Lorain Journal Front Page – Sept. 9, 1936

Ninety years ago today, the front page of the Lorain Journal of September 9, 1936 was reporting on the latest presidential polling (it favored Alf Landon) and a growing number of traffic deaths. 

But setting aside those news items, what interested me were the photos of Quintupletland (later shortened to just Quintland) – where the Canadian government basically turned the Dionne Quintuplets into the country's biggest tourist attraction. It's a sad tale of how the girls were taken from their parents and exploited, changing their lives forever. They were put on display like a circus act.

According to a Wiki entry, "The Dionne quintuplets spent much of their childhood at the centre of Quintland, a government-operated tourist attraction built around the Dafoe Nursery. Constructed through a Canadian Red Cross fundraising campaign, the nursery became the centerpiece of one of Canada's largest tourist attractions during the Great Depression. 

"From 1935 until the sisters returned to their family in 1943, millions of people travelled to Northern Ontario to observe them. When public visits first began, tourists viewed the quintuplets through a window of the Dafoe Nursery. Their caregivers soon concluded that this arrangement upset the girls, who became excited when visitors arrived and distressed when they left. Asking visitors to remain quiet proved ineffective, and the sisters were initially exhibited four times each day. 

"The public observatory opened on Canada Day in 1936, when the sisters were two years old. Visitors passed through a covered arcade surrounding the nursery's outdoor playground, where the girls were brought outside for scheduled public viewings. The playground formed part of the nursery compound, which was enclosed by a seven-foot (7 feet (2.1 m)) barbed-wire fence. 

"Visitors were instructed to remain silent, not speak to the girls, continue moving to avoid congestion, and refrain from taking photographs. The sisters were not exhibited during poor weather. Although one-way screens were intended to prevent noise and distraction, they functioned more like frosted glass. 

"The girls knew they were being watched because they could hear the screams and laughter of the crowds, even if they could not clearly see them. Only five people were permitted in a room with the quintuplets at one time, and anyone admitted was sprayed with disinfectant. 

"Approximately 3,000 people visited Quintland each day, and almost three million passed through the observation gallery between 1936 and 1943. Hundreds of automobiles arrived daily, and ample parking was provided for visitors. At its height, Quintland surpassed the Canadian side of Niagara Falls to become Ontario's largest tourist attraction." 

Why am I interested in their story? Because during my married years, most of our annual vacations were spent in North Bay, Ontario, Canada (which is about four hours north of Toronto) visiting my wife's grandmother. North Bay is right next door to Callander, where the quintuplets were born. In fact, the cabin that they were born in was eventually moved to North Bay as a tourist attraction/museum. I went through it many times over the years.

To make it even more interesting, my wife's grandmother even did some sewing for the Dionne family. 

So I spent a lot of time in North Bay over the years, and came away with real affection for the place, and Canada in general.