HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1985-12-23, Page 19INCORPORATING -THE BL'1 TH STANDARD -THE: HAYFIELD BUGLE
SECOND SECTION
MONDAY 9 DECEMBER. 23,1985
Traditions were an important part of the Christmas celebration at the School on Wheels.
Each year "Merry Christmas" letters were cut from heavy paper and tacked to the side
of the CN railway car. Inside, children came from far and wide to take part in the
festivities. A special project was the creation of Christmas boxes, each decorated with
the child's name. The boxes were taken home, placed under the Christmas tree in hopes
that they would be filed with gifts on Christmas morn. More than often the boxes later
became home for mother cat and her kittens. Here Cela and Fred Sloman send their little
visitors off for home through the northern bush.
At Christmas time the isolated women of the north would wear
their finest dresses and hats for a visit to the School Car. Often, the
clothes were donated through Women's Institute bales. Here
ristmas on ch
wheeis.
women and children from the Sudbury area, assisted by Cela
Sloman (far right) make Christmas boxes.
Bright oodles flickered in the, snow, the
sounds of laughter and music danced across
the northern landscape. as school children,
bush families, trappers. and hobos met to
honor Jesus',birth and celebrate the season
of Santa ('taus.
Christmas on the School Car on Wheels
Ns•as a special time for the people of northern
Ontario.
For 39 years, Cela Sloman of Clinton and
her late husband F'red opened their unique.
styled •horne to dozens' of isolated families
and' lonely men in celebration of the
Christmas season.
As educators to the children and adults or
the north, the Slomans always shared their,
home and their Iivts with others and at
Christmas that sharing always took • on
special meaning.
The Sloman family could have taken their
Christmas holidays elsewhere, with family
and friends in another. part of the province,
but, as Cela remembers, "It was so lonely
for the people that we stayed.ij
The con've6rted CN railway c,Rach, known
as the School Car on Wheels No. 15089, was
the focus of the social and educational life
for northern people who lived along the 148
miles of rail lines between the communities'
of Capreol and Foleyet. And at Christmas,
as all other times of year, it was a meeting
place for the families. '
Tissue paper was inexpensive and colorful, perfect tor making yards and yards of paper
chains for the Christmas tree. Fred Sloman manned the cutting, board as his students
carefully created the long strands of colored ornaments that would adorn the School Car
and theChristmas tree. " ,
was special
Christmas celebratf6i u i the School on
Wheels started in late November. it was a
five week celebration, held for each of the
five stops along the. line.
The month-long season of festivities
began with the annual search in the bush for
a perfect Christmas tree. Mr.. Sloman,• his
children and dogs Sandy and Cricket first
made an exploratory journey into the bush.
On the second visit tncey would bring home
the best cedar to be found.
• The cedar tree was placed atop Mr.
Sloman's.desk as foot space in the cramped
quarters 'of the school car was at a,
premium.
Then the traditional task of decorating the
tree began.
Cela remembers that daughter Margaret
would make "yards and yards of tissue
paper chains." And there were yearly at-
tempts to make popcorn chains, but the tas-
ty popped kernels were always eaten long
before they reached the Christmas, tree.
There were decorations made by the
school ehildren, prized glass ball ornaments
and lots of shiny tinsel.
It took special care to decorate the
Christmas tree on the School on Wheels.
Each item was wi'red to the tree, carefdlly
'secured to endure the sometimes rough
journeys along the railway tracks. To this
da7liiany of the" glass ornaments used to
decorate those Christmas .trees some four
decades ago remain favorites in the Sloinan
home.
And there were Christmas concerts to
ready for, five in all for each stop along the
way. It 'meant different recitations for all
the students and extra special preparations
for • all the guests who would attend the
Christmas concerts.
Mothers, fathers, babies; trappers all
came out to take in the Christmas concerts.
For the women it was a time to wear their
best dresses and hats; sent to them in.
clothing bales from the Women's Institute.
Turn to page2 •
With dogs Sandy and Cricket close at hand, the traditional cedar
('hristmas tree went up at the School Car on Wheels at the end of
November. ('hristmas was a five week celebration for the Sloman,
their students and their families. Travelling the railway lines of
northern Canada the School Car made stops in five communities,
complete with five Christmas concerts, parties and festivities for
the children, mothers, fatheprs, even the lbeal trappers and hobos
who might Stop along the way.
The Grade 3 class from Clinton Public School 'helped decorate the School Car this year,
hanging decorations and trimming the tree as had been done years ago,. ( Anne Narejko
photo)
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