Eloy Farm
When the museum put together the “Farms of North Bay” exhibit, the image above was the only known photo of Eloy Farm. It is reproduced from a 1940 edition of the Family Herald and Weekly Star. Since then, two other photos (shown below) have been donated to the North Bay Museum.
The Eloy family came from France in 1895, and two years later settled on Lot 23, Concession C, Widdifield Township. Eventually the farm stretched from Gormanville Road west to Duchesnay Creek, and from Highway 17 over the lip of the escarpment (500 acres, 200 acres cultivated and 300 in rough pasture and woodlot). The family consisted of the Eloy parents, their five sons and four daughters (none of whom ever married).
The farm’s large dairy herd supplied milk for retail milk routes in the city, while a flock of 1500 hens supply the eggs that were sold from the milk wagons. Garden crops included potatoes, turnips, carrots and beets.
When the last of the Eloy family left the farm, it was sold and the proceeds were given to the Catholic Church. The land has since been used for Canadore College and Nipissing University residences, and the Regional Health Centre.
Memories of… Brown Milk and Potatoes
“I began working at Eloy’s farm when I was 12 (well, really 11 1/2) during weekends and summers. When we harvested potatoes, I rode on the back of the tractor-drawn potato harvester. Covered with dust and sweat, I moved the bags as they were filled, and placed the empties to receive the tumbling potatoes from the belt.
At break, Louis Eloy directs us boys to the dairy barn where we were offered “brown” milk (chocolate) to have with our bag lunches. I worked there until I was 16 and left to work on the railroad.”
— Len Fournier
Eloy’s Farm circa 1983. North Bay Nugget Photograph
Eloy’s Farm from Hill, circa 1957. Photograph by William Forder