “There is definitely an interest in local history, graphs readily available to the public for display and research – which belongs to everyone. That being said, it is still a chal- an increasingly important resource in the digital age. Pending lenge to connect with the Francophone community. We still funding from Canada Economic Development, the refurbishing have a long way to go even with practical issues of translation of the Alger House will also begin in 2015, in partnership with and communication, and of creating ties with Francophone in- the town of Cookshire-Eaton. The plan is to transform the space stitutions.” into a cultural and heritage space for the community. The Alger House is another example of Cape Cod-style architecture. It was Kevin Armstrong, a student in public history at Bishop’s constructed around 1855 by Asa Alger, whose family was University, interned with QAHN in 2014. among the first in the region. It was acquired by the museum Symmes Haystack Cap, 1889. Eaton Corner Museum. 11 Photo: Charles Bury. QUEBEC HERITAGE NEWS

THE STORY BEHIND THE PORTRAIT Further F. S. Coburn intrigue by Nick Fonda “You must drop by,” said the dapperly spirit. ably, was done after the subject’s death. dressed gentleman, whose most notice- It was an interesting painting, not in It’s a well-documented painting – an item- able characteristics were a ready laugh the least because it had been signed by ized bill and a handwritten letter from the and a twinkle in his eyes that, in a young Coburn not once but twice. The signature artist exist, along with carbon copies of boy, might have suggested a penchant for in the bottom left corner is followed by letters to Coburn about the painting – but mischief. the date, 1913, and is so close in tone to the documentation leaves a perplexing He was one of a dozen or more peo- its background that it has to be looked for question in its wake. ple who’d turned out on a winter after- to be found. The signature on the top right The subject of the painting, Francis noon for a reading and book signing at corner is not dated and is rendered in Gilbert Gale Junior (1894–1912) was the Black Cat Books in Lennoxville. He’d ap- bright red. second and favoured son of a prominent peared, introduced himself, announced The second signature was added in Townships family who died very sudden- that he couldn’t stay but did want a signed 1946 when the painting had gone to ly of spinal meningitis at the age of 17. copy of Hanging Fred and a Few Oth- The Gales could trace their family’s ers, and disappeared almost as quickly as presence in North America back to 1640, he’d appeared, though not before elicit- and in the Townships back to the late ing a promise from me to drop by the 1820s when George Gale, the grandfather next time I was in Sherbrooke. of the young man in the painting, as an “I have a painting I know you’ll infant, moved from Williamstown, Ver- want to see,” he said, winked, and was mont, to Stanstead, Quebec. George Gale gone. would train as a millwright in Vermont, A month later, curious, but also anx- and rush to California in 1849 to search ious to acquit myself of a promise made, for gold, but eventually he settled in I knocked at his door and was ushered Stanstead, where he farmed but also into a comfortable, spacious room, lined worked as a contractor and became noted with bookshelves and – both discrete and as a bridge builder. elegant; not so much commanding the George Gale fathered two surviving room as gracing it – a portrait. children: Adelbert in 1854 and, the fol- For a fleeting second, I thought it lowing year, Francis Gilbert Gale was of Frederick Simpson Coburn (1871 (1855–1927), the father of the young man – 1960), because there was a vague re- in the portrait. Francis Gilbert Gale grew semblance between the young man in up on the family farm in Stanstead, later the portrait and a photo of an equally attended school in East Hatley, and went young Fred Coburn familiar to anyone on to graduate from Dartmouth College who has seen Evelyn Coburn’s F. S. in New Hampshire. By the time he was Coburn, Beyond the Landscape. 25, he had invented a new bed spring (he “Meet Francis,” said my host. would go on to patent at least two de- Of course, the portrait was by Freder- Gale’s heir and there was question of the signs) and had joined with his brother and ick Coburn and not of the Melbourne painting being reduced in size. Coburn his father in moving a small bed manufac- artist. It was a portrait that drew me in, was asked to re-sign it, but placed his sec- turing shop from Stanstead to Waterville. and that, when I finally turned away, ond signature as close to the edge of the George Gale and Sons grew into a compa- somehow called me back for another, painting as the first, so that the painting ny that employed some 300 souls, made closer look. It was a relatively large can- was no easier to alter in size without los- bedsprings, mattresses and brass bed vas, approximately 30 by 40 inches and ing the signature and therefore consider- frames, and operated internationally with hung vertically. The portrait, not very able monetary value. Did Coburn do this a branch office in Birmingham, England. much smaller than life size, was a sympa- intentionally? Was he asked to re-sign the Francis Gilbert was chairman of the thetic rendering of a young man of maybe painting without being told why, leading Protestant School Board, of the board of 16, or maybe 20, who looked out with a him to assume that the request came be- trustees of the United Church, and mayor steady, self-confident gaze and a half- cause the first signature is so hard to no- of Waterville. smile on his lips that somehow conveyed tice? Bright red would solve that problem. Francis Gilbert Gale was 16 years seriousness and serenity while simultane- The painting’s history is as interest- older than Frederick Coburn, and would ously suggesting an adventurous, carefree ing as the painting itself, which, remark- have heard of the young artist while Portrait of Francis Gilbert Gale Jr. Photo: Nick Fonda. 12 SPRING 2015

Coburn was still a student at St. Francis a subject who could no longer sit for him. work.” But the letter also complains about College in Richmond. Gale was related by But there was a death mask, and there the frame: “Besides, we cannot make the marriage to the Wakefield family of Mel- were photographs. More significant, Frame fit well at the corners.” bourne Ridge, and the train ride from Wa- Coburn knew Francis Junior, would have Did it take time to sort out whatever terville to Richmond was a matter of little seen him and remembered him as an in- problems were posed by the frame that more than an hour or so. Coburn’s name fant, a child, a high school graduate. Gale held the portrait? It’s hard to imagine that was already known, specifically for hav- had no doubt that the artist was up to the a frame could pose much of a problem for ing won a prize for calligraphy. The por- task. He wrote, “F. S. Coburn, the Artist either man. Still, the bill that Coburn fi- trait’s documentation includes a prime ex- who is painting a portrait of him, had no nally sent Francis Gale is dated October ample of that calligraphy: a letter from difficulty in tracing the strong similarity, 15, 1914. It’s true that much happened Coburn (then in New York) to Gale asking not only of the physical features, but the within that time: World War I broke out for $10 for “a portrait of a little child” dat- expression of countenance, in the photo- and Coburn’s father passed away. Still, ed July 13, 1893. Although he was not an graphs of distant cousins and himself.” the Gales would have had the painting in art collector, Francis Gilbert Gale had four When exactly did Gale write those their home for over a year before paying canvasses by Coburn in his manorial words? Did he compose and compile In for it. They did, however pay promptly; house in Waterville, Loch Gael. It’s worth Memoriam in the fall of 1912, in the underneath, in different coloured ink, is noting as well that both Francis Gale and months immediately following the funer- written, payment received, Oct. 19 and Frederick Coburn were the grandsons of al? The booklet, besides Gale’s own re- signed F. S. Coburn. men who’d come to the Townships from flections, consists of the eulogies deliv- It’s interesting to see that Coburn the New England states in the early nine- ered at the funeral by three different cler- charged $200 for the portrait, and $18 for teenth century. Gale’s grandson (my host) gymen, letters from people who’d played the contentious frame. It’s never easy to remembers them as friends. a role in his son’s short life, and a few convert the value of money over time, but Francis Gilbert Gale was 57 when his samples of his son’s writings. as a point of reference, in 1913, it cost one second son, Francis Gilbert Gale Junior, The portrait’s documentation in- cent to mail a letter while today it costs a suddenly died of spinal meningitis. Gale cludes a curious bit of correspondence re- dollar (plus tax). was devastated by the loss. Francis Junior lating to Coburn’s painting in the form of What’s truly intriguing is the other had been an up-and-coming young man of carbon copies of three letters Gale sent to item on the bill: marble bust, $250; a exceptional potential. He was 17 years Coburn. pedestal and an inscribed marble base, old, about to enter McGill, already being On June 30, 1913, almost a year after adding $11 to the cost. primed to eventually take over the family his son’s sudden death, Gale wrote: “Mrs. Clearly Coburn delivered a marble business. His death was mourned by a Gale and myself will go down to see the bust of Francis Junior to the Gales. A bust wide community. The Montreal Herald, painting and bust of Francis to-morrow (or a plaster of paris cast) is mentioned in the Sherbrooke Record, and the Coaticook afternoon. I suppose we arrive at Rich- the correspondence which suggests that it Observer reported on the funeral. In the mond about four o’clock... I note all your was with Coburn no less than the portrait. words of the Observer, it was “one of the remarks regarding the painting and shall But did F.S. Coburn really make the bust? largest and most beautiful recorded in the be glad to see it.” There is no other reference so far discov- history of Waterville.” The same newspa- Ten days later, on July 9, Gale wrote, ered of Coburn doing any sculpting. Did per noted, “Among those present from “I think Mrs. Gale and myself would go Coburn, in fact, turn his hand to sculpture a distance were: F.S. Coburn, Mel- down to see the painting of Francis, if you in this one, single instance as a favour to a bourne...” notify us when you are ready for us to bereaved friend? Or did he act as an inter- F. G. Gale would sell his factory two come... Not only is there the disadvantage mediary between the Gales and a sculptor years later and end his days raising prize of the situation in which you are painting friend, such as George Hill? Jerseys. But in the immediate aftermath of his picture but we, as well have to become These questions, frustrating as they his son’s death he sought to memorialize accustomed to looking at Francis in an oil may be, only serve to make the portrait of his son. One of the things he did was ask painting... I hope you have got the plaster Francis Gilbert Gale Junior – a remark- his friend, Coburn, to paint a portrait of of paris cast of Francis that I saw last ably well-documented portrait by a great Francis Junior. Another was to write. The fall.” Canadian artist – that much more fascinat- result is a hard-cover, 56-page booklet en- While those two letters are addressed ing. As I look at the portrait one last time, titled In Memoriam. The booklet was pri- to Coburn in Upper Melbourne, the third the Mona Lisa smile that plays on the lips vately done: no date, no publisher, no letter is addressed to him in Antwerp, Bel- of the long-departed Francis seems to take printer. On the first page is a photograph gium, and is dated seven months earlier, on yet another allure. of Francis Gilbert Gale Junior in a high January 21, 1913. Gale mentions a bust, starched collar and a tie, looking like a as he had in the other letters: “I am glad precociously young business executive. to learn that the Marble Bust of Francis is Nick Fonda is a past president of the On the last page are a dozen words found so good... Probably it would be best to Richmond County Historical Society and in his journal: “Where’er the voice of bring the marble Bust over when you the author of several books about the Duty calls / The sons of Honor follow and come in the Spring.” He also mentions the eastern Townships, including the recent obey.” painting: “We like Francis’ Painting very Hanging Fred and a Few Others: Painters Coburn had the challenge of painting much and consider it a fine piece of of the Eastern Townships.

