The city of North Bay may move the house where the Dionne quints were born as the land it's on may be used for other purposes. Since this puts the quints in the news again it's timely to look at their story, which is a depression era one. Born in 1934 to poor parents, they were soon taken away from them and made into a freak show. They were exposed to the public 3 times a day in an exhibit enclosed by one-way viewing mirrors as well as a playground that doubled as a public observation area. ''Quintland'' brought in $500 million during the next decade, precious little of which went to the girls. If anyone was intensely exploited during this time it was them.
What a sad, sad reflection on a society that needs a freak show to help the economy. Perhaps one shouldn't be surprised - the very fundamentals of capitalism are pretty freaky.
John Ayers.
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