Callandar Bay Heritage Museum
Callandar, Ont.
July 11, 2026
History of the Property
In 1883, a 100 acre lot was awarded to George Kilby by the Crown. Kilby settled in Callandar in 1883 but he did not develop the property. In 1886, he sold the lot to Silas Huntington. Huntington was a Methodist missionary who is credited with reaching many northern communities. Like Kilby, Huntington did not develop the property. In May 1904, he sold the lot to John McBurney. McBurney was a lumber mill operator and owned his own mill - McBurney's Lumber Mill (the present site of Centennial Park). McBurney would build a six-room house on the lot. In March 1910, the property was purchased by John Darling, who was also a lumber entrepreneur.
The next individual to purchase the property was Dr. Allan Roy Dafoe, in June 1914. The Doctor used this home as his office and private residence. The two front rooms were used for his practice. Dr. Dafoe would add a kitchen dining area to the east side of the house and then a reading room on the westerly side. The Dafoe family would reside in the house until 1943. Arthur Dunlop would purchase the property in 1943. Henry and Jacqueline White then purchased the property in 1967. The White's owned the property until 1979
In 1979, Alex Dufresne - the town barber, convinced the town council to purchase the building and turn it into a community museum. Dufresne donated his photograph collections, various antiques and his actual barbershop (chairs, sinks, mirrors, etc.) to start the museum's collection. In 1994, an addition was added and named the Alex Dufresne Galley. This space hosts five different art exhibitions each year, featuring local and area artists.
The next individual to purchase the property was Dr. Allan Roy Dafoe, in June 1914. The Doctor used this home as his office and private residence. The two front rooms were used for his practice. Dr. Dafoe would add a kitchen dining area to the east side of the house and then a reading room on the westerly side. The Dafoe family would reside in the house until 1943. Arthur Dunlop would purchase the property in 1943. Henry and Jacqueline White then purchased the property in 1967. The White's owned the property until 1979
In 1979, Alex Dufresne - the town barber, convinced the town council to purchase the building and turn it into a community museum. Dufresne donated his photograph collections, various antiques and his actual barbershop (chairs, sinks, mirrors, etc.) to start the museum's collection. In 1994, an addition was added and named the Alex Dufresne Galley. This space hosts five different art exhibitions each year, featuring local and area artists.
Dr. Allan Roy Dafoe
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Allan Roy Dafoe as born on May 29, 1883 in Madoc, Ontario. He trained as a physician and in early 1909 he went into practice in Callandar, Ont. On September 16, 1914 he married Bertha Leila Morrison. Bertha was a Red Cross nurse whom he often worked with. Together they would have two children: An un-named stillborn child (1915) and a son, William Allan VanDeusen Dafoe (1917-2003). Bertha would pass away on April 29, 1926 with a listed cause of death as influenza. Records show that Dr. Dafoe did not remarry.
On May 28, 1934, Dr. Dafoe was called in to assist in the birth of the Dionne Quintuplets. Once the quints had been born, Dr. Dafoe became one of their guardians, and he devoted little work to his own medical practice. He became wealthy from his pay as their guardian and from the multiple commercial endorsements and speaking fees. He was known as the "Doctor of Litters" and awarded and Order of the British Empire for his work with the quints. Dr. Dafoe died on June 2, 1943 from pneumonia and complications from cancer. |
Dr. Allan Roy Dafoe
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The Dionne Quintuplets
Born prematurely on May 28, 1934, the Dionne Quintuplets are the first quintuplets world-wide to have survived infancy. Upon birth, the babies were immediately wrapped in cotton sheets. They were then kept in a wicker basket near the stove to keep warm. Every two hours, for the first twenty-four they were fed water sweetened with corn syrup. The identical quintuplet girls were, in order of birth:
News of the unusual birth traveled fast. It didn't take long before people from all over North America were offering assistance. Women offered to donate their breast milk, allowing 28 ounces to be delivered every morning for the quints. Within days of the birth, their father was approached by fair exhibitors who were looking to put the quints on display and show them to the world. The parents were persuaded to agree on the advice of Dr. Dafoe and the family priest. However, the father revoked the contract days later. Then on July 27, 1943 the parents signed custody of the quints over to the Red Cross for a period of two years. This as to protect them from the contract with the fair exhibitors and in return, the Red Cross would cover all medical costs.
In February 1935, the Dionnes traveled to Chicago and made stage appearances as "Parents of the World Famous Babies". The Premier of Ontario at the time, Mitchell Hepburn, ued this trip as an excuse to extend the guardianship. He claimed that they must save the babies from future exploitation and in March of 1935 the Dionne Quintuplets Act was pushed through the government. This officiall made the girls wards of the Crown and extended guardianship to the age of eighteen. They stated that the reason for removing the quints from their parents legal custody was to ensure their survival and protection from promoters. However, the government realized there was enormous public interest in the girls, and proceed to create a tourist industry around them,
- Yvonne Edouilda Marie
- Annette Lillianne Marie
- Cecile Marie Emilda
- Emilie Marie Jeanne
- Marie Reine Alma
News of the unusual birth traveled fast. It didn't take long before people from all over North America were offering assistance. Women offered to donate their breast milk, allowing 28 ounces to be delivered every morning for the quints. Within days of the birth, their father was approached by fair exhibitors who were looking to put the quints on display and show them to the world. The parents were persuaded to agree on the advice of Dr. Dafoe and the family priest. However, the father revoked the contract days later. Then on July 27, 1943 the parents signed custody of the quints over to the Red Cross for a period of two years. This as to protect them from the contract with the fair exhibitors and in return, the Red Cross would cover all medical costs.
