Do you remember the Dionne quints? Five identical girls born near the village of Corbeil, ON in 1934.
Never before at this time had quintuplets survived infancy so the place and the story of the girls became a sensation for all.
The story of course went badly when they were made wards of the Ontario government because of the financial straits of the Dionne family and other concerns. According to reports, they became such a tourist attraction at the time that at the height of their popularity, they generated roughly $500 million in income for the province and their draw surpassed other big attractions including Niagara Falls.
Today, however only 2 of them are still alive and there has been a five year long grassroots campaign to keep their birth home which is currently located in North Bay, ON to another location in the community — the second move for the historic log cabin. (Below)
The home, whose fate had been in limbo since it closed to the public two years ago, is set to be hauled., to a waterfront park in the city today.
A spokesperson for the two surviving quintuplets, Cecile and Annette Dionne, says the women are proud that a key monument of their childhood — and of Canadian history — is being preserved.
A proposal to have the log cabin moved to a nearby community and the related artifacts handed over to museums or universities sparked public outcry last fall, with the sisters among those opposing the plan.
City officials decided in April to sell the land the home is on and use the money, an estimated $150,000, to move the building roughly two kilometres downtown.
But though the home’s whereabouts are now secure, its future remains up in the air. No date has been set for its reopening, and the Dionne sisters have urged governments to ensure consistent funding for its operation.
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