Many would be surprised to know that there is a common link between the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), and Sault Ste. Marie. That link was architect Jules Paivio. Jules Paivio was born in Port Arthur (Thunder Bay) to Finnish parents. After graduating from the University of Toronto architecture program in 1952, he moved to Calgary where he worked with J. Stevenson and Associates. In 1955 he moved back east to Sudbury where he began his own architecture practice. In 1957, he moved his practice to Sault Ste. Marie where he operated at 515 Albert Street East. In 1958 Len Ciashini joined Pavio at his firm working as an interior designer. In 1960 he entered into a partnership with then-fledgling architect D. Perry Short, a recent transplant from Glasgow, Scotland. From that point onwards Paivio's firm was known as Paivio and Short. Jules Pavio also had several associate architects working for the firm at various points in time, including Gordon Smedley, who went on to become a partner with Rounwaithe and Associates in the mid-1960s after Jules Pavio left his practice. ![]() During his relatively short time in Sault Ste. Marie, Paivio and his firm designed many notable buildings; mostly education and government infrastructure in the Algoma region. His projects included Northern Heights School, the Wellington West healthcare building, the St. Joseph Island High School, the Collegiate School renovation, the Sault Ste. Marie Humane Society, Parkland School, the Wawa Legion and many school additions and renovations for both the public and private school boards. Pavio's firm did not take on many residential commissions, however he did design the 11 unit apartment complex at the corner of Lake St. and McNabb Street, which was praised at the time of its build for its modernity and trendy colour scheme (Various shades of green with "exotic" tangerine trim). Paivio and then-associate Gordon Smedley jointly worked on designing the mid-century home at 106 Fauquier in 1960, completed in 1961. In addition to many 'new' features like the built-in intercom system, this home was unique as it was one of the first in the Sault designed and built with a fallout shelter. Jules Pavio also deigned his own family home at 19 Riverside Cres. in 1959. In addition to being dedicated to his work, Paivio was very involved in the community during the six years that he lived in Sault Ste. Marie. He was the first elected Chair of the Allied Arts Council from 1959-1961 and organized many arts and culture related events. He was often brought in by various clubs to speak on architecture, history and design. Paivio was also involved with the Algoma Art Society and NOAA and organized several local exhibitions with them. In addition to his contributions to the arts and culture sector, he was also a dedicated member of the local branch of the Lions Club and served on their executive board. On February 1st 1963, he dissolved his partnership with D. Perry Short and moved from the Sault to Toronto. Short remained in the Sault and retained the architecture practice at 515 Albert St. E, eventually moving his practice to Brock St. and partnering with local architect David Ellis in the 1980s. Jules Paivio took on a teaching position at Ryerson University and once again started his own architecture practice, eventually heading the Ryerson architecture program until his retirement in the 1980s. ![]() Although his design work made him locally notable, it was Paivio’s experience from over 20 years prior that brought him Canadian, and worldwide, notability. In 1936, the Republican government in Spain was facing a military coup, led by José Sanjurjo and Emilio Mola, backed by the militaries of Germany and Italy, led by dictators Hitler and Mussolini. Following the deaths of José Sanjurjo and Emilio Mola in 1936 and 1937, Francesco Franco solidified himself as the leader of the Nationalists. Tens of thousands of casualties later, the Spanish Republicans hit a breaking point and reached out for international intervention. The USSR and Mexico supplied aid, and many Canadian and Americans answered this call to arms, including Jules Paivio. In 1937, the Canadian government, alongside other Commonwealth countries, barred foreign enlistment, but this did not deter Canadians from signing up. Paivio was quoted in the Toronto Star as saying; “Britain, France and the US had made a pact of non-intervention. But the non-intervention was on one side only. They closed off the borders to stop men and ammunition from entering Spain to help the (republican) government - but they closed their eyes to the thousands of fascist troops arriving (to Spain) from Germany and Italy.” In 1936, at the young age of 19, Jules Paivio travelled from Sudbury to Toronto, and from Toronto to France. As the Spanish government was not allowing foreigners into Spain, those from North America had to find another way into the country. From France, Pavio and his fellow men were faced with two options: to go on to Spain by boat, or to cross into Spain on foot through the snow-covered Pyrenees. This journey was arduous and dangerous to a well-prepared soldier but Paivio completed the trek on foot… and in dress shoes. ![]() Once in Spain, he quickly learned the horrors of war. Jules Paivio saw active combat almost immediately. He joined the Lincolns of the 15th International Brigade, a group made up of mostly Americans, and fought several battles including Brunete and the assault at Mosquito Ridge. With next to no training, he was quoted as saying “I don’t know how I survived”. After sustaining severe casualties, the Lincoln Brigade