The surviving Dionne sisters will be in North Bay on August 5, the Sunday of the Civic Holiday weekend.
Dionne Quints Heritage Board Chair Ed Valenti says there should be a good turnout with it being Summer in the Park weekend.
Valenti made a presentation before City Council at last week’s meeting to give an update on the board’s progress. He thanked the municipal body for its continued support and indicated that some funding from the newly-elected provincial government would be sought by the board.
Afterwards, he said this summer’s event involving the Dionne sisters is being paid for by the federal government, who have been receptive to a sponsorship agreement of some sort.
Although the museum will celebrate the Dionne sisters and special guests that day in August, it is not expected to be open for tours until spring 2019, at the earliest.
Once they are settled, a priority says Valenti, is a permanent structure to house the artifacts, currently being housed in several locations, some of which will be on display at the Discovery North Bay Museum over the Civic Holiday weekend.
The Dionne Quints Heritage Board will host a grand reopening of the museum, the first event at the home since it was moved in sections on flatbed trucks from Seymour and the bypass last fall.
Annette and Cecile, who recently celebrated their 84th birthdays, will be the guests of honour at the relocated museum and organizers are hopeful the Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly will also attend.
Minister Catherine McKenna has also received an invitation.
It was Minister of Environment and Climate Change McKenna who played a role in the federal government recognizing the birth of the Dionnes as being an event of historic significance in Canada.