13 QUEBEC HERITAGE NEWS

Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN) 2015 CONVENTION & AGM June 5-6, 2015 Lower Ottawa River Valley St. Andrew’s East, Carillon, Cushing & Sainte-Marthe, Quebec Chute-à-Blondeau, Ontario

Explore this fascinating corner of Quebec

At the crossroads of two provinces

Beautiful villages, splendid landscapes, a magnificent river

Steeped in history...

Join us!

For complete program & registration information, call toll free (877) 964-0409; or email us at [email protected].

14 SPRING 2015

WALKING BLACK MONTREAL THE SIR GEORGE WILLIAMS AFFAIR by Ashlie Bienvenu

alking in the heart of arships and had to leave the country. failed to achieve their objective. Never- downtown Montreal, it is The Black community was divided theless, the Sir George Williams Affair, difficult not to come over the students' actions, but the event one of the largest student riots in Cana- across some building be- was a catalyst for many students to be- dian history, forced the university to re- Wlonging to Concordia University. How- come politically engaged. One of the evaluate its system for dealing with ever, before Concordia even existed, the student protestors, Roosevelt “Rosie” racism and student complaints. Henry F. Hall building was part of Sir Douglas, was accused of being the ring- Dr. Clarence Bayne, now a John George Williams University. It was at leader and spent two years in prison be- Molson School of Business professor, this site, between 1968 and 1969, that was teaching during the time of the riot. the university was forced to confront the He explained that while the injustice of reality of racism within its institution the hearings did not, in the short term, due to the Sir George Williams Affair. lead to anything, it allowed for the Also known as the Anderson Affair, school to change the way it dealt with the Sir George Williams Riot, or the student complaints. Consequently, there Computer Riot, this demonstration is now a process in place for multiple stemmed back to April 1968. Six hearings if students are not satisfied with Caribbean students at Sir George the verdicts. Concordia's new student Williams filed a complaint against their adjudication process became a model for biology professor, Perry Anderson, for other higher learning institutions across distributing unfair grades based on the country. racism. Along with the support of These events are too often only dozens of others, the six students de- looked at as a student riot which resulted manded that a committee be struck to in two million dollars worth of damages. address this problem. The school even- However, it would be a mistake not to tually agreed to form one, albeit with look at this event in the context of the representatives who were unfavourable sixties. The event was part of a wider to the students, who responded by or- narrative of racial social activism in ganizing sit-ins and distributing leaflets Canada, comparable to the movement in voicing their discontent. On January 29, fore being deported back to Dominica the United States. 1969, the committee found Anderson in- where he became the Prime Minister in nocent of the allegations against him. 2000. Another protester, Anne Cools, Ashlie Bienvenu, a student in public Over 200 students left the auditorium in was sentenced to four months but was history and anthropology at Concordia the Henry F. Hall building and occupied later acquitted. She moved to Toronto University, interned with QAHN in col- the seventh floor and the computer room and founded Women In Transition Inc., laboration with Montreal’s Black Com- on the ninth. which was “one of the first shelters for munity Resource Centre, in 2014-2015. Their occupation lasted until Febru- abused and battered women in the coun- ary 10, when around 100 protesters, try.” Today, Anne Cools is Canada's first Sources: hearing that negotiations were almost Black female senator. Niko Block, “Concordia Remembers completed, left the building. However, The "Affair" also resulted in an un- Sit-in, Riots.” McGill Daily, March 30, negotiations fell apart the following day derground Black press, and in student 2009. and the occupation resumed. A fire mobilization against racist policies in broke out in the computer room, de- immigration and the legal system. Some Bill Brownstein, “The view from The stroying the equipment, and many pro- students stood up to challenge the status Ninth Floor.” Montreal Gazette, Febru- testers threw documents and computer quo in local community organizations. ary 21, 2014. punch-cards out the windows. Journalist Others felt inspired to reform education- Bill Brownstein compared the scene to al initiatives and created the Quebec Tracey Lindeman, “A Look Back at the “February snowflakes that preceded Board of Black Educators to address the Montreal’s Race-Related 1969 Comput- them.” The University turned the matter abysmal failure rate among Black stu- er Riot.” CBC News, February 15, 2014. over to the police and 97 students were dents in public schools. arrested, 47 of whom were Black. Pass- After the Sir George Williams Af- “Sir George Williams Riot.” Historica ports were seized and some of the for- fair, Professor Anderson was reinstated Canada. http://www.blackhistorycanada eign protesters lost their academic schol- by the university. Perhaps the students .ca/events.php?themeid=21&id=10. 15 Hall Building, Concordia University. Photo: Ashlie Bienvenu. QUEBEC HERITAGE NEWS

MONTREAL ON THE AIR by Sandra Stock

ess than a century ago, mass ber and red. As furniture pieces, they were It was also around this time that the media, which now bathes us made to be substantial and, in an Art Deco Canadian Radio and Television Commis- constantly with information, way, attractive. Smaller, boxy ones, usual- sion (CRTC) was established. The CRTC entertainment and communica- ly made of Bakelite (an early plastic) were is an overseeing licensing body that is re- tion,L barely existed. Print journalism was later available for kitchens and bedrooms. sponsible to Parliament. It started off in really the only reliable source of news Radio news came into its own during 1922 as part of the Department of Marine and electronic messaging by telegraph World War II, with direct broadcasts, ini- and Fisheries – not surprising, as the first was rudimentary and mostly confined to tially from Britain, and later, from the Pa- radio broadcasts were to ships and over- official and industrial use. Telephones cific and other areas. The Canadian seas. Later, it was called the Board of were interesting novelties available only Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) was cre- Broadcast Governors, and then the CRTC. to the affluent, and although they It now has responsibility for Internet had become prevalent by the end of and all other wireless media. World War I, at least in business, The CRTC has sometimes been many people still viewed them with at loggerheads with English-language suspicion. Montreal stations, particularly when In 1919, Montreal was the site of it comes to political issues. Stations the first real radio station in Canada, believed that they should support and and possibly the world. A broadcast- reflect the interests of their listening ing license was granted to the Mar- audiences. For example, in 1974, coni Wireless Telegraph Company CFCF promoted a petition against that had acquired the rights to Regi- Bill 22, a law restricting access to nald Fessenden's patents. An underrat- English education in Quebec, pro- ed Canadian inventor, Fessenden voking complaints about its stand. (1866-1932), born in East Bolton, The CRTC (then still called the Quebec, was the first to broadcast Board of Broadcast Governors) “con- voice and music from his base in cluded that the station had failed to Massachusetts to ships in the Atlantic, provide a sufficient degree of balance at Christmas 1906. in its programming,” (CRTC 1976, Further advancement in radio 453) and went on to quote the 1968 broadcasting was delayed by World Broadcasting Act. Even so, the CFCF War I, as the Canadian government did not lose its license, nor was it stopped this experiment, but in 1920 strongly censured, as its actions were Canada’s (the world’s?) first station, seen as “cementing its ties” with the called XWA/CFCF-AM, became English-speaking public. These lis- available to listeners. CFCF broadcast ated in 1932, and by 1939, was primarily teners were seen not as “part of the broad- from studios atop the Marconi plant on an overseas service from the United King- er public of many diverse points of view William Street; their first announcer was dom, reporting about, and for, Canadian but as a narrower group whose listener- Darby Coats. In 1941, CFCF launched the troops serving in Europe. A very success- ship could be sold to advertisers wishing first FM station in Montreal. CFCF con- ful 2005 theatre production, Till We Meet to focus on a particular demographic.” tinued on the air, in various formats, and Again, by David Langlois, was based on (Fishbane and Vipond, “English Radio in from various locations, until 2010. the songs, dances and jingles of the Cana- Quebec.”) At first, radio was received by crystal dian war experience on radio. It is set at The importance of radio communica- sets (something like CB or ham radios), the (now gone) Mount Royal Hotel in tions was clear, and after the war radio ex- and then on recognizable radio devices. Montreal and recreates the atmosphere of panded considerably. The most well- These became instantly popular with the war period. The CBC did actually known Montreal station from that post- everyone for the home. Well into the broadcast the war news live from the war period is CJAD, which is still going. 1950s, home radios were large items, gen- Mount Royal every night at eight. By It was established in 1945 by J. Arthur erally featured as part of the living room 1945, the CBC was airing across Canada Dupond (“J.A.D.”), a local, French-speak- decor. They were made of good quality and in 1951 was the first to broadcast ing radio entrepreneur who wished to ex- woods and were partly “upholstered” in television, starting with Montreal and pand into the then very large English- heavy fabric. The dials glowed green, am- Toronto. speaking market. Radio stations owned by André Rhéaume, announcer-operator in the CHOM-FM studio at 1355 16 Greene Avenue, 1973. Photo: Terry McElligott. SPRING 2015

