Lady Dunn

Lady Dunn. . , Lady Dunn was born Marcia Anastasia Christoforides in Sutton, England in 1909. During the Second World War, Marcia became the personal secretary for Sir James Dunn, a wealthy Canadian financier who was responsible for the rebirth and development of the Helen Mine in Wawa and the Algoma Steel Corporation in Sault Ste. Marie in 1939. Marcia was a trusted confidant in many of Sir James' decisions. In 1942 she married Sir James and became his third wife and was given the title Lady Dunn. , The Dunns maintained homes in England, France, and St. Andrews, New Brunswick. In 1945 they also had a small home built for themselves at the top of the Helen Mine Mountain. Dubbed the Eagle's Nest, it has a commanding view of the town of Wawa, Wawa Lake, the Magpie River Valley and Lake Superior in the distance. The Eagle's Nest is protected by a thick stone fence which was built by Algoma Steel bricklayers to keep the black bears out and Lady Dunn’s poodles in. After the closure of the iron mining operations in Wawa in 1998, all of the mine buildings and infrastructure were removed. The Eagle's Nest was designated an historically significant property by the Ontario Heritage Act and continues its vigil atop the Helen Mountain. , In 1951, the townspeople of Wawa named their newly constructed hospital after Sir James' young wife, the Lady Dunn General Hospital. The funds for the 18 bed facility were raised through Algoma Ore employee payroll deductions, fund-raising drives, Algoma Steel and provincial grants and loans. , After the death of Sir James in 1956, Lady Dunn became the beneficiary of his estate. Residing in New Brunswick, she married Sir James' close friend and fellow New Brunswicker Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, in 1963 and became Lady Beaverbrook. Within a year, Lady Beaverbrook was once again a widow and an overseer of much of the Beaverbrook estate. , Lady Dunn's last visit to Wawa was in 1956 for a dedication of a plaque to the memory of Sir James Dunn at St. Paul's Anglican Church. A large photograph of her dominates the entrance to the new Lady Dunn Health Centre which continues to serve the medical, health and long term care needs of Wawa and residents in the Superior East Region. A large painting of Sir James Dunn which once adorned the walls at the Eagle's Nest, is now located in the Wawa Public Library. , With the accumulation of funds from both estates of Sir James Dunn and Lord Beaverbrook, Lady Beaverbrook became one of Canada's most prominent philanthropists. She was an avid supporter of race horsing and equestrian events. She was a proud owner of a number of celebrated thoroughbreds who wore her green and brown racing colours. Lady Beaverbrook died in 1994 having donated the equivalent of $300 million to organizations dedicated to education, culture and wildlife preservation. , Story written by Johanna Rowe www.wawahistory.com