History of Farr Island
First Nations first used the island hundreds of years ago, although the original name has been lost over time. Back then the lake level was lower, and so the island was most likely a presqu’ile attached to the main land. It likely served as a resting and meeting area for First Nations people travelling on Lake Temiskaming, as it was located at the mouth of Mill Creek, an important watercourse in the development of the region. Some people can still feel a spiritual presence when visiting or staying on the island.
At the end of the 19th century, Captain Percy, captain of the Meteor, used to get wood from the island to feed his ship’s boiler. At that time the island was known as Percy Island. If you go to the southwest corner of the island, you will see a large steel anchoring ring on top the bedrock. The anchoring device was probably used for the Meteor or to temporary anchor wood rafts. Locals also called the island ‘Gull Island’ and this is sometime still true today.
At the beginning of the century, the story was that the island was given by the Government of Ontario to C. C. Farr, the founder of Haileybury, for his work and dedication in the development of the Temiskaming region. In reality, the island was purchased by the C.C. Farr’s wife in Louise Georgina Probyn in 1905 for the amount of $30. The island was then renamed Farr Island. At the time, this island was approximately 6 acres in size. Since then, the water level has been brought up due to the Temiskaming dam complex and the size of the island is now more around 4 acres. The dam system was built to control the water level in Lake Temiskaming upstream and the flow of the Ottawa River Downstream.
The island always stayed in the Farr family until it was acquired by the Presidents’ Suites in 2014. The island was acquired from Gordon and Stuart Hayward who were C. C. Farr’s great-grand children.
Jean Paull’s Dream: A Botanical Park on the Island
Jean Paull (1945 - 2009) was a resident of Haileybury who had a dream of developing a botanical park on Farr Island. Thinking that the island was crown land, he started to work on his dream in 2002. However, in 2006 he was advised that he was trespassing on private property. The island was a private property – he had been squatting the island without knowing it. He stopped and left. His dream collapsed. Jean died in 2009 at the age of 64.
Jean Paull’s vision for a botanical park on the island is described in his diary:
I had plans to make a Botanical Park to place flower rock planters along the Island shoreline and along the various trails in key locations. To have picnic tables at the north and south end of the Island for people to use. Make a large tee-pee at the south end of the Island. The tee-pee represents the first Nation People during the early years of the area. People will be able to use the tee-pee or my tent-cabin to use as a camp. I also hope to install a coin- operated field glass like they have at Niagara Falls at Lookout Point where people may have a close-up view of Haileybury, New Liskeard and Notre-Dame du Nord. Have outhouses for the public to use at the north, and south end of the Island. And something for the little children, like installing a miniature dwarf village by the Enchanted Forest. Lastly, make a docking wharf for boats on the western side of the Island. This project I believe will take me five years to complete. I hope to really get started on this project next spring when I will be on my retirement pension and move to the Island so that I can dedicate my full time on it.
Most people whom I have talked about it, at least here in Haileybury, seem to like the idea of a botanical park for the Island. It would also be nice for school outings as part of their education on local history, on wild flowers and horticulture, or to just have a fun day on the Island.
In the meantime, come and spend a few hours, a day or even a weekend on the island during the summer and winter months. In the event people encounter a boat breakdown or a severe storm, people can try to get to the island if they happen to be in the area and use the facilities in an emergency. While you are on the Island, you can have a pleasant time walking the trails that have have been cut out. Have a good time on the Island, after all, it belongs to everyone to enjoy.
In the early 2000s, Jean Paull had developed a private web site to promote the region, to share his vision on various topics and to document a personal diary. The last update to the web site was done on December 17, 2009. Back in those days, this was a very innovative endeavour.
Read more from Jean Paull’s diary here:
The Temiskaming Rift Valley has many stories waiting to be told. From world class silver and gold mining camps, diamond bearing kimberlites, disjunct Paleozoic fossiliferous limestones, rich boreal forest landscape, the boundary of two major geological tectonic provinces, and exposed post-glacial lake bottoms, we invite you to discover a very unique geology, lying there in front of your eyes. By learning and visiting areas of Temiskaming, you will become come to appreciate the geology, this story unknown to so many. We invite you to visit the Temiskamingriftvalley.ca web site to learn more about our geology. A visit to the Fossilarium, located in Notre-Dame-du-Nord is always a hit for families. Several books have also been writing on the subject.
A major regional initiative, the Temiskaming Rift Valley Aspiring Geopark, is still in the early stages of its development. The main goal of the project is to become recognize as a fully accredited UNESCO Global Geopark.