distant, if plummy, voices. In 1972, most likely because of the rise of a more popular rock station, Sin- clair sold CFOX to Allan Slaight and it re- verted to its old format, called “New Country Music.” This format didn't really go anywhere, and in 1974 it changed again, to “Adult Contemporary” and open line talk. Then Slaight sold CFOX to All News Radio Ltd., and the call letters were changed to CKO-AM. In 1977, it disap- peared from the air waves, but CFOX's air checks, jingles, and music hit charts live on – in the wonderful websites of Marc Denis (www.marcdenis.com), which are a vast archive of old Montreal radio sta- tions, replete with photos, sound clips and other nostalgic information. individuals are rare now. CJAD saw (and the street, the poor, the outsiders. Its sees) itself as superior and unique among main influences were African-American Here Comes the Sun.... Montreal English radio: “Its management blues and gospel, Appalachian tradition- has been successful in positioning the sta- al folk “roots” music, and big-city jazz, he late sixties and early seven- tion as the ‘Heritage Station’ that English- which, although viewed as sophisticated, ties was a kind of golden era speaking Montrealers can trust through was also seen as a bit outré. Rock's dom- for Montreal English-language the good times and the bad.” (Fishbane inant instruments were drums and gui- radio stations. There were and Vipond, “English Radio in Quebec.”) tars – small portable instruments that many commercial stations aimed at This strategy appears to have worked, as didn't require the complex and costly T varying demographics and tastes: talk CJAD is still functioning as Montreal's set-ups of classical orchestras or even of shows, sports, Top 40 pop music, coun- major news and information station in concert pianos. Anyone, within reason, try, ethnic/multi language, and so on. English. could teach himself (and, rarely, herself) However, the dramatic social changes of We now have mega companies like to play. Untrained voices became ac- this period, originating from young peo- Bell, Rodgers and Astral dominating our ceptable; singers no longer needed to be ple, were not, at first, particularly well media, with the main exception being the smooth crooners or impressively operat- reflected in the media. Film, television CBC networks in both languages, run as ic tenors and bassos. This was a com- and radio were mostly as they had been offshoots of the Canadian government. It mercial broadcasting bonanza in the af- in the nineteen fifties in regard to con- was not always so, and radio has often re- fluent sixties and seventies. tent and themes. Local radio projected a flected individual visions, even eccentrici- Sinclair's CFOX started off with pro- ties, in our recent past. gramming folksy, country music and cre- ating the “good guys” personae for its Radio loosens up disc-jockey announcers. In 1964, the same atmosphere transitioned into Top 40 pop music, which was much more attrac- rom 1960 to 1977, one of the tive to a younger audience. This was the more successful, locally based, start of the “radio personality.” With few radio stations was CFOX-AM exceptions these were young, or still-pep- 1470, started by Gordon Sin- py middle aged, men who no longer just clair Jr., formerly of CFCF. CFOX was F announced or read the news and who pro- situated on Hymus Boulevard in Pointe- jected an informal manner. Many took on Claire on the West Island, and catered aliases (Buddy Gee, for example) or used very directly to the English-language lis- semi-nicknames (the Daves, the Andys, tening audience in this suburban, over- the Mikes) that would not have been de whelmingly English-speaking, commu- rigueur even five years earlier. Generally, nity. This was the era of the baby until the early sixties, radio was a rather boomers, as teenagers and twentysome- formal medium with the fellows speaking things sparked a revolution that finally, in carefully enunciated, almost stilted mainly by the force of demographics, al- English. One pictured them wearing tuxe- lowed pop music to become both cultur- dos, or at least black tie, to work. Until ally and commercially respectable. Rock quite recently, some of the English (and music in all its guises originated from French) CBC stations retained these rather

Top: Amateur radio station NC2BN, Montreal, 1915. 17 Bottom: Sony TR-63 Transistor Radio, 1957. Photo: McCord Museum MP-1983.99.1. Photo: www.retrothing.com. QUEBEC HERITAGE NEWS kind of bland, featureless and “safe” im- music. At 11 p.m. on October 27, 1969, ued. During the October Crisis of 1970, age; even so-called controversial topics on came Doug on CKGM-FM with The CGKM and CHOM allowed on air some were presented as attention-getters, not Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.” At first, suspected FLQ sympathizers, who had in- serious discussions. Music was either the station aired this new style for only vaded the stations. After the expected rant, three-minute pop songs or, for the more four hours every night, but three months the DJ s were able to mollify the invaders serious listener, classical offerings on later it was going for 24 hours with sever- by playing the new Led Zeppelin album the CBC or its FM sister stations. al announcers. A new era of Montreal ra- (Music hath charms…!), but the CRTC is- This all changed in 1969, when dio had begun. The station’s name was sued a reprimand to CKGM-CHOM for CKGM-FM, later called CHOM-FM, changed to CHOM in 1970. how all this went down. Operations man- came on the air. CKGM belonged to Between 1974 and 1976, CHOM was ager Frank Ogden replied: “We are... ful- Geoff Sterling (1921-2013), an innovative completely bilingual, and even CKGM on filling the regulator's [the CRTC’s] man- radio station owner from Newfoundland, the AM side featured some almost bilin- date of allowing as many diverse views who eventually expanded his company to gual programming (“The French Connec- from Montreal on the air as possible.” The Windsor, Ontario, and Montreal. tion”). These ventures into linguistic to- CRTC was not always fully aware of the Sterling owned CKGM-AM, a lively getherness, although very popular with big picture… sounding news/talk/Top 40 station, and al- listening audiences, aroused the ire of oth- CKGM-AM closed in 2003 after sev- so CKGM-FM, which started as an easy- er media factions, especially some less eral changes of ownership and program- listening music venue. Then, in 1969, CK- popular Montreal French language sta- ming formats, but CHOM-FM still con- GM-FM began doing something com- tions that perceived CHOM as “unfair” tinues successfully with a mixture of new pletely different for a Montreal station: it competition. In 1976, the CRTC ruled that and vintage music. Today, this station is broadcast in a new, free-form, very con- no Canadian radio station could be bilin- bundled with CJAD, Virgin 96, NRS and temporary, unstructured, definitely alter- gual: licenses were either English or Rouge FM at the large media building at native style. It was the first station in French, but never both. So much for a the corner of René Lévesque Boulevard Canada to adopt this format. The first in very good idea. To celebrate 45 years of and Papineau Avenue. There are fewer North America had been in San Francisco, CHOM on the air, Randy Renaud has re- English language radio stations in Mon- in 1967 (the “Summer of Love”), featur- cently produced a comprehensive series treal than in the 1950s and 60s, but those ing the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led of brief sound bites, called “Through This that have survived still maintain their im- Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, and Door,” outlining the history of CHOM. In portant social influence. numerous others that didn't fit on existing episode 7, we hear, “CHOM is a com- Radio has rarely been considered a music radio, which found their work too pletely bilingual station with the announc- historical force but it should be. As well long, too raw, too subversive. Announcer- ers switching back and forth between as being entertaining and informing, radio operators programmed their own shows, English and French and playing for the reflects, amplifies, and at times even cre- advertisements were run more or less ran- first time on radio many of the legendary ates, the popular culture of the day. domly, and there was no news, no sports, Quebec bands, like Harmonium, Beau no pre-arranged topics. One could hear in- Dommage and Offenbach. However, fed- Sandra Stock worked at CHOM-FM in terviews with various artists, usually quite eral authorities [the CRTC] and local the mid-1970s preparing advertising, casually done, and eventually some com- French stations force CHOM to broadcast scheduling, and community events. Al- munity information snippets focusing on in English only.” though it was not be her long-term ca- artistic, alternative and musical events and Confrontation with the CRTC contin- reer choice, it was the best of times in organizations. many, many ways, working with Stirling, although middle aged, creative, interesting people. And, of was strongly influenced by the cul- course, great music. tural changes of the time. He had flown to London to visit with John Sources: and Yoko (lately of their “Give Melanie Fishbane and Mary Peace a Chance” bed-in at the Queen Vipond, “English Radio in Que- Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal), and he bec,” 2001, Phonothéque québe- explored Eastern meditation and coise, Musée du Son, spirituality. Every Sunday evening www.phonotheque.org. for the first few years, CHOM aired talks from spiritual seekers like Baba www.fessenden.ca. Ramdas. The first announcer at CHOM Marc Denis, www.marcdenis.com. was Doug Pringle, who had had ex- perience with student radio at Sir Randy Renaud, www.chom.com George Williams University. Pringle Terry McElligott, JAZZ FM 91, was also involved with Phantas- Toronto. magoria record store on Park Av- enue, which catered to the new Joanne Kelly Rudy.

