The Nature Centre at Lake ChaplinQuestion: What is the connection between Blankney and Canada? The unlikely answer is 'a lake'. The following story relates how the connection was made.
Henry Chaplin was educated at Harrow and Christ Church Oxford. During his time at Oxford he forged close friendships with the Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward V11, and Sir Frederick Johnstone. Henry Chaplin went down from Oxford in 1860, informing his surprised Dean that he had arranged to go big game hunting in the Rocky Mountains. Chaplin's great uncle, the Right Hon. Edward Ellice, had gone to Canada in 1803 to engage in the fur trade and he assisted the young Chaplin greatly in fulfilling this ambition. Chaplin asked Frederick Johnstone to accompany him on the expedition, but as he was under age it was only permissible providing an older more responsible person went along too. Edward Ellice procured the services of his great friend Dr Rae to act as guardian to the two young men during their trip. In the Spring of 1861 the three men left England for North America, the intention being to shoot buffalo on the plains and ultimately to reach the Rocky Mountains in pursuit of grizzly bear.
Within a few days of reaching New York civil war broke out between the Northern and Southern States. After a further few days the two men,accompanied by Dr Rae, continued their journey northwards towards Toronto. Thirteen days after leaving Toronto they arrived at Fort Gary, later to become Winnipeg, after paddling a canoe, made out of the hollow log of a big tree, along the Red River. During their stay at Fort Gary, which lasted about a month, Dr Rae engaged himself in assembling men and horses in readiness for the trip to the mountains. Their chosen guide was the famous James Mackey. a Scotch half-breed, who made a lasting impression on the young Chaplin.
Then came bitter disappointment. On getting within 150 miles of the Rocky Mountains the party had to turn back, due to Blackfoot Indians, who were on the warpath at the time, making the situation too dangerous to proceed. On the way back through an area known as Moosejaw they came across two salt lakes, of considerable size. Realising they did not appear on his maps, Dr Rae reported the find to the Geographical Society and named them Lake Chaplin and Lake Johnstone in honour of his two young companions.
In 1953 the provincial government decide to rename Lake Johnstone 'Old Wives Lake' because of the significance of the Indian name. However, Henry Chaplin's lake still bears his name to the present day, encompassing nearly 20 square miles, it is the second largest saline body of water in Canada. The lake is visited by 30 species of shorebirds and has a peak count of 67,000 birds in a day using the lake.
For many North American shorebirds, the Chaplin area fulfills their needs, the area is a bounty of delight for the birds. A small settlement known as Chaplin village has grown up on the side of the lake and a census dated 2002 shows the population at 330 and growing.
Prior to 1906 the village of Chaplin was a coal and water point for C.P.R. (Canadian Pacific Railroad), consisting of a box car station and a section house. The nearest settlers lived 30 miles away. In 1906 the first general store appeared, followed in 1908 by a a school being built. In 1912 the longest wooden bridge in Canada was built over Chaplin Lake. The first wedding was performed in Chaplin three years later in 1915.
