Azilda Azilda gets its name from Azilda Bélanger (née Brisebois), the first female pioneer of the area and wife of Joseph Bélanger, mayor of Rayside from 1899 to 1900 and again in 1905. She was well known in the town, especially for her healing abilities. The town had originally applied for the name Ste-Azilda until it was realized that there was no saint with that name. The community borders the shores of
Whitewater Lake, except for its most western portion. Municipal Road 35, linking Azilda to downtown Sudbury, has been increased from two lanes to four lanes, which has improved the commute for Azilda's workers, who are mostly employed in the city's urban core. In addition, it shortens the travel time for tourists hoping to visit
Sudbury Downs, which is located in the outskirts of Azilda. There are plans to complete the widening of Municipal Road 35 between Azilda and
Chelmsford, on which construction began in 2019 and is scheduled to be completed in 2020. On September 12, 1906, Azilda was the site of a train wreck. While the population is still growing, there are no industries other than basic agriculture (corn, potatoes, beans) and horticulture. Much of the workforce travels to Sudbury to work, often in the primary industries such as mining. Azilda's telephone and postal service also includes the smaller local neighbourhood of
Bélangerville. Azilda has its own flag that was revealed in 2021.
Chelmsford Founded in 1868,
Chelmsford started out as an outpost on the
Canadian Pacific Railway. Some say it was named by a Canadian Pacific Railway engineer from the
United Kingdom, after the city of
Chelmsford in
Essex. As with many communities in
Northern Ontario,
logging and
fur trapping were the first industries. Having depleted the lumber in the early 1900s, Chelmsford turned to mining and agriculture to support the town's economy. Errington Mine and Nickel Offset mine were two of the largest mines in Chelmsford and both closed in the 1930s. In 1909, Chelmsford was separately incorporated as a town. It retained this status until 1968, when it was reamalgamated with the township of Balfour. Today, Chelmsford has no major industries and is mostly a residential community. Although there are still some farms producing mostly
potatoes, small
fruits and
corn, it is mostly supported by the mining activities in the nearby communities of
Onaping Falls and
Copper Cliff. Postal delivery and telephone service in Chelmsford also includes the smaller neighbourhoods of
Boninville and
Larchwood. Chelmsford is host to an annual fiddle festival, Fiddle Works, in May.
Boninville Boninville is located on the border with Valley-East in the Rayside Township. The name was created from two prominent farming families in the area: Bonin and Rainville. The main intersection is at Montée Rouleau and Rue St-Laurent. The area is known for potato farming. The families are French-Canadian and worship at the Roman Catholic Church Notre-Dame-du-Très-Saint-Rosaire in Blezard Valley. ==Languages==