18 Terry Mosher, Montreal Radio Wars, 1990. McCord Museum M999.65.206. SPRING 2015

ROOTS 2015 Hosted by THE QUEBEC FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY An international conference on Family History Research McGill University, Montreal, Quebec JUNE 19-21, 2015 All events are open to the public; all lectures will be in English For a list of speakers, events and a registration form, visit the QFHS webpage at: www.qfhs.ca

19 QUEBEC HERITAGE NEWS

A MAN OF MANY FIRSTS Ernest Melville DuPorte by Dorothy Williams

rnest Melville DuPorte (1891- stature amongst his colleagues and the Melville DuPorte Lecture Series, held at 1981) was a gifted student scientific community. For example, even the Macdonald campus, to encourage from the British West Indies though DuPorte unofficially had run the students to pursue postgraduate studies who, in 1911, left to attend McGill department of Entomology for in the department. Posthumously, a MacdonaldE College and later McGill decades, he only attained the title of plaque was erected in the Lyman section University. He was an important figure chair in 1955, two years before his re- of the Macdonald Library for his 70 in the creation of the Institute of Para- tirement. But in spite of all the obstacles years of service. His research is recog- sitology at Macdonald College as well in his way, he managed to persevere. nized and cited in articles and books as for developing the Entomology De- such as the Core Historical Literature partment at McGill. He was also a lead- of Agriculture, among others. ing researcher in his field. His many Melville DuPorte's long sojourn in discoveries helped draw Canada’s atten- Canada was lived on McGill's campus tion to the importance of understanding in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue on the and eradicating animal parasites in agri- western tip of the island – far removed culture. Overall, he made many key, from the geographical bounds of the even groundbreaking contributions to Black community situated near the Canadian scientific history. heart of Montreal. His love of the land, DuPorte was a man of many firsts. horses, and nature consumed him. Thus, He was the first student to graduate despite his reputation and his brilliance, from Macdonald College in the field of he shone away from the spotlight of the entomology, the first Macdonald student city's urbane Black populace. Most to be given a position as research assis- Blacks in Montreal, like the author, on- tant and the first Black teacher to have ly became aware of his prominence, taught at McGill University. He taught long after his death. at McGill for 70 years; even though he Still, at Macdonald, the memories retired in 1957 he stayed on in the Ento- of DuPorte were retained and at the urg- mology department until a few months ing of his colleagues a successful appli- before he died in July, 1981. He special- cation was sent in to honour him at the ized in entomology but also did exten- national level. In 2010, E. Melville Du- sive research in the field of parasitol- Porte was named, A National Historic ogy. It was due to the publication of his Person of Canada. The Honourable Jim research that Macdonald College be- Prentice, Environment Minister and came Canada's leading institution in ani- Macdonald College, indeed McGill Minister responsible for Parks Canada, mal parasitology. This reputation was al- University, owes much to DuPorte for gave him the grandest tribute: “His con- so seen internationally when DuPorte his contributions in building the Ento- tribution to entomology is something all brought his findings to the Empire Mar- mology Department into one of the Canadians can be proud of.”* keting Board in England. Finally, after strongest in the Americas. DuPorte was years of teaching morphology, in 1959, also an outstanding and beloved teacher Dorothy Williams is the author of DuPorte brought together his vast and, at his retirement, it was noted that Blacks in Montreal: 1628-1986 An Ur- knowledge in a now-classic textbook, he was responsible for training more ban Demography and The Road to Now: Manual of Insect Morphology. than half of Canada’s entomologists. His A History of Blacks in Montreal. She is However, despite his brilliance and influence led to a plethora of awards and currently executive director of the Black ingenuity, DuPorte was not always given honours given to him which demonstrate Community Resource Centre, and a di- fair recognition. He had travelled to his devotion to his students and his dis- rector of QAHN. Canada at the height of its negrophobic cipline. Some of these awards include sentiments, at a time when systemic job the E. Melville DuPorte Award/Prix E. * Cited in a press release by Parks Cana- segregation and racially defined under- Melville DuPorte in recognition of Du- da at the time of DuPorte’s designation employment was the norm. He often Porte’s contributions to the field of ento- as a National Historic Person of Canada struggled for recognition despite his mology. Then there is the annual E. in 2010.

Ernest Melville DuPorte. Photo: McGill University, 20 Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. SPRING 2015

ALFRED EDMONDS AND THE HAYCOCK MINE by Wes Darou

Turnkey Granger testified that the de- search, the mine produced 6,000 tons of much of it on trestles. ceased never made any complaints while high-grade ore during its three years in There were several analyses of the in the jail. During the past three weeks operation and was served by a village of mine’s potential. Sir William Logan, the he had noticed him becoming weaker 300 people known as Hematite. In 1879, first director of the Geological Survey of and weaker. He appeared insane and the village burned down and was never Canada, visited it for three days in 1866. was 72 years of age. … Dr. Church, the re-established. His report was not at all enthusiastic. jail physician, stated he had treated In 1872, Haycock sent a sample the deceased for carbuncles and kid- to Dr. Otto Wuth in Pittsburg. Wuth ney trouble. … It was plainly to be reported that the sample was of high seen death was approaching him. He quality, at 64% iron. In 1873, Dr. Ed- ordered that whiskey and milk be giv- ward Chapman of Toronto’s Universi- en to him. He believed that old age ty College visited the site and eventu- and debility were the causes of death. ally declared that there were 6 million The jail, he thought, was not a proper tons of ore available. Dr. Alfred Sel- place to keep such a person. wyn, director of the Geological Sur- The jury returned the following vey in 1875, stated that Chapman’s re- verdict: “That the said Alfred Ed- port was entirely misleading. Haycock monds came to his death from natural knew better and went ahead investing. causes. We wish to take advantage of Why was such an effort made to this occasion to express our disap- build a mine that would close after on- proval of the detention in jail of such ly three years? First, the size of the a case as that of the deceased, which ore body had been over-estimated by a from the evidence produced was un- factor of 1,000. The mine only pro- doubtedly one for a charitable insti- duced 5,000 tons, compared to Chap- tution.” man’s estimation of 6 million. Next, the ore, although rich, was contami- –Ottawa Journal, Saturday, nated with titanium, which made November 25, 1893, page 4. smelting particularly difficult and in any event, better ore was available lo- antley is a peaceful and at- cally. The railway boom of 1860 to tractive little community 1875 had ended, killing the demand on the east bank of the for iron. And to add to the problems, Gatineau River. In the Haycock tried to secure British fi- Cnineteenth century this area was part nancing just as North America and of the “Western Townships” of Quebec. The iron ore deposit was discovered Britain faced what was known as the Beginning in 1870, Cantley became the in 1865. Seven years later, Edward Hay- "Long Depression" from 1873 to 1896. site of eight major mines and perhaps cock first visited the area while out par- The mine eventually sold only 200 tons another 20 smaller mines. They pro- tridge hunting with his sons. He soon of actual iron. duced mostly mica, phosphate and made extensive plans to exploit the site. Sixty-five years ago, Library and feldspar, but one stands out: the Hay- He acquired mining rights to 300 acres Archives Canada received the Haycock cock Iron Mine. It changed the land- in Templeton and Hull Townships, and Family Fonds including a sketchbook of scape, established parts of the road map timber rights to 400 acres. the mine, the tramway and several other and made any number of conundrums Haycock was an established engi- local scenes dating from 1873. It has for history buffs. Yet it only lasted from neer who worked on several railways taken until now for LAC to understand 1872 to 1875. and built the East and West Blocks of the drawings. The artist was Alfred M. Now-retired University of Ottawa the Parliament Buildings. To reach the Edmonds. geologist Professor Donald Hogarth iron, Haycock built a 10-kilometre, nar- LAC produced a short dossier about conducted the definitive work on the row gauge, horse-drawn railway from the artist. In 1863, he was “well-known mine. According to Dr. Hogarth's re- the Gatineau River, north to the deposit, to Ottawa residents” and won an award