In February 1935, the Dionnes traveled to Chicago and made stage appearances as "Parents of the World Famous Babies". The Premier of Ontario at the time, Mitchell Hepburn, ued this trip as an excuse to extend the guardianship. He claimed that they must save the babies from future exploitation and in March of 1935 the Dionne Quintuplets Act was pushed through the government. This officiall made the girls wards of the Crown and extended guardianship to the age of eighteen. They stated that the reason for removing the quints from their parents legal custody was to ensure their survival and protection from promoters. However, the government realized there was enormous public interest in the girls, and proceed to create a tourist industry around them,
The Dionne Quintuplets with their mother, Elzire Dionne.
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The Dionne Quintuplets with their parents, Oliva and Elzire Dionne.
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Across the road from their birthplace, the Dafoe Hospital and Nursery was built for the five girls and their caretakers. They were moved to this nursery on September 21, 1934. They would live at this nursey until they were nine and returned to the custody of their parents. During their time there, the sisters were constantly tested, studied and examined. They had a somewhat rigid lifestyle, but were not required to participate in chores. They were also privately tutored. They had limited exposure to the world outside the boundaries of the nursery, and had occasional contact with their parents and other siblings.
The Observatory opened on July 1, 1936. Thousands of visitors came to see the girls. Visitors were told to stay silent and not to speak to the girls. Approximately 3000 people visited per day. Almost 3 million people walked through the observatory between 1936 and 1943. Souvenir stores also popped up, including one ran by the Dionne family themselves. The quints brought in more than $50 million in total tourist revenue to Ontario, and the observatory became the province's biggest tourist attraction, surpassing the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. Many famous people at that time also came to visit the quints and spent time at Dr. Dafoe's house. Those famous individuals included: Ameila Earhart, Jimmy & Gloria Stewart, Mae West, James Cagney, Greta Garbo, Bette Davis and Clake Gable.
Eventually Dr. Dafoe was viewed as taking advantage of his newfound fame and was removed as one of the three primary caretakers. By 1939 he has resigned. In 1942 the family was reunited, with the parents and siblings all moving into the nursery while a larger house was being completed. In November 1943, the entire family moved into their new home.
Upon turning 18, the quints left the family home and had little contact with their parents afterwards. Marie, Annette and Cecile would marry and have children of their own. Emilie devoted her life to becoming a nun, however she would be the first to pass away at the age of 20. Yvonne would go on to finish nursing school before turning to sculpting and then becoming a librarian. Today, all the quints have sadly passed away, leaving behind their stories and an interesting tale of Ontario history.
The Observatory opened on July 1, 1936. Thousands of visitors came to see the girls. Visitors were told to stay silent and not to speak to the girls. Approximately 3000 people visited per day. Almost 3 million people walked through the observatory between 1936 and 1943. Souvenir stores also popped up, including one ran by the Dionne family themselves. The quints brought in more than $50 million in total tourist revenue to Ontario, and the observatory became the province's biggest tourist attraction, surpassing the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. Many famous people at that time also came to visit the quints and spent time at Dr. Dafoe's house. Those famous individuals included: Ameila Earhart, Jimmy & Gloria Stewart, Mae West, James Cagney, Greta Garbo, Bette Davis and Clake Gable.
Eventually Dr. Dafoe was viewed as taking advantage of his newfound fame and was removed as one of the three primary caretakers. By 1939 he has resigned. In 1942 the family was reunited, with the parents and siblings all moving into the nursery while a larger house was being completed. In November 1943, the entire family moved into their new home.
Upon turning 18, the quints left the family home and had little contact with their parents afterwards. Marie, Annette and Cecile would marry and have children of their own. Emilie devoted her life to becoming a nun, however she would be the first to pass away at the age of 20. Yvonne would go on to finish nursing school before turning to sculpting and then becoming a librarian. Today, all the quints have sadly passed away, leaving behind their stories and an interesting tale of Ontario history.
The Dionne Family
The Dionne Family at Christmastime
Oliva Edouard Dionne (1903-1979) married Elzire Legros (1909-1986) on September 15, 1925. They were a French-speaking family living in Corbeil, Ontario. Together they would a total of 14 children, including the quints. Six of those children were born before the quints:
- Ernest (1926-1995)
- Rose Marie (1928-1995)
- Theresa Marie (1929-2021)
- Leo (1930-1930)
- Daniel (1932-1995)
- Pauline (1933-2018)
- Oliva "Olly" Jr. (1936-2017)
- Victor Rene (1938-2007)
- Claude Alex (1946-2009)
The Quints
Yvonne Edouilda Marie |
Annette Lillianne Marie |
Cecile Marie Emilda |
Emilie Marie Jeanne |
Marie Reine Alma |
Born: May 28, 1934 -
Died: June 23, 2001
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Born: May 28, 1934 - Died: December 24, 2025
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Born: May 8, 1934 - Died: July 28, 2025
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Born: May 28, 1934 - Died: August 6, 1954
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Born; May 28, 1934 - Died: February 27, 1970
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The Dionne Quintuplets birthplace has been moved several times. It is now located in North Bay and is the home of the Dionne Quints Museum. There you can find a more comprehensive history of the quints and their story.
Experiences Coming Soon!