Landscaping and construction in Corbeil

The short version

Corbeil vs North Bay: what changes on a Corbeil build

Edwards Landscape & Construction builds the same five services in both places. These are the parts that are not the same.

Every property here is on septic

East Ferris states it plainly: all properties within the municipality are building on private septic systems. There is no municipal sewer and no municipal water anywhere in East Ferris, and every septic permit is reviewed and issued by the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority rather than the municipality.

For landscaping and excavation that is the single biggest practical difference from a City of North Bay job. A patio, driveway, retaining wall, pool or addition has to be laid out around the septic bed and its clearances before anything else is decided. Under the Building Code a leaching bed needs five metres from a structure and three from a property line, and a tank needs a metre and a half from a structure. Building over or too close to a bed also removes the access needed to replace it later.

There is a second trigger worth knowing: a renovation that increases the size of a house by 15 percent or more requires notification to the conservation authority and a review of the septic file. East Ferris also runs a mandatory pump-out by-law.

Corbeil is one of two villages in East Ferris

Corbeil does not have its own census figure, because it is not a separate census subdivision. It is one of two designated settlement areas in the Municipality of East Ferris, alongside Astorville, and growth is directed to both through plans of subdivision. The municipality as a whole has 4,946 residents across 151.94 square kilometres, with about 2,172 dwellings of which roughly 13 percent are seasonal.

Corbeil sits on the La Vase River, on Highway 94, between Trout Lake to the north and Lake Nosbonsing to the southeast. About 19 percent of residents have French as a mother tongue.

Rolling ground, and the hazards the official plan names

East Ferris is Canadian Shield country with glacially deposited soils and rolling topography. Rather than guess at soil profiles, it is more useful to look at what the municipality's own official plan legislates for, because that tells you what is actually out there: it carries policies for unstable slopes, steep slopes, organic soils, marshland and exposed bedrock, and prohibits development on unstable or steep slopes unless acceptable engineering techniques are used to mitigate the hazard.

That is a fair description of what an excavation contractor meets here: ground that changes character across a single property, with rock in some places and soft organic material in others.

Waterfront between two lakes

East Ferris lies between Trout Lake and Lake Nosbonsing, and both carry a real waterfront market. Lake Nosbonsing runs roughly 11 kilometres by 5, sits at 237 metres above sea level, and drains northeast via the Kaibuskong River toward the Mattawa and the Ottawa.

Shoreline work here sits under the conservation authority, whose permit list includes placing or excavating fill, installing culverts, shoreline breakwalls, and landscaping that involves filling, re-grading or adding hardscape and retaining walls. The municipality enforces minimum septic setbacks on Trout Lake, Lake Nosbonsing and inflowing streams; the specific distances are worth confirming with the municipality for a given lot rather than assuming a number.

Where the Dionne quintuplets were actually born

Worth getting right, because almost everyone gets it wrong. The Dionne quintuplets were born on 28 May 1934 in a farmhouse at Corbeil, not in Callander. Callander was the town where their doctor, Allan Roy Dafoe, kept his practice, which is why the association usually lands in the wrong place.

The birth home is no longer in Corbeil either. It was moved out in the 1980s, relocated again to North Bay's waterfront in November 2017, and reopened as a museum in 2019. Highway 94, the road through Corbeil, was assumed as a provincial highway in 1937 specifically to provide access to the Dionne home.

How much does landscaping cost in Corbeil in 2026

Edwards Landscape & Construction projects run between $2,000 and $50,000 depending on scope. In Corbeil the septic bed usually decides the design before cost does. Where the bed sits, where its setbacks fall, and whether future access to it is preserved will often determine where a patio or driveway can go at all. Every quote is fixed and in writing after an on-site visit, with site conditions flagged before the number is given. Edwards Landscape & Construction holds a 5.0 rating across 20 Google reviews and backs every build with a 3-year workmanship warranty.

Where to find a landscaping and construction contractor near you in Corbeil

Edwards Landscape & Construction covers Corbeil and the rest of East Ferris, about 20 minutes east of North Bay. It is a rural residential and lakeshore market, mostly year-round, with a median age of 48 and a strong commuter relationship with the city.

• Corbeil village, on Highway 94 and the La Vase River.
• Astorville, the municipality's second settlement area.
• Lake Nosbonsing shoreline, waterfront and seasonal property.
• Trout Lake south shore, toward the North Bay boundary.
• Corbeil Conservation Area, and the rural roads through the La Vase floodplain.

What Edwards builds in Corbeil

All five services, adapted to what Corbeil ground and Corbeil approvals require.

• Landscaping: grading, sod and seed, garden beds, planting, and property restoration.
• Hardscaping: interlock driveways, paver patios, walkways, steps, and retaining walls built for freeze-thaw.
• Excavation and drainage: site prep, foundations, French drains, and grading that moves water away from the building.
• Home renovations: interior and exterior work, decks, and additions.
• Construction: full builds and structural work, with permits and trades coordinated by one contractor.

Corbeil is one of nine areas on the full Edwards service area list, which sets out what changes from one community to the next.

Corbeil FAQ

Corbeil questions, answered