Extract from Map of the Phosphate District: Ottawa 21 County, Quebec, 1881, Library and Archives Canada. QUEBEC HERITAGE NEWS at the Upper Canada Provincial Exhibi- tion for drawings of Ottawa Valley lum- bering. He even received a commission from the Governor General, Lord Duf- ferin. “Mr. Edmonds, school teacher at the village of Burnstown, has just fin- ished a large etching to be sent to Eng- land,” the Ottawa Citizen reported on November 7, 1865. “It is said to be the most faithfully executed sketch of a lumber shanty in the province. Ottawa City Directories from 1880 to 1890 give some information about Edmonds. He was a cartographer for the CPR and the Department of Railroads and Canals, and lived alone in a string of downtown boarding houses. In 1884, he was an assistant to Sir Sandford Flem- ing, head of the Canadian Intercontinen- tal Railway. Edward Haycock, a confed- erate of Sandford Fleming, surely One sketch shows the logging activ- back up to the mine along this horse arranged this position for him. A search ities south of the mine itself. The trail. of LAC's database produced several at- tramway gradually wound south from The drawing, Padden's Hill and tractive maps of Canadian railroads the mine through the hills and swamps. Bridge at Lower Shanty, is impressive, signed by Edmonds. It became a Nakkertok snowshoe trail showing wagons loaded with iron ore With a bit more research, using and eventually today's Gatineau Avenue. shooting down a 30-metre grade. tools not available to LAC in 1963, we We can see why Edmonds won prizes This grade is now the 30-metre hill on learned that Edmonds was born in Bish- for his drawings of forestry operations. Gatineau Avenue, the escarpment that opstone, Berkshire, England, died in Rollway and Beginning of Long essentially defines the Ottawa Valley. 1893 in the Ottawa Protestant Hospital Trestle realigns what we thought was the An important sketch is the one enti- at the age of 72 and was buried in location of the tramway. The tramway tled Gatineau River from the Home of Beechwood Cemetery. hooked to the left but a horse trail went A. Wright, Esq., M.P. The Wright in the Edmonds’ sketches of the Haycock straight through, generally following the title refers to Alonzo, grandson of Phile- Iron Mine are remarkably attractive but tramway but going straight south from mon, the founder of Hull. As one of the poorly treated. Nonetheless, these draw- the mine to the Gatineau River. The region’s lumber barons, Philemon ings are some of the earliest professional wagons descended to the Gatineau River Wright was known as the “King of the renderings of Cantley and nearby parts largely by gravity. The horses were Gatineau.” For locals, the scene is easy of the Outaouais, and tie down visually mostly used to haul the empty wagons to recognize. Unlike the other sketches, the locations of several historical sites. One sketch, Mrs. Darby’s Farm, is just inside the northwest edge of the Nakkertok Nordic Cross-country Ski Club (Canada’s largest cross-country ski club, established in Cantley in 1971). This drawing shows the farm of Eliza- beth Holmes Darby, established in 1865. Today, we can still see the foundations, a pond and a stone fence. Rocky Hill Near McGovern's was drawn from the border of today’s Cant- ley and Gatineau. There is still visible a track bed at the north end of Gatineau Avenue and just east of what is today the Nakkertok laneway. General Plan of Hematite shows the considerable development of the village. A plan view, it shows eight buildings, in- cluding a bakery, blacksmith’s shop, sawmill, stables and a boarding house.

Top: Alfred Edmonds, “Bridge above Padden's Hill.” Bottom: Alfred Edmonds, “Rocky Hill near McGovern's.” Library and Archives Canada. 22 Library and Archives Canada. SPRING 2015

pits and the tramway. Without their com- mitment to their land and to local histo- ry, there would be precious few traces of the mine and tramway today. Courtesy of Dr. Hogarth, Alfred Ed- monds and Library and Archives Cana- da, we have records of an important his- torical site that impacted the Outaouais region. It is almost unknown to passers- by and local residents.

Author’s note: Alfred M. Edmonds, the Haycock Iron Mine artist, is buried in an unmarked, pauper’s grave at Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa, ironically only 200 metres from Haycock’s grave. I have started a fund to buy him a headstone. The total cost would be in the order of $1,200. You can make donations to The Beechwood Cemetery Foundation. Tax receipts are issued for donations of $20 or more. Please indicate that your gift is it is almost identical today. cock's career; he died insolvent. Even 18 for the Alfred Edmonds monument. The Interestingly, there is one drawing years after the mine failed, he still re- Beechwood Cemetery Foundation’s of a lovely mill that LAC labels as being ferred to himself in the census as an iron mailing address is 280 Beechwood Ave, near Templeton. It doesn't look like any- manufacturer. P.O. Box 7025, Ottawa ON K1L 8E2. thing seen in the Outaouais, but from The end for Alfred M. Edmonds The cemetery may also be reached at: Google Street View, it certainly looks was even more touching. On his death [email protected], or by calling like the land around Bishopstone, Ed- certificate there is a handwritten note (613) 741-9530. monds birthplace in England. saying "Jail." According to the Ottawa The full sketchbook can be most Journal, February 28, 1893, Edmonds, Wes G. Darou holds a doctorate in easily found by following the link on the “a pale, delicate-looking man,” was ar- counselling education from McGill Uni- Wikipedia page for Alfred Edmonds. rested for insanity. He died in jail eight versity and a Master’s in environmental The history of Cantley’s Haycock months later. engineering from the University of Wa- Iron Mine is a touching one. An amazing We need to recognize here the pro- terloo. He worked for 35 years in educa- amount of effort and resources were put tection given to the site by the three cur- tion, counselling and international de- into the project. It was the end of Hay- rent landowners of the mine, the various velopment. Recent articles concern First Nations contributions to international development and the history of the Nakkertok Cross-Country Ski Club. He is president of the local historical socie- ty, Cantley 1889. His retirement speech in Eldis Communities has 9,400 hits.

Sources: D. D. Hogarth, Edward Haycock and His Gatineau Mine. Canadian Institute of Mining Reporter, 1972.

Fritz Cirkel, Report on the iron ore de- posits along the Ottawa (Quebec side) and Gatineau Rivers, Mines Branch, Publication 23, 1909.

Cantley 1889 website: http://www.cantley1889.ca.

Top: Alfred Edmonds, “Bridge above Padden's Hill on track above Hematite 23 Bottom: Alfred Edmonds, “Logging activities for the Hematite Iron Mine.” Library and Archives Canada. Mine.” Library and Archives Canada. QUEBEC HERITAGE NEWS

CHAMPLAIN’S CHOICE by Joseph Graham

t the height of the French clusive trading rights over the colony and The fortunes of the Huguenots had Revolution, when the mau- he was forced to retire but, thanks to him, reached a high point under Henri IV, but soleums of the rulers were a string of Protestant entrepreneurs fol- the hope he created and the dream of a destroyed at Saint-Denis, the lowed until 1625, when the Jesuits arrived. colony free of religious persecution lasted casketA containing the remains of Henri When King Louis XIII reached ma- much longer than his reign. The hope was IV was set aside and opened. The revo- jority, he exiled his mother and killed her carried in the hearts of the most oppressed lutionaries filed past his preserved advisers, people who would have been like religious minority, the Spanish Jews who corpse for two days, paying their re- aunts and uncles to him, but her last advis- called themselves Protestants and spects. Le Bon Roy Henri, who pro- er, Cardinal Richelieu, was simply repudi- Catholics, tolerated in France, incapable of claimed the Edict of Nantes, temporarily ated. Richelieu was a patient man, des- returning to Spain, some of whom ending the bloody Wars of Religion in tined to become one of the most powerful dreamed of going to New France. Those France, had been assassinated 183 years people in French history. He managed to who went had to declare their Catholic earlier, on May 14, 1610. His assassin, faith and hope to find Jews practicing François Ravaillac, a man the court said when they arrived, and there may well was mentally unbalanced and had acted have been secret little cohorts that sur- alone, is purported to have said he re- vived for a while, but many, upon arriving, ceived his instructions from a Jesuit rejected New France and moved south to priest who told him he would become a the American colonies. hero for carrying out this act. Along with them, a large number of The news of the king’s assassination the Filles du Roy were Protestant and mar- had an effect on Pierre du Gua de Monts, ried Huguenots here. In the beginning, the man who established Samuel de they maintained their beliefs in secret Champlain at Quebec. They both knew while publicly accepting all the Catholic that New France’s status as a refuge from sacraments. There is even one claim that religious persecution would be threatened. Abraham Martin, for whom the Plains of The Edict of Nantes, the document that Abraham was named, was a Huguenot. had tempered down the Wars of Religion, This is not a stretch, considering his close- had lost its protector. Henry IV's son was ness with other known Protestants and his only nine when he took on the mantle of comfort with the Kirke brothers when they King Louis XIII. His mother, Marie de' took over the colony in 1629. Medici acted as Regent, but France went Champlain guided New France to- through an unstable period under her weak wards the Catholic Church as a shrewd guidance. politician. Not only was he placing himself During those difficult years, du Gua win his way back into the young king’s on the right side of history, he was also us- de Monts managed to get the Prince de favour and by 1627 was appointed First ing the power of the social service network Condé named as viceroy and protector of Minister of France. that the Catholic Church maintained, al- New France. Sympathetic to the French One of Richelieu’s first actions was to lowing the Jesuits and other priests to run Protestants, he seemed an ideal choice, but revoke the Edict of Nantes where it con- the society. It was efficient to run his he led a revolt against the Regent and lost cerned the colony, to give exclusive trad- colony with the help of their dedicated ex- favour, spending three years in the ing rights to the Catholic Compagnie des pertise. In return, he remained in com- Bastille. Cent-Associés and to forbid Huguenots mand and could direct the colony’s expan- During this same period, Champlain and other non-Catholics from establishing sion. Even his decision to trade with the had to choose between du Gua de Monts’s in New France. Le Bon Roy Henri must Huron-Wendat nations of Georgian Bay vision, seeking a colony free from reli- have rolled over in his grave. was coloured by the inroads the Recollets gious persecution, and the mission of es- Within two years the colony fell into and later the Jesuits were making among tablishing a colony at all costs. He drifted the hands of the Kirke brothers, British- them. They worked together with Cham- closer to the Catholic powers, obtaining born Huguenots, and the cardinal was plain restricting trade to those who accept- the services of four Récollet brothers who obliged to depend upon the help of power- ed the Church. came to New France in 1614. During that ful Huguenot families to negotiate it back, In 1609, Champlain had accompanied same period, it became increasingly diffi- but the die was cast; the Huguenots some Wendat-Huron and Algonquin war- cult for du Gua de Monts to maintain ex- weren’t coming back to New France. riors to engage in a battle with the Five

