'This is home': East Ferris community celebrates centennial milestone
A town near North Bay is celebrating its 100th anniversary this weekend.
With a population just over 4,800 people, residents of East Ferris love their township and are thrilled to join in the celebrations today.
“This is home for us. I’m a fourth generation here in East Ferris. I have very, very deep roots,” said resident Michel Champagne.
While the municipality’s official anniversary is Dec. 26, the township wanted to celebrate before the holidays began.
“The community is very close. Everybody knows everybody. It’s so nice to live out here,” explained resident Lucille Voyer.
As told through a video playing at the ceremony, the area carries a storied history.
From the First Nations to the first settlers and explorers, East Ferris has gone through many changes.In 1921, the Township of Ferris was split into the Township of East and West Ferris.
In 2010, the township was renamed to a municipality.
“East Ferris has a very special history. It is built on family and that is unique,” said Mayor Pauline Rochefort.
The municipality held a gathering and centennial celebration along with a lunch buffet and there will be fireworks in the evening.
“People care about you in this municipality and they are very much welcoming,” said resident of 17 years Doug Hay. “To East Ferris, happy birthday.”
Throughout the year, the town has been holding small celebrations. A new logo of a loon swimming behind a sunset, and slogan,“East Ferris Our Home” were shown off as well as the design of the new municipal building which is set to open sometime next year.
“Since 2006, the councils of East Ferris have been on a journey to build a new facility for the municipality. Our current premises is outdated and obsolete,” said Rochefort.
As part of the celebrations, group of actors performed a play called “Our Home” looking back from 1885-1921 at how the municipality came to be.
“It’s an opportunity to see how we grew back from the 1800s, how the logging started and how CN Rail got here,” said actor Rick Champagne.
While the municipality and its people celebrate the past and present, its residents look to the future of what it will look like in the years ahead.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.