Community spirit was alive and well in East Ferris on the weekend as the Winter Family Fun Event brought out the best in the municipality despite the COVID-19 restrictions.
Several contests were organized for the Family Day weekend to help mark the 100th anniversary of the township and take the sting out of not being able to hold 50th annual East Ferris Winter Carnival. They even borrowed the Bonhomme outfit and mask for a Centennial version of the poplar character played by a familiar volunteer, Will Ball, revealed at the event conclusion Monday.
A virtual ‘Family Feud’ game tournament took place via Zoom and live-streamed on the East Ferris YouTube channel and there were 15 participants in the ice sculpture contest. On Lake Nosbonsing, a four-kilometre cross-country skiing circuit was set up, along with a snowshoe oval of one kilometre with community trivia questions posted in intervals.
“It was a close game,” Mayor Pauline Rochefort said of the virtual Family Feud final where the Cornick team topped the Giroux entry. Rochefort was impressed with the Cornicks’ engaging spirit with team members wearing costumes and wigs. And she credited the moderators and technical talent of Nancy Best, Kim Rose, Joanne St. Denis and Councillor Rick Champagne for making it a success.
Doug Howe, of Astorville Road, took the top spot among the ice sculpture contest participants with his fire-fighting concept that featured a hydrant connected to a coupler by a 30-foot hose.
“It was perfect, he added colour and very good detail,” Rochefort said Tuesday. Placing second was the Trahan/MacKenzie family with the Weiskopf/Tran clan taking third. Honourable mention went to the McEachern submission.
Not placing in the top three was the St. Thomas D’Aquin Parish, although its large, long mural received a lot of attention.
A puzzle contest was won by the Melanie Corbeil family while the Keats took second and Wozney clan third.
Rochefort said they also unveiled Boutique 1921 at the community centre beside the Canada Post office. Hoodies, cups, toques, pins and other collectibles with the new East Ferris logo, as well as the Corbeil and Astorville history books, are for sale Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. For photos of the items and hours of operation, see the East Ferris website.
The winter carnivals actually started in the 1960s and were held in both Astorville and Corbeil before combining to be the East Ferris event beginning in 1971.
Dave Dale is a Local Journalism Reporter with BayToday.ca. LJI is funded by the Government of Canada.
