"But," she adds, "the story of the quints is very complicated. People want black-and-white answers. Short articles, three minutes on TV. It is not that easy. The quints represented an enormous influx of cash into the province at an important time. While probably the worst thing to do for the quints, if you take it down to an individual level, people who could not feed their family one year had a thriving business the next." "Visitors break down into two main categories," says Ms. [Sharon Clark-Berard]. "Some just wonder what happened. Others come for nostalgic reasons. An African gentleman on business in Toronto visited a short while ago. His mother had said if he was close to the quints' home and didn't come back with postcards and photos, she would kick his [butt]. Some followed the story all their lives. This is a trip of a lifetime for them. For a lot of people in the '30s, the quints represented things could, and would, get better. They gave people hope. They transcended social and ethnic backgrounds. After all, what's more appealing than a baby? Four more just like her. Despite what happened later, their birth and survival was a miracle and that is what enchanted people. The Dionne Quints Museum is open mid-May to mid-October. The sisters support the museum at arm's length. They have no direct involvement, but they are paid for the use of their names and they get royalties on the souvenirs. For me, the most touching display is the turnstile that people used to push through on their way to view the kids. For more information: Dionne Quints Museum, c/o North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce, 1375 Seymour St., North Bay, Ont. P1B 8J8, (705) 472-8480, or check www.northbaychamber.com/ quints.html...

A story that will never go away: Monument to Canada's famous quintuplets: Toronto Edition