Chapples
Chapples (Chapple's Stores Limited) was a department store in Fort William (now Thunder Bay). It was founded in 1915 as a family dry goods and ladies' fashion store and grew into Fort William's leading department store, with branches in other northwestern Ontario communities.[1] It closed in about 1981. The Thunder Bay Museum's archival description says the mid-1970s, but a former employee and the museum, as cited by a reader, both give 1981.[1][2]
Santa Claus show
Chapples sponsored an annual Santa Claus show for children for most of the 20th century. The Fort William Daily Times-Journal index records the show at the Orpheum Theatre (The Orpheum) in 1930. A 1932 headline read "17th show greets throngs", and "6,000 kiddies" turned out in 1935.[3]
- 1943: the dance teacher Grace Ensworth ran the show at the Orpheum.[4]
- 1950: Chapples sponsored a radio version, "The Santa Claus Show", broadcast nightly in November and December. Its scripts survive in the Thunder Bay Museum.[1][2]
- 1 December 1951: the show moved to the Fort William Gardens, with "hundreds of performers from the Sylvia Horne School of Dancing".[2]
- Later years: the Times-Journal index lists the show annually through at least 1965, including "45th annual" in 1955 and "54th show successful" in 1964.[5][6]
People associated with the show include:
- Sylvia Horn (1914–2005). Her obituary says she "created and put on the Chapples Santa Claus Show which was held annually at the Fort William Gardens".[7]
- Tor Hansen (1921–2016), of the Chapples display department. He designed and decorated the show and performed in it as "Mister Chris".[8] He appears with Horn in a 22 November 1956 promotional photograph.[5]
- Grace Ensworth (1894–1947), Horn's teacher, who ran the 1943 show.[4]
See also
- Charles J. Boyle
- John Boyle Chapple
- Chapples Park
- Big Thunder Ski Jumping Center, founded by Tor Hansen and his brother Knute Hansen
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Chapple's Stores Limited fonds" (CA ON00318 B 18). Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society, via Archeion.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cano, Dave. "Christmas...the best days of our lives in the '50's and '60's". Hot Rods and Jalopies (blog), 4 December 2009, including reader comments of 2013 giving the 1981 closing date.
- ↑ "Index of social notices, news and photos, Fort William Daily Times-Journal 1930–1939" (compiled by David Nicholson). Thunder Bay Public Library.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Index of social notices, news and photos, Fort William Daily Times-Journal 1955–1959" (compiled by David Nicholson). Thunder Bay Public Library.
- ↑ "Index of social notices, news and photos, Fort William Daily Times-Journal 1960–1965" (compiled by David Nicholson). Thunder Bay Public Library.
- ↑ "Sylvia Young" (obituary). Sargent & Son Funeral Directors, January 2005 (also in The Chronicle-Journal via Legacy.com).
- ↑ "Tor Hansen" (obituary). TBNewsWatch / The Chronicle-Journal, 26–27 July 2016 (also at Legacy.com and Everest of Thunder Bay).