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Wilf with Hon. John Diefenbaker at Sainte-Marie I
1968
Midland, Ontario, Canada


Credits:
Museum of Ontario Archaeology

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In December 1964, part-way through the Sainte-Marie I reconstruction project, Wilf and Elsie returned to Europe to conduct further research. While there, they purchased a range of furnishings for the reconstruction. It was on this trip that Wilf had an audience with Pope Paul VI, who gave his blessing to the Ontario government and to all of the people involved in the Sainte-Marie I project. Although all of the press coverage of this event mentions that only Wilf met
with the Pope, Elsie's own written record of that day clearly indicates that she was right beside Wilf all of the time. As with most of his projects Wilf helped orchestrate an opening ceremony, although in this case it was delayed until there was considerable visual evidence of the reconstruction in terms of there being in place the frameworks for several structures. The August 12th ceremony featured Premier Robarts and other dignitaries. Robarts and his successor William Davis would have several further occasions to assemble at Sainte-Marie I and other Huronia sites to celebrate heritage and to pay tribute to Wilf and Elsie for their roles in revealing that history.