![]() ![]() It was a financial boost the sisters needed, as they had been struggling to make ends meet in their adult lives. In 1998, the three surviving sisters at the time got an apology and a $4-million settlement from the Ontario government for its role in mismanaging a trust fund meant to support them. In Quintland, the girls were tended to by a team of nurses and were on display for thousands of curious tourists.Īt the time, they were among the most photographed children in the world. (National Archives of Canada/The Canadian Press) The five sisters were a popular attraction for people around the world. The Dionne quintuplets in their train car, on a trip to Toronto in 1939. "It's not normal for a human to be watched like that all the time." ![]() "We went through many things," said Cecile, explaining that although she and Annette have some fond memories of Quintland, it was no way for children to grow up. 'We didn't feel free'ĭuring the Dionnes' time at Quintland, tourists clamoured for a view of the girls playing, singing or dancing in their play yard, and there were countless quint-themed souvenirs for sale. It's not human what happened to us, and we don't want it to happen again with. They were made wards of the Crown and moved into a special nursery and observatory called Quintland, with scheduled viewing times for the public.Ĭecile hopes if the North Bay house is preserved, it can serve as a reminder and a warning against that kind of exploitation of children. When they were four months old, the Ontario government removed the quintuplets from their family and deemed their parents unfit after their father agreed to display them at the Chicago world's fair (he later changed his mind). They were believed to be the first quints ever to survive past infancy. and tells the story of the history of Callander with a special focus on himself and the Dionne quintuplets.The birth of the quintuplets in 1934 became one of the most sensational news events in history. Today, his home is the Callander Bay Heritage Museum and Alex Dufresne Gallery in Callander, Ontario. He died on 2 June 1943 at age 60 from pneumonia and complications from cancer, and is buried at Park Lawn Cemetery in Toronto. Dafoe-Mass Deliveries") was condescending and against the best interests of the quintuplets such, in fact, eventually being used by the quints' father, Oliva, in his subsequent case to reclaim custody.ĭafoe was awarded an Order of the British Empire for his work with the Dionne quintuplets. Christian, which had a long run on radio.ĭafoe's induction into the Circus Saints and Sinners Club of New York as "Doctor of Litters" in 1938 drew much criticism from French-Canadian groups who suggested such an honour (howbeit facetious he arrived in a Rural Free Delivery wagon emblazoned "A. When Dafoe blocked the idea of continuing the series, Hersholt created Dr. John Luke, a character based on Dafoe, and there were two sequels: Reunion (1936) and Five of a Kind (1938). In The Country Doctor (1936), a movie starring the quints, Jean Hersholt portrayed Dr. He became wealthy from his pay as guardian and from multiple commercial endorsements and speaking fees. Once the quints were born, Dafoe became one of their guardians, and he devoted little work to his medical practice, turning it over to others. Souvenir stands and other concessions surrounded the area where the quints lived. This was generally approved of at the time, but later generated criticism for the sideshow atmosphere it produced. There was no charge to this, so it did not give the impression to the viewers they were exploiting the children. In response to public interest, a special nursery was built for the children where the curious members of the public viewed them. He continued to help care for the children for years, and became something of a celebrity in the onslaught of media attention. On he assisted in the multiple births of the Dionne family, that saw the survival of the mother and all the children. He trained in the same profession and, in early 1909, he went into practice in Callander, Ontario, where he resided for the rest of his life. Biography ĭafoe was born in Madoc, Ontario, the son of a physician Dr William Allan Dafoe. Allan Roy Dafoe, OBE ( – 2 June 1943) was a Canadian obstetrician, best known for delivering and caring for the Dionne quintuplets, the first quintuplets known to survive early infancy. ![]()
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