disbanded. From there, Paivio joined the freshly formed Canadian Mackenzie Papineau Battalion. The Mackenzie Papineau Battalion, or Mac-Paps, was a battalion of Canadians named for William Lyon Mackenzie and Louis-Joseph Papineau, leaders in the Canadian rebellion one hundred years prior in 1837-1838. Members of the Mac-Paps were namely working-class, a large number being Finnish Canadians and Ukrainian Canadians. The Great Depression left many unemployed, struggling and in turn, politicized. A large percentage of the Mac-Paps were also members of the Communist Party of Canada or like Paivio, the Young Communist League. Many Canadians were also inspired to enlist by the actions of Canadian thoracic surgeon Norman Bethune (The great-grandson of the Bethune buried in Wawa, ON) who was one of the first Canadians to go to Spain. Bethune, a member of the Communist party, was made famous by his mobile blood transfusion service set up in Spain in 1936. He acted on the front lines, bringing blood to wounded soldiers. He returned to Canada to raise money and awareness for the Spanish Republican cause, encouraging Canadians to fight against fascism. ![]() Once in the Mac-Paps, Paivio was quickly promoted to an officer and was training other soldiers. They were ill-prepared, using arms supplied by the Russians as well as the famously unreliable Ross rifles from the First World War. Without shovels, they dug trenches with helmets and spoons. Paivio was an active combatant with the Mac-Paps until April of 1938, when he was captured alongside 37 other Canadians in Spain by Italian militia. They were facing the firing squad, and it seemed like death was imminent. At the last minute, Paivio and 32 others were pulled out of the lineup and instead became hostages. Paivio surmised that it was due to foreigners being more useful as hostages than casualties. He spent months enduring starvation, violence and disease in Spanish internment camps until his eventual release and return to Canada in May 1939, over a year later. Many were not as lucky as Paivio; there are 721 known deaths of Canadians who fought in Spain of the 1546 recorded Mac-Paps, and many who were reported as missing in action. In 1939, the Civil War ended in a loss for the Republicans. The fascist Nationalists were victorious and Franco would continue his dictatorship in Spain until his death in 1975. Although the fight against fascism was an important one, the Canadian government had a deep mistrust of the members of the Mac-Paps. Many of those who volunteered in Spain were rejected from military service during the Second World War. Despite this, and in defiance of that mistrust, Paivio enlisted in the Canadian military and served as a map reader. The Mac-Paps were never formally recognized in Canada and were never entitled to military/veteran benefits or even public recognition until the 1990s. A monument dedicated to the Canadians who fought and died during the Spanish Civil War was erected in Toronto in 1995, and one that Jules Paivio himself directed the construction of was erected in Ottawa in 2001. There are no mentions of the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion in the Peace Tower nor on any federal war memorials/monuments. During the 1960s, CBC Radio interviewed some 60 members of the Mac-Paps about their experiences in Spain, including Paivio, but those interviews went unheard by the public until 2012 likely due to the political climate of the time. CBC, as a government-funded radio station, likely did not want to air the stories of the Mac-Paps in fear of promoting communists/sympathizers amidst the Cold War, so the project was buried. Jules Paivio felt strongly about standing up for what he thought was right and returned to Spain several times later in his life. During the CBC interview in 1965, Paivio stated that "The main thing was a terrible fear of fascism taking over. I didn't expect to come back … but it seemed a worthwhile thing.". In 2011, he was honoured by the Spanish government for his service and was granted honourary citizenship. At the time he was honoured, Paivio was the last surviving Canadian combatant of the Spanish Civil War. He died in 2013. Jules Paivio's outlook on life was identical to his opinion of architecture, it must have meaning. Although Jules Paivio was the last of the Canadian Mac-Paps, his legacy, their legacy, remains in Spain. Destroy fascism That degrader of the people That loved ones torture, butcher others, That inflames to war and such terrors sow That belligerent who awesome threatens, bullies That, from head to foot, armed Even suckling infants to it sacrifice Drunk with dreams, world domination Attacks, destroys, wild with blood Blood it demands In blood it shall itself drown. Strike it down, That Spanish people, and others too A people, fiery strong as steel, and brave, A people, enslaved and exploited So long who on their shoulders Carried the load of their masters Can now at last breathe in freedom In freedom walk the sunny soil of their land, In freedom tend their vineyards In freedom build their homes In freedom, with all the strength of bursting energy Build a new, a happy Spain. An excerpt from “To My Son In Spain” by Jules’ father, Finnish poet Aku Paivio
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What is this blog about?This blog is dedicated to the curious folks, history junkies, and community lovers in Sault Ste. Marie. Posts are researched and written by Museum staff on an ongoing basis.
Dedicated to preserving our local history and displaying it for our community.
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