Q: Why does Disney not talk about Walt and Roy’s Canadian connection? Their aunt, uncle, and grandparents lived right outside my small town of Goderich, Ontario, Canada. There are lots of photos and documents in our library with the Disney family as well, and if you take an aerial shot of my town and one of Disneyland, the layouts match. There are photos of Walt here as a young person. Can you give me any information that you have about this?
Sarah, Goderich, Ontario, Canada
A: Walt Disney’s biographies all mention the Disney family’s connection to Canada. Walt’s father, Elias, was born in Bluevale, not too far from Goderich. Elias’ grandfather had settled in the Goderich area years earlier, where he operated a gristmill. Elias frequently talked fondly about life in Ontario, and Walt wanted to go there sometime with his father, but it never worked out. The only time Walt visited was on a car trip with his wife in June 1947. He never flew over the area, nor did he ever say he considered the layout of Goderich when he was planning Disneyland. I visited Goderich, at the request of Roy Disney, to check out the Disney family’s roots, in 1971.
Dave Smith