By: Pauline Rochefort.
East Ferris Mayor Bill Vrebosch describes Astorville as "not just a place, but a feeling"!
That feeling is exactly what is described in the book "Astorville – notre chez-nous / our home", released on yesterday evening at a well-attended community gathering at the East Ferris Public Library.
The book is the story of Astorville.
It captures the life that has existed on the western shores of Lake Nosbonsing, and of the people who made it their home.
It situates Astorville’s history within the larger context of Ontario and Canada’s history, and looks at the village’s more recent history and development
The book concludes with a few remarks on the bright future that awaits this Francophone community.
What makes this book extra special is that it gathers the work of local authors, storytellers and photographers. It is rare that the life of a community is told by so many and in such an active way.
With multiple interviews, the book integrates the voices of many local people. A recurring theme from these interviews is that Astorville is “home.”
Following are some quotes from the book.
“The village is all hills: the côte croche, the big hill, the little hill by the store, the hill by the cemetery.” – Germaine Perron
“It’s a village of brotherhood and solidarity.” - Paul Rochefort
“We are really lucky to live in a community with so much natural beauty. Plus we have many services including a general store, a hardware and lumber store, a church, a French school, a community centre with an arena and curling club, a tennis court, a library, ski trails, a lake and so much more. People are nice! It gives us a taste of heaven.” Roberta Bédard, Lorraine Carr, Jeannine Labrecque Dawon, Élise Larochelle, Carole Perron, Lucie Miller and Carmen Weiskopf.
“It’s home. It’s just a wonderful place to live. Case in point: of the 30 firefighters, only five were born here. Twenty-five people moved in and thought enough of the community to volunteer, to put themselves in harm’s way. It says a lot about the character of the community.” – Terry and Lois Kelly
Telling 130 years of history is no small feat! But book sales confirm that the writing committee composed of Emily Weiskopf-Ball, Lora Well, Gisèle Reed and Pauline Rochefort have put together a book worth reading! It is supported with a virtual Walking Tour of the village that is live at www.astorvilleenfete.com.
Copies of the book are available at the East Ferris Public Library. Call 705-752-2042.
