Building a better tomorrow, together with Earth Day Canada, Aviva Canada is taking action on climate change and helping to build stronger, more resilient communities by investing in public charging stations for electric vehicles. Charged for Change is a program that funds public electric vehicle (EV) charging installations in communities across Canada with limited or no access to EV infrastructure. Join us as we celebrate the unique stories of our Charged for Change communities, in the Municipality of East Ferris, Ontario, as they transition towards electric mobility.
Nipissing’s East Ferris, Ontario - 46.267°N 79.300°W
Nestled between Trout Lake to the North and Lake Nosbonsing to the South, the rolling hills and plains intermingle in the rural and residential regions of East Ferris. Trout Lake, the source of the Mattawa River, connects us to history, as the river played a significant role in the voyageur route, where the swashbuckling Caesars of the North plied their fur trading adventures from the 17th century and onward.
A living Indigenous history
History lives on in East Ferris, as a modern-day treaty is in the works with the Algonquin land claim, covering a staggering “territory of 36,000 square kilometres in eastern Ontario, an area with more than 1.2 million people.”1 As it goes through its final stages, the treaty would be the largest of its kind in Ontario. As “there were 26 petitions by Algonquin communities to negotiate a treaty between 1772 and 1993,”2 it’s been centuries in the works and would make for a historical moment indeed.
The settlement of East Ferris
In 1615, Samuel de Champlain is noted as one of the first Europeans to explore the area around East Ferris. As mentioned earlier, the area was part of the famed voyageur route which saw its beginnings in the 1680’s. Though it served as more of a pit stop for the canoe crew. Settlement in the region began with the villages of Astorville and Corbeil. In Astorville, lumber barons brought in lumber workers to the area. However, they were mostly transient. Settlement didn’t take hold until 1883 when settlers like Cléophas Robert from the Charlevoix region of Quebec and Joseph Guillemette from Quebec's Eastern Townships moved in. With more settlers from St-Irénée - Les Éboulements joining shortly afterwards, the small settlement began to take root by 1885. In 1887 a chapel was built and in 1892 Separate School Section No. 2 Ferris was organized3. Over in Corbeil, which was originally called “Grit”, settlement began when brothers Jean-Baptiste and Joseph Corbeil built a sawmill. By 1900, the village had its own post office4 and was home to a growing community.
A high-five to Corbeil
On May 28, 1934, parents Oliva and Elzire Dionne welcomed five new members to their family with the birth of the famed Dionne quintuplets. Born premature, Émilie, Yvonne, Cécile, Marie, and Annette were the first know quintuplets to survive past a few days, thanks to their doctor Allan Roy Dafoe and “the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, which quickly made available to Dafoe quantities of mother’s milk and modern incubators and other equipment.”5 There must be something in the water in Corbeil, as it was also home to Canada’s oldest living person, Marie-Louise Meilleur, who passed at the age of 117 in 1998. She was 54 when the Dionne Quints were born.
Things to do in East Ferris
Hiking: Throw on your boots and hit stunning trails in the natural wonderland of the area. Explore the woods, wetlands, and the wildlife. There are countless hiking options as you step out into nature.
Fishing: all year long, Lake Nosbonsing is a great place to relax and come across many fishes like muskie, pike, pickerel, walleye.
East Ferris Winter Carnival: Music, food, broomball, hockey, and curling bring out the best of winter fun. It’s all made special with a visit from the Bonhomme de Neige.
Charged for Change: Public charging stations and infrastructure for electric vehicles
We’re thrilled to have been welcomed to the Municipality of East Ferris to fund the installation of EV charging stations, allowing climate-conscious drivers to charge their vehicles amongst the beautiful landscapes of the Nipissing region.
Stay tuned for our next EV journey to another Charged for Change municipality, the Town of Thessalon, Ontario. Visit Charged for Change: Bringing electric vehicle charging infrastructure to your community (aviva.ca) to learn more.
1 The Algonquin land claim | ontario.ca
2 Algonquin Treaty questions answered in East Ferris - North Bay News (baytoday.ca)
3 Astorville Celebrates - Home (astorvilleenfete.com)
4 Rural Routes Ontario - Corbeil
5 Dionne quintuplets | Canadian Medical Miracle | Britannica
