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New York Times tackles Dionne debate

'Now, the city they put on the map is poised to deal the Dionnes what they say is yet another insult, by getting rid of their house. The city plans to hand it over to a fairground in a village 45 miles down the highway with no connection to their story, nor any apparent financial resources to maintain it as a museum' New York Times.
dionne quints home winter turl 2016
The Dionne Quints home sits quietly awaiting its fate. Photo by Jeff Turl.

The respected New York Times newspaper has waded into the Dionne quints story with a sympathetic article today detailing the surviving sisters emotional roller coaster.

Read the complete Times article: 2 Survivors of Canada’s First Quintuplet Clan Reluctantly Re-emerge

The article, by Ian Austen, talks about how the Quints were displayed "in a human zoo called Quintland", their fall to destitution and how one of the Quint sons stole his mother's money, won in a lawsuit against the Ontario government, then disappeared.

The fate of the home has become a hot topic in North Bay. 

See: Fundraising starts for Dionne home

And: Reprieve for Dionne home backers

"We're optimistic, we think the tide has turned. Council is looking at what we're doing and noticing that this is important to the people of North Bay. It really is a national historic site," said Jeff Fournier, a key supporter of the Dionne home in a recent BayToday article.

He was reacting to news that Heritage North Bay is supporting the move of the home.

According to Fournier, the approval by Heritage North Bay to allow the Dionne home to be relocated to the Community Waterfront Park area is a crucial milestone in the quest to have the home moved to North Bay's downtown core.

Approval by City Council and the move itself are among the final hurdles before the finish line. The home must be moved off of its current location at Seymour and the Bypass by June 1 after the land was recently sold to developers.

The issue is expected to dominate the city council meeting this Tuesday. A vote is expected but the issue has been sidelined before.


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Jeff Turl

About the Author: Jeff Turl

Jeff is a veteran of the news biz. He's spent a lengthy career in TV, radio, print and online, covering both news and sports. He enjoys free time riding motorcycles and spoiling grandchildren.
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