24 Robert Nanteuil, Cardinal Richelieu, 1657. Bibliothèque nationale de France. SPRING 2015

Nations of the Iroquois. He met up with themselves there. Blockaded and on the them at the Richelieu River and travelled verge of starving, all he could do was ne- PROVINCE-WIDE south, a loose group of warriors looking gotiate the best terms possible with them. EXPOSURE forward to the surprise the French guns They were pirates, flying the Union Jack. AT A GREAT PRICE!! would make in a battle. Champlain does Their mother was from a French Huguenot SPECIAL ADVERTISING RATES not seem to have been curious about what family that had taken refuge in England, as 2015 caused the differences between the two many had. They would not forget the way groups and did nothing to mitigate them. the Huguenots had been treated in France. Purchase two or more ads of He just decided that he could prove his The Kirkes held the colony for only three the same size, and receive worth as an ally to the warriors he was years before the Cardinal managed to ne- 40% off each ad! with. So politically wise in other ways, it gotiate it back with the assistance of the Purchase a full year and receive an seems surprising that he took the course he Caën family, also Huguenots from the additional 10% off! did. When the two war parties surprised north of France, one of whom had convert- each other late in the afternoon of July 29, ed to Catholicism for practical trade rea- FULL-PAGE they each made for shore at a good dis- sons. 10 inches (25.5 cm) high tance and exchanged messengers. They While the Kirkes controlled the 7.5 inches (19 cm) wide mutually agreed that they should postpone colony, they cut off trade with France’s al- $400.00 (Special: $240.00) their fight until morning because daylight lies and traded instead with the Five Na- Back cover or inside page, colour was falling fast. tions, allowing them to sample what their In the morning, as the two antagonists enemies had been enjoying with the $500.00 (Special: $300.00) rained down arrows on each other, Cham- French. In 1633, Champlain returned to plain hid among the ranks. At a pre- New France to take charge again. The fric- HALF-PAGE arranged signal, everyone else ducked and tion between the Five Nations and his 5 inches (12.5 cm) high Huron and Algonquin allies 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) wide heated to the point where $235.00 (Special: $141.00) Champlain could no longer Colour $300.00 (Special: $180.00) control it. Both that year and the next, he sent requests to THIRD-PAGE Richelieu for the means to (COLUMN ONLY) wipe out the Iroquois, fearing for the colony’s safety as 10 inches (25.5 cm) high much as for the well-being of 2.25 inches (5.75 cm) wide his Catholic First Nation al- $200.00 (Special: $120.00) lies. Champlain died at Que- QUARTER-PAGE bec in 1635, having succeed- 5 inches (12.5 cm) high ed in establishing a French 3.25 inches (8.5 cm) wide colony, but having brought along all of the problems that $125.00 (Special: $75.00) the wars of religion had BUSINESS CARD he stood up and fired his gun, killing two wrought in France. Mohawk chiefs. In the pandemonium that 2.5 inches (6.5 cm) high followed, the Iroquois fled and Cham- Joseph Graham ([email protected]) is 3.5 inches (9 cm) wide plain’s allies declared victory, celebrating the author of Naming the Laurentians: A $75.00 (Special: $45.00) Champlain’s actions. He had achieved History of Place Names Up North and a what he had hoped to and could now ex- forthcoming book on the history of the FREQUENCY, DEADLINES AND pect that the help would be reciprocated Laurentians. SPECIFICATIONS through trade – and ultimately through 4 issues annually their acceptance of priests. Over the rest of Sources: Deadlines: Spring (early March 2015); his career, Champlain did his best to bring Marcel Trudel, “Samuel de Champlain,” Summer (early June 2015); Fall (early Septem- peace between his new allies and the Five “Guillaume de Caën,” and “Émery de ber 2015); Winter (early December 2015) Resolution required: Minimum 300 DPI Nations, but although he had some suc- Caën,” Dictionary of Canadian Biography. cesses, he never achieved that goal. He did By email at: [email protected] achieve his objectives in trade and in get- George MacBeath, “Pierre Du Gua de ting the great nation of the Wendat-Huron Monts,” Dictionary of Canadian Biogra- to accept the French priests. phy. It must have been a huge disappoint- ment to Champlain when the Kirke broth- Cornelius J. Jaenen, Les Huguenots de la ers captured Quebec in 1629 and installed Nouvelle France, http://www. erq.qc.ca/stmarc/huguenots.html. Iroquois and Algonquin battle, Francis Parkman, 25 Historic Handbook of the Northern Tour, 1885. QUEBEC HERITAGE NEWS

RAY BROWN IN QUEBEC The forgotten years by Bill Young

In 2006, veteran Negro Leagues pitcher ed a deceptive fastball, both a slider and gro Leaguer with Provincial League ex- Ray Brown was inducted into the Na- sinker, and later in his career, a knuckle- perience, and the son of black baseball’s tional Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooper- ball. He typically started a third or more greatest hitter, calls Brown one of the stown, New York, one of 18 stalwarts of the Grays’ league games, accumulat- best pitchers he ever saw. “Number one from the world of black baseball recog- ing a lifetime winning percentage of is Satchel [Paige],” Gibson, told diarist nized for their outstanding contributions .704, second best all-time. He was, with- Brent Kelly, “then Ray Brown. I to the Negro Leagues. The plaque that watched Ray pitch as a kid, but I batted hangs in Cooperstown’s Hall of Honour against Satchel. Damn, Ray Brown was commemorating Brown’s singular ac- good.” complishment calls him one of the And so were the Grays. So good, in greatest hurlers in Negro Leagues histo- fact, that the 1938 team is often touted ry. It makes no mention of the four years as the best ever in the history of the Ne- he played in Quebec at the close of his gro Leagues. Toward the end of that career or of the three championships he year, the Pittsburgh Courier, an African- won while living here. American newspaper, boldly suggested that if the struggling major-league Pitts- burgh Pirates of the National League “Ray Brown! In the Hall of Fame!” ex- were to sign the best of the Grays play- claimed Normand Dussault, when he ers they would be assured a pennant, learned Brown had been selected for simple as that. The players it recom- Cooperstown. “Sure I remember Ray mended were the cream of the Negro Brown. He was my teammate. He was Leagues: Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, from the States, a really good pitcher. Cool Papa Bell, Satchel Paige, and Ray Good for him.” Brown. Not surprisingly, each and every A standout athlete in his own right, one is now a fully-fledged member of Dussault knew what he was talking the Baseball Hall of Fame. Of course, about. Although first a hockey player the Pirates rejected the Courier’s sug- who enjoyed a three-year run with the out question, the premier hurler on the gestion – and ended the season in second Montreal Canadiens hockey club, the Grays’ pitching staff. place. Sherbrooke native was also a familiar One of Brown’s contemporaries, But with time all things do change, figure on local ball fields patrolling cen- Stanley “Doc” Glenn, a catcher for the and by the late 1940s, as players of terfield for several Quebec teams, most Quebec Braves in 1952 and 1953 who colour began to follow the lead of Jackie notably his hometown entry in the spent seven years at the start of his ca- Robinson into white baseball and the Provincial League. reer with the Negro National League’s Negro Leagues struggled, Brown dis- “Ray was an old fellow by the time Philadelphia Stars, readily recalled the covered that with his own abilities on he came up here, about 42, I think,” re- trepidation he felt in those years when- the wane he was running out of places to called Dussault. “He couldn’t run, but he ever he faced Brown. “He was a great play. He would have to seek out new and was still very good. We called him Pop- pitcher – not a good pitcher, a great greener pastures. pa. He stayed around for a good four pitcher,” said Glenn, speaking from his And he was on his own. His extrav- years, you know.” home in Yeadon, Pennsylvania. “He had agant 1935 home plate marriage to the Ray Brown was born in Alger, all the tricks. He was number one for the daughter of Gray’s owner and eventual Ohio, in 1908. Naturally athletic as a Homestead Grays for a lot of years.” Hall of Fame honoree Cum Posey, in- youth, he adapted readily to the life of a Glenn called Brown “a complete ball ducted along with Brown, had imploded baseball man and by the early 1930s had player. When he wasn’t pitching he some years before, done in by hard emerged as the ace of the Pittsburgh- would play the outfield. I never knew drinking and the uncertainties that sur- based Homestead Grays, the class of the him personally, only as a ball player, but round a life in baseball. Negro Leagues. Although primarily a he was a fine one.” However, jobs were hard to find, es- curve-baller, Brown’s repertoire includ- Josh Gibson, Jr., another former Ne- pecially for a black man who was push- Ray Brown when with the Grays, 1946. 26 Photo: National Baseball Hall of Fame. SPRING 2015 ing 40. Although baseball’s racial barrier caught the critical eye of Organized game, ultimately returning to stardom in had been breached several years earlier, Baseball, were making it famous (or in- the Provincial League. When Gladu re- too many towns were still unwilling to famous) as a refuge for baseball’s dis- tired as an active player/manager in welcome non-whites. Consequently, possessed. 1953, he began scouting local talent for Brown headed for Tampico and the Included in this mix were such for- the Boston Braves. Some of his early Mexican League, where matters of race mer Negro League players as Terris Mc- signings included the unilingual Quebec had never been an issue. After several Duffie and Quincy Trouppe, young Lati- pitchers Claude Raymond, Georges good years south of the border, the ram- nos, including future major-leaguers Vic Maranda, and Ron Piché, all of whom bling urge once more kicked in, and in Power and Roberto Vargas, displaced made it to the big leagues. 1950 Brown, with suitcase packed, took major leaguers from the war years, no- As the 1950 Provincial League sea- to the road once again. This time he was tably Walter Brown and Tex Shirley, son was winding down, the Sherbrooke headed north. along with superior home-grown talent, club found itself fighting for first place, as exemplified by Roland Gladu and and looking for players to help make Ray Brown: Destination Paul Calvert. All were welcome. that final push. Since becoming team Quebec So too were those major leaguers manager in 1948, Gladu had imported an who had jumped to the Mexican league impressive stream of players from the in 1946, and now suspended, had ex- winter leagues. He had already inked the y late summer Brown found hausted all their options. Almost. They likes of Claro Duany (the Puerto Rican himself in Sherbrooke, where were still welcome in Quebec, and they Babe Ruth) and Silvio Garcia (“one of baseball was the the best hitters never to play summer game, and in the major leagues,” ac- the local entry in the Class-C B cording to Tommy Lasorda). Provincial League was one Thus, when Ray Brown ap- of the strongest in the circuit. peared on the horizon, Gladu He would have known about did not hesitate to sign him the league, la provinciale as up. Over the years the two it was called by the local had played with and against population, from fellow trav- each other for teams in the elers encountered in winter Cuban Winter leagues and ball and elsewhere. He the Mexican League, and would have been aware of its Gladu was well aware of readiness to sign players of Brown’s many talents and whatever race or nationality subtle tricks. as long as they could play “Brown, a black player ball. who stands more than six During this period, the came: Sal Maglie, Max Lanier, Danny feet, has been pitching in Mexico and in Provincial League functioned as an inde- Gardella. Venezuela, where he had an excellent pendent, some would say outlaw, organi- And then there was Ray Brown. record,” cried out the August 8 edition zation with a long history of finding In 1950, the Sherbrooke club was of La Tribune, a Sherbrooke daily, in an- spots for talented players of colour. managed by Roland Gladu, a Quebec- ticipation of the many great things to When baseball finally blew open the born baseballer whose own story merits come. doors of integration in 1946 and six men special treatment. Many believe that Nevertheless, Brown stumbled in of colour inked contracts with clubs rec- Gladu more than anyone was the driving the early going, losing his first five deci- ognized by Organized Baseball, it was force behind the early development of sions and only registered his sole victo- more than just a coincidence that four of the Quebec game, to the point where it ry, a 6-2 triumph over bitter rivals, the the six played for Quebec-based teams continues to produce major league St-Jean Braves, at the very end of the in three different leagues, or that one of ballplayers like Eric Gagné and Russell campaign. them, Manny McIntyre, who suited up Martin. La Tribune called it a “sensational with Sherbrooke in the Border league, As a power-hitting first baseman, performance.” Brown even led the of- was a Canadian, born and raised in New Gladu had played everywhere, and for fence by driving home three of his Brunswick. just about everyone, from the Montreal team’s six runs, and, “for once, his team- To some baseball historians, 1949- Royals to London, England, in the mates gave him adequate support, man- 1950 are considered the golden years of 1930s. He shone in Quebec City during aging 10 hits and committing only one Quebec baseball. The Montreal Royals the early 1940s, joined the Boston error behind him.” of the International League were win- Braves for that proverbial cup of coffee Brown’s timing was perfect: the ning and playing better baseball than in 1944, and then, after an outstanding playoffs were just around the corner. some major league teams, the Can-Am stint with the Royals the following year, And he was ready to show his mettle. League was dominated by the Quebec fled to the Mexican League and banish- With the lantern-jawed Brown leading Braves, while over in the Provincial ment from the organized side of the the way, the Athletics rolled over Drum- League, liberal hiring practices, having

