12/02/2024
Heritage Herald
November 2024
By Tammy Meeks
One of our favourite things about volunteering at The Heritage Centre Is the opportunity to visit with people that grew up up in Tweed or the area and have them recall their memories of a time long ago.
Our recent visitor Dan Cournyea now lives in New Brunswick but his heart remains in Tweed . Dan has many fond memories of Tweed and growing up in the Tweedsmuir Tavern. That's right, Dan's parents owned the Tweedsmuir Tavern, Mr. and Mrs. Ted Cournyea. Dan said the Tweedsmuir was an interesting place to grow up and agreed to share some memories with us. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.
Dan Cournyea:
My first memory of the hotel is when when I was about six years old. Some people were taking a gentleman out of a third floor room ,he was ill and had a kind face with the nicest silver gray hair. I think his name was Jim Kennelly, brother of Mrs. Moses Fobert. I think he passed away. The experience left no ill effects. Jack McCaul lived in the annex which would've been above the men's beverage room. Jack was a house painter also played trumpet with the Modernaires Orchestra. An avid fisherman, he originated from Toronto, Oakwood area. Leon Chappelle lived on the third floor it seems that he was part of the place with a quiet disposition. As a handyman he looked after the steam boiler which heated the place. As a young man he had worked at Carrie, Indiana Steel Mills, came home to be with his ageing parents and ended up at the Tweedsmuir. Mom and Dad thought the world of him. He had a brother Vince who lived in Tweed.
Tom Keilty
Tom Keilty lived on the third floor, the window on the front north corner. The two windows in the centre were sitting rooms with a large desk, where he could be found checking his stock prices in the Globe and Mail paper. He also dabbled in cattle as a Cattle Drover and had a couple of ranches in Hungerford. Always had a bottle of Johnny Walker's Red Label scotch to treat company. His nephew had the same name, he had a potato farm at Chapman's corners. Known locally as Potato Tom and the uncle as cattle Tom. Occasionally Tom would give me a cheque to give Dad for $25.00 , assuming it was payment for a week's room and board. He spent a fair amount of time in the lobby catching up on the comings and goings of Tweed. Tom had a lot of sayings and opinions for whatever reason. Shortly after we moved there I had to sleep in a strange room, Mom and Dad were busy doing a banquet and I was upset over the Bogeyman. Til Dad told me the bogeyman was afraid of Tom Keilty and if he came around Tom would kick him in the bum, well I went right to sleep assured Tom was looking out for me. Tom had spent his younger years in Calgary and San Francisco.
Joe Chaput
Joe Chaput was a Linotype Operator. He came from North Bay to work at The Tweed News. He a very nice man and was there better than a year before going back to North Bay. We were sad to see him go.
An accountant John Rashotte spent several hours a week keeping the books up-to-date along with payroll and making sure the bills were paid. He kept things running smooth. My cousin, Judy Sinclair lived there, she was very young when my grandfather was the proprietor. She mentioned a gentleman that stayed in the late 40s till he found accommodation for his family. His name was Fonce Manion, he was a CPR employee from Renfrew. When returning from overseas he resumed his career with CPR and was transferred to Tweed . Going by the chitchat in the lobby he was what CPR called a Roadmaster in charge of the operations of the large work trains. Doing track and rail bed upgrades. The men stayed in boarding cars on different sightings. They claimed if you needed a job Mr. Manion could usually be found at the Legion most Saturday afternoons, if you went to see him and he needed manpower he would tell you where to be Monday morning and buy you a beer. Monday morning he was all business. Some of those old lads in the lobby would mention CPR strawberries. As a small boy I was to be seen and not heard but one day I asked what they were. Their response was , they were prunes. The closest thing to strawberries you would ever see on CPR ’s boarding car menu.
Mart and Phil Simmons who are well known around town.
Leaving for school, they would be standing or sitting on a cement slab on the southwest corner of the hotel, getting the morning sun and shielded from the north wind. Likely some warmth on the slab as it was near the boiler room. Mart had a bushey moustache he was the eldest , said to be a war veteran. Phil had one eye and wore an old army coat. They would make their way to the liquor store located where Cassidy's Funeral Home is today. Ted sometimes would take them a pot of stew which I would deliver as you couldn't drive all the way into their shack behind the CPR coal chutes. They would return the pot all shined up. I don't know how they ended their days. Bernie Hawkins from near sulphide used to be around the cocktail lounge never in the beverage room a few times a week. Bernie a bachelor, dressed with a bit of flair often had a carnation in his lapel of his coat. He was a retired CPR conductor and had run from Montreal to McAdam New Brunswick which would've been a plum position at the time . Bernie would come to town with his brother Steve in his truck. Steve usually wore a western Stetson on these occasions and stuck to the men's beverage room they lived with a spinster sister who was a teetotaler.
Watch next week as we continue with “Growing up in the Tweedsmuir” by Dan Cournyea !
We are so pleased to have created a booklet of Evan Morton’s very first Heritage Herald. August 29, 1990 - December 11, 1991. The booklet is available at The Tweed and Area Heritage Centre. Cost is $25.00. We are sure you will enjoy this book. And you will be helping support The Heritage Centre.
Don’t forget to pick up a Lottery Calendar! $20.00. They make great gifts and are available to purchase at The Tweed News and The Tweed and Area Heritage Centre. Yes, they can be mailed to you! Contact us at [email protected] or call 613-478-3989
Have a Great Week Everyone!
