An extensive series of interviews with local residents and a reconstruction of local news and events as chronicled in The Nugget newspaper, among other sources, allow Noël to bring to life the daily routines and celebrations that were a part of family life in rural and urban settings from Mattawa to North Bay. Family life was not lived in isolation, and she also reveals the rich community life that developed in shared social spaces like schools and churches, and through community groups. What people did for fun may have been frivolous but it was not trivial: accounts of shared leisure activities, popular sports, and community festivals such as Old Home Week provide important insights into the structure and value of community life.

Françoise Noël is a professor of history at Nipissing University. Through her photography and by visiting local scenic spots she has became intimately familiar with the Nipissing area. Françoise is the author of Family and Community Life in Northeastern Ontario. She lives in North Bay, Ontario.

Françoise Noël's profile page