| Notes |
- After their wedding, Zoe and Octave only remained in Quebec for a shorttime, probably about two years. They then made the tremendous move from their hometown in Quebec all the way to the western shore of Lake Simcoe in Ontario. Although exact reasons may never be known, we can speculate that they made the move in order to reap the benefits of the growing lumber industry. Many of the large lumbercompanies in Ontario were in desperate need of hands to cut trees and operate their their mills. One of these lumber magnates was Henry W. SAGE, who opened a large mill at Belle Ewart, in Simcoe County, Ontario, in 1852, and was widely known as "King of the Trade." Word travelled to Quebec and many French-Canadians migrated for work to mills throughout Ontario. The Sage and McGraw Mill at Belle Ewart appears to have become the new GREGOIRE home. Zoeand Octave's second child was born in March 1866 in Quebec and their third child was born in May 1868 in Belle Ewart. This means the familymigrated during this time, most likely in the summer of 1866 or 1867. They were enumerated in the Census reports of April 1871, living in Innisfil Township, Ontario. 1871 was also the year Zoe and Octave became godparents to Charles GOUETT, the sonoffamily friends John GOUETT and Philomene PELLETIER. In addition, 1871 was the year that Octave was recorded in the Dominion Directory as being a laborer living in Belle Ewart. At that time, Belle Ewart was a flourishing village with a populationof600. Octave's sister Caroline GREGOIRE also appears to have moved with them to Ontario, perhaps as an aide with the children, perhaps to open new doors for her own future. Over the next several years, she became godmother to some of the family'syoungsters. At some point, Caroline married a man named Jules BOURGEOIS. Caroline was born in 1840 and died in1917. Jules died on 21 December 1910 at age 70. Both of them were buried in St Ann'sCemetery in Penetanguishene.
The GREGOIRE family remained in Belle Ewart at least through March 1872, before moving again. By this time, the stands of pine in that area had dwindled significantly. Further north in Simcoe County was the relatively young Georgian Bay Lumber Company, which had recently purchased more timber rights in northern Ontario and promised great growth. The Georgian Bay Lumber Company was headquartered in Barrie, the county seat of Simcoe, and had a central mill in Waubaushene. The Georgian Bay Lumber Company was so named because of its prominence in the Georgian Bay area. The Georgian Bay is the large, northeastern arm of Lake Huron, and is about 124 miles long and 50 miles wide. It is partially separated from Lake Huron by Manitoulin Islandand by the Bruce Peninsula. Numerous rivers, which drain the lake regions of southern Ontario, empty into the Bay. It is today linked with Lake Ontario by the Trent Canal system. Georgian Bay has a very irregular shoreline. Limestone cliffs line the western shore. Numerous bays, inlets, sounds, and islands mark the eastern shore, which cuts into the Canadian Shield. Modern vacationers frequent many of the islands, including the Thirty Thousand Islands and those of the Georgian Bay Islands National Park. Forestry has long been animportant industry in the region surrounding the Bay. The Bay was sighted in 1612 by the French explorer Etienne BRULÉ, the first viewing by a Caucasian. The Bay was laternamed for King George IV of Great Brità16 milieux défav's18 Rivitab» «tab»ain.
So the family moved once again, possibly by train, from Belle Ewart, through Barrie and Orillia, to Waubaushene. Zoe and Octave are confirmed to be in Waubaushene in February 1874, when their daughter was born. Inthe 1881 Census, they were recordedin Tay Township, Ontario. Octave was no doubt among the vast majority of residents who were millworkers earning between $25 and $35 per month. Waubaushene eventually became thelargest of the mill villages and also the most attractive. The charmingand neat little community held about 500 inhabitants, including about36 families. Each company-built house was laid out nicely and surrounded by a white picket fence. Temperance was the rule of the day in the strongly Protestant town. Our French-Canadian ancestors must have felt alittle out of place.
Between 1880 and 1883, the family moved again, this time just the relatively short distance to Port Severn, just to the north-northeast of Waubaushene. Their reason for this is unclear. Perhaps they felt more comfortable living among other French-Canadians instead of among the mostly-British Protestants in Waubaushene. By the 1930s, nearly all of the 200 or more residents of Port Severn were French-Canadian. Perhaps their sons were working in the Port Severn Mill or Octave was offered a better job there.
Zoe and Octave had nine children in all, although three of them were lost early in life. Zoe then died sometime after the 1881 Census, perhapsas the result of the birth of her last child in June 1883. It is unknown for sure when or where she died or where she was laid to rest, but she definitely passed away prior to September 1887, when Octave married again.
She had 10 children
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1842 - vers 1887 (44 ans)
