Walls full of Blind River history

Walls Full of Blind River History
Historian Al McLean relives memories of building that's losing its latest tenant, the Roman Catholic Separate School Board. 

Story, photos By Caroline Van Luit, Special to the Star


It's a building worth a thousand memories. The former Blind River Post Office on Woodward Avenue has seen a number of tenants over the years, including the town hall, police and town jail, and currently the North Shore Roman Catholic School Board.

Local resident Al McLean, who is known as the local historian, shares the tales of the past of a building that has seen a number of generations pass through it.

The building was built in 1939 and commissioned to be built by the Federal Government to be used as a Post Office. It was the pride and joy of Blind River in the early days.

"It was the best of its kind, the best equipment and the workmanship that went into it was the best," McLean said.

Previous to that location, the Post Office was located next door (the Thompson building) and it was a narrow little place but "it was the Tim Horton's of it's time," McLean said.

"It was small and not very accessible, however, local residents would use that building as a meeting place and as strange as this may seem, people used   to come down there to watch the trains come in."

Once the new building was built on the vacant piece of land, that main congregation of towns people dissipated and the Post Office became a place just to do business.

Eventually, McLean said, the building was taken over by the town hall, which occupied the main floor, with the local police and a lawyer's (Gregory Cameron) office located downstairs.

"The people who worked at the police detachment were just a bunch of great people."

From caretakers to police officers, there was always a great story to share.

McLean remembered this one particular incident where a police officer, who had a terrible phobia of dead bodies, had a practical joke played on him.

"One of his co-workers hung-up a dummy in one of the cells and the lights were faded. That police officer never showed up, but one of the secretaries saw it and fainted with shock," laughed McLean.

As time went on, what was once the pride and joy of Blind River, was now evolving into a new facet of pursuit. The town hall moved out of the building in 1975 and moved into its present location and the police headquarters was eventually disbanded and taken over by the Blind River Ontario Provincial Police detachment.

In 1978, the North Shore Roman Catholic Separate School Board was looking for a new home and the town, which owned the building had them move the North Shore Roman Catholic Secondary School into a newly renovated building and it stayed at the present location for 20 years. One extension, at the cost of the school board, was erected in the late 1980's as the board was at the height of its expansion.

Now that the board has been split into two larger separate school boards through school board amalgamation, the board will cease to exist in July. The three remaining staff will either retire or work at jobs with the new boards.

The town is considering moving the Blind River Public Library in the North Shore RCSS building once it is vacant.
The last time the library had expanded was about 18 years ago.

A team of architects known  as CAUSE, came to Blind River last fall and did a review of the whole town. Moving the public library from its present location on Michigan Avenue to the North Shore RCSS building was one of the suggestions to increase the traffic on the main street.

Once the board office closes it would take about four months to renovate the interior. The work would include opening up the inside which would mean the removal of some of the walls. The facility would also have to be made handicap accessible.

The downstairs portion would not change a great deal. Blind River mayor Bob Callagher said costs would have to be considered so currendy the downstairs portion could be used as offices or storage.

The total cost for the renovations to accommodate the library is in the area of $162,000 to do just the upper floor.
Gallagher said the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund has put out a special grant for communities they can use for projects like renovations to municipally owned buildings. The government said it would provide 75 per cent of the
funding up to a maximum of $100,000.

That means the town will have to come up with about $62,000.

"We will have to find innovative ways of picking up the cost," says Gallagher.

The town put its proposal in last month and Gallagher said it should not be too long before the town hears back.


Photo Caption (top right)
Local Historian Al McLean in front of the 60 year old building that has seen many tenants over the years. 

Photo Caption (Bottom right)
FRANK PICHE, left and Al McLean in front of mural students painted on the 60-year-old building