27 Sherbrooke Ball Club, 1951: Brown is sitting, third from left; Dussault, to his left; Gladu, at centre. Photo: courtesy of Bill Young. QUEBEC HERITAGE NEWS mondville in the semi-finals and then year’s source of inspiration for the league champions with a convincing win took their nemesis, St. Jean, to seven team’s brilliant play-off run was coming over the Braves from Quebec City. games before collapsing in the last back. A season of promise was at hand. But then, without any warning, for- match of the championship series, 15-6. And delivered. The veteran hurler tunes changed. Only hours after the team Although he was only one of four pitch- compiled a solid 11-10 record with an had raised high the championship tro- ers to work that game, Ray Brown took enviable ERA (earned runs average) of phy, a fire swept through the old Sher- the loss, done in by fatigue and a couple 3.31, and the team nailed down the pen- brooke Stadium, leaving the stands in of untimely errors in the field. nant, though it took them until the final smouldering ruins and the team without Nevertheless, the wily veteran had game of the season. They then went on a home field. Town authorities attempted been the workhorse of the playoffs. He to easily conquer both Drummondville to have a new grandstand ready for the appeared in nine of the 13 games played, and Quebec in the playoffs to claim the following season, but when this proved recorded three victories against two loss- league title. Victory at last. impossible, the club had little choice but es, and at the plate, where he was often While Brown had always been a to release players and disband. Baseball asked to pinch hit, batted .353, with six starting pitcher, in 1951, he was called did return to Sherbrooke in 1953, but the hits in 17 at-bats, including one home upon to fill other roles, as well. In fact, magic was gone. Never again could the run. Gladu used him so much in relief that city recreate the élan and excitement that For some reason Brown’s pitching the Record took to calling him “Fire- had embraced the 1951 season. record does not show in the 1950 official man” Brown. When not on the mound Brown found himself without a league statistics, but an unofficial count he frequently took over in the outfield or team and no place to play. Faced with a puts it at one victory and five losses. He at third base, and even stepped in for long winter of uncertainty, he elected to also occasionally played the outfield and first baseman Gladu when the playing stay on in Sherbrooke and work at the pinch hit, batting .250, with two home manager’s bad back kept him out of the city’s huge Ingersoll-Rand plant, trusting runs and seven RBIs (runs batted in). line-up. that better things would appear in the In sum, Ray Brown had shown Brown was also the club’s go-to spring. As they did. On April 16, La enough to warrant an invitation to return pinch-hitter. Although his batting aver- Tribune announced that Roland Gladu in 1951, one he happily accepted. He age shows a modest .193, including four had signed to manage the Thetford was about to embark on a streak of three homeruns and six doubles, he always Mines Miners of the Quebec Senior championships in three years, all with seemed to come up with the key hit League. Then, in an aside, it added that different teams, all in Quebec. when it was most needed. This was nev- Brown, whose “wine-red Buick convert- er truer than in the last game of the regu- ible” had been seen around town all win- Ray Brown: A Champion Yet lar season. With the Athletics down 4-0 ter, “will follow his old manager as they Again to Granby in the sixth inning and need- have become great friends.” It was a ing a win to lock up first place, manager wise decision. Gladu called on Brown to pinch hit. The The Quebec Senior League, and its his time the banner headline veteran did not disappoint, blasting a companion Laurentian League, were sweeping across the full width two-run homerun over the right-field similar in structure to the independent of the sports page read, “Ray fence and completely shifting the game’s Provincial League of the 1940s. These Brown reaches terms with momentum, as the Athletics went on to a secondary loops had grown increasingly Sherbrooke Athletics.” This was very T 7-4 victory and claimed the top spot. popular in Quebec, for, unlike the “new” good news. The playoffs were almost an anti-cli- Provincial League, now aligned with Or- It was March 20, 1951 and the Sher- max, and on September 19, playing at ganized Baseball, where every club brooke Record was announcing that last home, Sherbrooke claimed the crown as would become affiliated with a major

Ray Brown’s Hall of Fame plaque reads as follows:

RAYMOND BROWN “RAY” NEGRO LEAGUES, 1930-1948

A mainstay of the Homestead Grays pitching staff for 14 seasons, utilizing a variety of breaking balls, including a devastating curveball, to help lead them to eight pen- nants in nine years from 1931-1941. Ranks among all-time Negro Leagues leaders in wins, winning percentage and shutouts. Selected to three east-west all-star games. Tossed one-hitter against Birmingham Black Barons in 1941 Negro Leagues World Series. Spent several standout seasons pitching in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

