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Canada 150: Diefenbaker House commemorates the man from P.A.

Jun 27, 2017 | 9:37 AM

Though Prince Albert can lay claim to three past prime ministers, the most synonymous of these is John G. Diefenbaker. 

Keeping ‘Dief the Chief’s’ memory alive, the iconic Diefenbaker House and Museum commemorates the life of the 13th Prime Minister of Canada. Today, it is furnished with pieces from Diefenbaker’s time in the home.

Built in 1912, the home was purchased by Diefenbaker and his first wife Edna in 1947. It was Edna’s dream design.

The two called it home until her passing in 1951. In 1953, when Diefenbaker married Olive, she moved into the residence. The two remained there until Diefenbaker was elected prime minister in 1957. At this time, the couple relocated to the prime minister’s residence on 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa. The two owned their Prince Albert home until 1975 when they donated it to the city to convert into a museum. 

The house is packed with items from the political and private life of Diefenbaker. It is operated today by the Prince Albert Historical Society, who offer free tours of the residence.

Upon entering the living room, Olive’s gloves lie on a period chair beside a bookshelf used in Diefenbaker’s Wakaw law office. The desk in which she would personally hand-write upwards of 50 letters a day for Diefenbaker sits nestled in the corner. As Diefenbaker was an admirer of Sir John A. McDonald, a blue couch owned by Canada’s first Prime Minster is in the room.

Across the hall is the dining room. Here, the original ceiling beams can be seen. In the centre is a chandelier which hung in his Ottawa home. The room is stacked high with Blue Mikado china. Both Olive and Edna collected this style of design. 

As one moves towards the stairs, hundreds of posters and photographs that were used during Diefenbaker’s campaigns line the walls.

Upstairs, three of the five rooms are used. The first is Diefenbaker’s bedroom. It contains a bed owned by McDonald that had to be extended by six inches, as during McDonald’s time, it was more accustomed to sleep upright not lying down like we do today.

On a desk by the window, sits the phone Diefenbaker used to speak to Queen Elizabeth II following the completion of the transatlantic communication cable. As he was a stylish man, many of Diefenbaker’s law robes, iconic hat, suits and special event outfits fill the closet.

What would have been Olive’s room has been used to showcase the man’s love of the outdoors and fishing. 

Outside this room is Diefenbaker’s proudest achievement: The Canadian Bill of Rights. This document was the first of its kind in Canada and the first time a Prime Minster laid out the rights of Canadians.

Though superseded by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it is still used to fall back on if the answer is not clear in the Charter. 

 

 

 

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr