NORTH BAY, ONT. - Annette Dionne, the last surviving member of the famous Dionne quintuplets, has passed away at the age of 91. The Dionne Quints Home Museum in North Bay, Ontario, announced her death on Christmas Eve, though it did not provide additional details regarding her passing.
Annette Dionne was a strong advocate for children's rights and believed in the importance of maintaining the Dionne Quints Museum. She was recognized as the only surviving quintuplet, and notably, the last surviving sibling among the thirteen siblings of the Dionne family. The museum's tribute emphasized her dedication to safeguarding the history and legacy of the Dionne quintuplets for future generations.
The Dionne quintuplets, comprising Annette, Emilie, Yvonne, Cecile, and Marie, captured global attention when they were born on May 28, 1934, in Corbeil, Ontario. Their survival past infancy made them a remarkable phenomenon, and they quickly became a sensation worldwide.
However, their fame came at a high personal cost. During the Great Depression, when the quintuplets were just months old, the Ontario government intervened and removed them from their parental care, placing them under a board of guardians due to their family's circumstances, which included five other children. The government established a nursery-style exhibition through which millions of visitors observed the quintuplets behind one-way glass. This exhibition, known as "Quintland," became Canada’s largest tourist attraction during that era, generating approximately $500 million for the province.
The quintuplets were not only the subjects of immense public interest but also became the faces of numerous commercial endeavors. Hollywood produced films featuring their lives, and brands such as Kellogg's and Palmolive sought them for endorsements. Additionally, five identical ships were named after the sisters during World War II.
Despite the economic benefits for the province, their mother, Oliva Dionne, fought tirelessly to regain custody of her daughters but was unsuccessful. It wasn't until the quintuplets turned 18 that they chose to step away from the limelight and relocated to Montreal, seeking a more private life.
Over the years, the quintuplets faced personal tragedies; Emilie passed away in August 1954, followed by Marie in 1970. Earlier this year, Cecile also died, having recently sought compensation from the Ontario government for the exploitation she and her sisters endured. In 1998, the Ontario government issued a formal apology and provided a $4 million settlement to the surviving sisters for the years they spent on display. Yvonne succumbed to cancer three years later.
In a 2019 interview with The Canadian Press, Annette underscored the significance of cherishing childhood and asserted that it should never be commercialized for profit. The legacy of the Dionne quintuplets is preserved in the Dionne Quints Home Museum, which is the original family home. It was relocated to North Bay, where visitors can continue to learn about their remarkable story.