Ray Brown Hall of Fame Plaque. 28 Photo: National Baseball Hall of Fame. SPRING 2015 league team, they had not lost their local year again represent Lachine.” Sadly, I’m sorry, but I cannot tell you her touch: they still had room for both this was not to be. The club became in- name.” Mme. Dussault recollects that at home-grown talent and the displaced. volved in a dispute with league authori- Lachine in 1954, “we would often sit to- Composed of teams from four ties and elected to withdraw. All of its gether in the stands. I liked her, but I towns located south of the St. Lawrence players were let go. never saw her again after that year.” River and east of Sherbrooke – For Ray Brown, one last hurrah still It would appear that Ray Brown Plessisville, Levis, St-Georges de awaited. Following the Lachine success, stayed around these parts for some time, Beauce and Thetford Mines – the league he was called back to Thetford Mines, perhaps still looking for a ball game, be- was well salted with Provincial League where the Miners, now in the Provincial fore drifting out of sight. He eventually veterans. The Plessisville Braves, now League, were making another run for the returned to his native Ohio where he counting Brown’s old pal Normand Dus- playoffs. As Le Canadien noted, “Even died in 1965 at the age of 57. He is sault in their midst, were considered the at his age, Ray still possesses the stuff buried in Greencastle Cemetery on class of the circuit and expected to re- our club needs to create momentum and Nicholas Road, Dayton, Ohio. peat as champions in 1952. But they had regain the desired heights.” Does Ray Brown belong in the Hall not counted on the surprising Miners. And it worked. Columnist M. A. Si- of Fame? “Absolutely,” said Stanley With Gladu leading the league in hitting moneau affirmed that “management Glenn, his old Negro Leagues adversary, (his average flirted with the .400-mark could smile for having called on the at the time of the announcement. “It is an for most of the season) and Brown services of [Brown] who helped to re- honor well deserved.” chalking up a team-best 16 wins against duce the deficit, especially in the last And while it is true that his years in 5 losses and batting over .300, Thetford weekend of the season.” Brown’s per- Quebec would have had little influence walked away with first place. formance enabled the Miners to eke out on his selection, certainly Ray Brown’s Brown then added four more wins fourth place, one-half game ahead of presence in our midst made a difference in the play-offs, bringing his total for the Three-Rivers. But he was not in the line- to our game. Three championship titles season to twenty, as his club went on to up for the post-season. Because the team in three years, with three different teams take top laurels. “Four victories in as had signed Brown after the deadline by in three different leagues – and standing many matches is a feat to be recog- which playoff rosters had to be deposited today as the only Provincial League nized,” gushed the weekly newspaper Le with the league, he was declared ineligi- player ever to be named to baseball’s Canadien, “and here the honours go to ble. The Miners lost to Granby in the Hall of Fame. our veteran pitcher, Ray Brown,” as it first round. Now, that’s worth cheering about. anointed him MVP (most valuable play- It is here that the trail of Ray er) “without a doubt.” Brown’s baseball career in Quebec fades Bill Young, a former school teacher and So successful was the Thetford away. He had married a local woman principal, is a founding director of the Mines baseball adventure that the town whom Jeannine Dussault, Normand’s Greenwood Centre for Living History in immediately sought and obtained a wife, recalls was “very good looking. Hudson, Qc. He is a baseball historian Provincial League franchise for the fol- She was a white woman, a French-Cana- and co-author of Ecstasy to Agony: The lowing year. Once again, Ray Brown dian, from around Sherbrooke, I think. 1994 Montreal Expos. was left without a team. But not for REVIEW long. Early in 1953, the Lachine Indians of the Laurentian League began shop- NO JOY IN MUDVILLE ping around for a player-manager, and Brown leapt at the opportunity. With the Ecstasy to Agony: The 1994 Montreal Expos omnipresent Normand Dussault now at his side, the veteran succeeded in lead- by Danny Gallagher and Bill Young ing the Indians to another league cham- Scoop Press, Toronto, 2013 pionship – Brown’s third in three years. The old pitcher opened the campaign y first exposure to sheer larger “Expo” renaissance – the World’s Fair, with nine straight victories, finishing up self-defeating corporate the islands, the metro – that had coloured my at 13-5 and Dussault was dominant both greed was the early 11th earliest memories. My parents’ anticipation at the plate and in centre field. birthday present I received was infectious, but it never rivalled their en- After the final game of the season, Mfrom the Montreal Expos when they trad- thusiasm for Football, which for generations the locals held a celebration to honour ed away Rusty Staub. To the Mets, I has- had been the game of preference for middle- the club. According to the Lachine Mes- ten to add. The Mets, for Criminy’s sake! class Anglo Montreal. I made Baseball my senger: “Ray Brown acted as spokesman The blood still boils. own. I compared scores. I followed the for- for the Indians in thanking the direc- The Mets were worthy rivals, of course, mation of the team, imagining it as a kind of torate [of the club] for the manner in more so than any other team at the time – or superhero collective that would defend Mon- which the players had been treated so it seemed to my young self. I had been a treal from attack by south-of-the-border ri- throughout the season just ended, and he keen Expo fan from the beginning, having vals. And they were never better at it than on hoped that the same team would next followed their genesis as part of Montreal’s the day I actually went to a game, at Jarry

29 QUEBEC HERITAGE NEWS

Park: on Sunday, June 27, 1971, the Expos thors’ particularly insightful discussion of buck, comes out very badly in the book. It crushed the Mets by a score of 12 to 4. It the history of collective bargaining cleared became easy for owners to claim that Mon- would have been 12 to 3 but for an absolute up a lot of confusion I had about how exact- trealers would not attend baseball games last-second run by New York, which diluted ly “free agency” worked, and how changes and therefore building a downtown stadium the glory a little – but just a little. to the power structure of professional base- would hardly be worthwhile – and yet there And then they got rid of their Number ball led both to astronomical salaries and, is much evidence that attendance would One asset. The Expos without Rusty was despite these salaries, to a strike. have risen had the new stadium been built. like Sherwood Forest without Robin Hood. Ecstasy to Agony charts the story of the The authors argue that, far from not caring, Overnight, they lost a fan. Expos from Bronfman’s 1989 decision to Montrealers were passionate about Baseball, I would not have been quite so dumb- find a new owner for the team to the igno- have always been so (since the 1890s!), and founded by this turn of events had I under- minious fire sale of the club fifteen years lat- still are. It was the owners who lost faith, stood more about the business of baseball. er, from its rise to stardom under a consor- along with a number of frustrated sports Had I realized, for example, that players tium of local businessmen led by club presi- journalists who lacked Gallagher and come from pretty much everywhere (Rusty dent Claude Brochu to the team’s slow de- Young’s patience at disentangling the politi- was from Louisiana, it turns out) and only mise in the later 1990s and early 2000s. The cal rhetoric and behind-the-scenes negotia- stay in one place as long as management’s strike was a serious blow to the Expos, but tions. overarching strategy will permit – some- some poor decisions by Brochu over the fol- I really valued Ecstasy to Agony’s ana- times even just for a cup of coffee (as Base- lowing year weakened the team and lytical reflections on what is really a broader ball jargon has it). The notion of “our team” launched a long debate over whether Mon- story than the decline of one ball club, but is not based on the players being local boys, trealers really wanted their own club. Did many readers will just enjoy the detailed ac- but rather on local management putting to- they want it badly enough to build the Ex- counts of players, managers, and sportscast- gether the best team possible, which some- ers whose contributions to the Expos saga times involves short-term pain (eg. losing were vital. What I took away from this tale beloved players) for long-term gain. In those of backroom politics and far flung accusa- days, Expos management was local, starting tions, however, was a sense of closure. I re- with its owner, Charles Bronfman, a native alized that I’d always had it wrong about the Montrealer, and extending through many Expos. I don’t fault my ten-year-old self for levels of administration. Savvy management not seeing the big picture, but I do realize knows that one of the keys to being a really that as an adult I had never taken the time to good sports business is to have a team that step back. Trading Rusty had been a legiti- locals can be proud of. mate part of the business of Baseball. Had I Many of us – including my older, more kept my faith a little longer, I would have cynical, self – felt a wash of pride for the seen that what really counted was having the Expos in the early 1990s when they began best team possible, which meant skilled to do really well, culminating in the 1994 players, efficient management, and a healthy season, when it looked damnably as if we environment. Montreal had all this for a were going to make it to the World Series. good long while, and then steadily struck And then, just when the Expos seemed un- out. stoppable, they were stopped – by the play- pos a decent downtown stadium to replace Could the Expos come back? Gal- ers’ strike, which began on August 12, 1994, that money pit in the city’s east end? lagher and Young explore this question in and was not resolved until the following Brochu’s 1999 successor Jeffrey Loria trum- the book’s last section, making a tempting April. By that time, the momentum had peted the idea of a downtown stadium, but case for the revival of Montreal as a baseball ground to a halt. The Expos limped on for when that proved too much work he sold the town. Even so, it would seem that an awful another decade, changing hands and leaking club to a faceless multinational bent on ef- lot of stars would have to be aligned for this good players, until the team folded in 2004 fectively dismantling the Expos like a car to happen. A major obstacle would be the to be reborn somewhat shame-facedly as the for parts. overwhelming passion we now seem to feel Washington Nationals. Gallagher and Young take a strong for soccer, down to the level of baseball dia- The rise and fall of the Expos, with the stand on the issue of Montrealers’ culpabili- monds in neighbourhood parks being re- 1994 players’ strike at its heart, is the subject ty in the Expos’ demise. Far from echoing placed by goal posts. Perhaps the Expos of Ecstasy to Agony: The 1994 Montreal the oft-stated complaint that fans just golden 1994 season is fated to be a distant Expos, whose tagline runs “How the best stopped caring, they argue that plenty of fac- glow in our cultural memory. But thanks to team in baseball ended up in Washington ten tors contributed to the falling attendance, not Ecstasy to Agony we can appreciate the im- years later.” Baseball historians Danny Gal- least of which was the increasingly self-de- pact of the Expos’ fall from grace as enter- lagher and Bill Young present an enviable feating attitude of senior management. A se- tainingly as we do the failure of the mythic command of the mechanisms of sports busi- ries of unpopular trades of valuable players mighty Casey, who went confidently to bat ness, and to read their book is to gain spe- suggested to many that Brochu was cutting 127 years ago and left all of Mudville weep- cialized knowledge of how baseball clubs his losses. The actions of subsequent owners ing. are managed, how teams are put together, seemed irresponsible, even dishonest; Loria, and how salaries are negotiated. The au- an American art dealer, clearly in it for a fast –Reviewed by Rod MacLeod

Terry Mosher, “Baseball Strike,” 1994. 30 McCord Museum: M998.48.153. SPRING 2015

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