Harris's father tried to profit from quints, paper says

The father of Ontario's Premier tried to profit from the Dionne quintuplets 40 years ago. According to archives from the North Bay Nugget, Deane Harris held an option to buy the museum and land known as Quintland in 1958.

Harris proposed seeking out developers to build on the land surrounding Quintland and raking in ticket sales and government grants.

A spokesman for the three surviving quintuplets says the financial interest of the elder Harris in the Dionne legacy might explain why Premier Mike Harris has resisted requests for an inquiry into why the quints ended up penniless.

The three surviving Dionne quintuplets were honoured Tuesday by Time Magazine. They were selected by the magazine as one of the top newsmakers of the century.

A family spokesperson said the Dionnes weren't able to attend the ceremony in New York because one of them was sick.

The awards are part of Time's 75th birthday celebrations.

Last week, the three surviving Dionne quintuplets rejected the Ontario government's offer of $2,000 dollars a month each for the rest of their lives.

The women claim money they earned during childhood working as an Ontario tourist attraction was mishandled in trust.

Premier Harris said then he didn't intend to increase that offer and the government would send them the money whether they wanted it or not.

Negotiations between lawyers representing the two parties are once again underway.