Ada Gladys Killins fonds
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Authors
Adams, Anne
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Abstract
7 cm. of textual material, 76 b&w photos, 45 col. slides, 1 col. postcard and 9 watercolour paintings
Description
Ada Gladys Killins
Ada Gladys Killings was born in December of 1901 in Caistor Township. She was the first child
of Robert John Killins (1869-1942) and Rachel Amelia Swick (1871-1939). The family spent
some time in Alberta as homesteaders. They returned to Ontario and engaged in
farming until Robert John took a job in the Shredded Wheat Factory in Niagara Falls. Gladys
was the artistic member of the family. She attended Normal school and became an art
teacher at the newly opened Memorial School in Niagara Falls, Ontario in 1924 where she
remained until 1947. Gladys was not particularly fond of children nor did she associate on a
regular basis with her colleagues. When she left teaching, she moved to Glen Cross near
Orangeville. Killins studied art with Franz Johnston in the 1930s and she
also took summer classes with Carl Schaefer in Geneva Park between 1935 and 1938. Her work
was presented at the Eleventh Annual Exhibition of the Canadian Society of painters of Water
Colour at the Art Gallery of Toronto in 1938. Despite the fact that she didn’t have a steady
income, she didn’t advertise her work nor have a gallery promote her. Two of her more notable
works were Town Hall which was hung in the Niagara Falls City Hall. This painting was also
shown at the Canadian exhibition at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. Factory Closed, which
was a social statement was also shown that year. Her paintings were shown at almost every show
sponsored by the CSPWC (Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour) up until 1959. Fifteen
of her paintings were shown at “Four Canadian Painters” at the Art Gallery of Ontario in
November of 1942. In 1948 she had an exhibition at the Niagara Falls Public Library. In 1950
her work was included in “Contemporary Canadian Arts”. There was an exhibition of thirty
pictures at the Gallery of Fine Arts in Owen Sound in 1954. This was to be her last major show
during her lifetime.
Robert Ivan Killins
Ada Gladys’ siblings included Robert Ivan Killins (1907-1963) and Harold Cyril Killins (1909-
2002). Robert Ivan Killins was hailed as the intellectual member of the family. He attended
Queen’s University in Kingston. He held racist and anti-Catholic views and had a violent temper.
Robert was ordained as a United Church minister. He married Florence Irene Fraser (1920-1963)
and they had a daughter, Pearl Irene Killins (1944-1963). From 1932-1946, he held posts in
White River, Ontario; Cartier, Ontario; Depot Harbour, Ontario and Clanwilliam Manitoba. In
1945, Robert is listed as living in Clanwilliam, but “not in pastoral work”. Robert
was never happy with his parishes. He would complain and ask for money when there was none
available. When his requests weren’t met, he would ignore his duties and move on. He met
Florence Fraser in 1938 when she was seventeen and he was thirty-one. They waited until
Florence was eighteen before they married. Florence got pregnant in 1943 although Robert was
opposed to having children. By this point, Florence had left him several times but he always
brought her back. After his term in Clanwilliam, Robert built a shack in Rushkin, B.C. He had
been very controlling in his relationship with Florence and sought to isolate her. This shack
burned down and it was at this time that Florence and baby Pearl left. Gladys tried to help
Florence by buying a shack near Parry Sound to be able to visit. She also gave some of her
paintings to Florence. Florence was twenty-six when she landed at Colborne, Ontario. It is here
that she met fifty-three-year-old lawyer Austin Davis Hall. Florence sought a divorce from
Robert, but he wouldn’t grant her one. Austin Davis, or A.D. as he was called and Florence had
three children together. Margaret was born in 1950, Brian was born in 1952 and Patsy was born
in 1956. After a few months of Florence living with A.D., Robert arrived at their door saying that
he had no intention of losing touch with his child. There was an agreement reached about Robert
seeing Pearl but Robert caused problems by moving as close to them as he could and taking
liberties like walking into their house uninvited. The family moved often to avoid Robert’s
stalking behavior, but Robert always found them. In 1956, A.D. Hall suffered a heart attack and
his ill health seemed to give Robert more power within the family. The couple had moved into an
old farmhouse near Castleton where A.D. had begun building a new house. At this time, Robert’s
presence was so obtrusive that Florence and A.D. lived in two rooms of the courthouse for three
years. Robert couldn’t build a shack near the courthouse so this arrangement worked well. A.D.
died in 1962. Robert maintained such a presence in Florence’s life, that the three younger
children weren’t aware that he was not their father. They called Robert “Dad” just as Pearl did
and they called their real father “Joey”. After A.D’s death, Florence found a new partner in
retired miner, Tom Major and she became pregnant with his child. Major began making plans for
the family to move to northern Ontario.
Harold Cyril Killins
By 1927, the Killins family had moved to a farm in Fonthill. Harold Killins was running the
farm at the age of 18 and he was also a bee keeper. His mother never considered him as her
favourite. He lived in the shadow of Robert and Gladys. His positive personality was the
opposite of his siblings’. In 1931, he worked at the Vineland Experimental Station.
Harold received his B.S.A. in 1936. His mother Rachel didn’t see farm work as something that
should be studied at university so this was not an event to be celebrated. He married the love of
his life, Ethel Fry in 1940. After running the Killins family farm, Harold and his family relocated
to Brantford. Harold’s career was in animal health and nutrition. In 1960, Harold was transferred
to British Columbia and to Calgary in 1962.
The Castleton Massacre
It was obvious to Pearl and Florence that Robert’s erratic behavior and penchant for violence
were getting worse. Florence tried to get Pearl to stay with her grandparents in Vancouver, but
Pearl rebelled against this. Pearl traveled to Toronto where she met up with her boyfriend, Fred
Campbell. They eloped, and it wasn’t long before she was pregnant. Robert offered the young
couple a house so that he could watch them. On May 2, 1963, Robert Killins went on a rampage
and shot and killed Gladys and her dog Taffy, his daughter Pearl (19) who was eight months
pregnant, his wife Florence who was pregnant and Florence’s youngest daughter Patsy (6). He
was armed with two revolvers and a shotgun loaded with deer pellets. At the time, Robert’s
health was rapid decline. His heart was weak and he had been using strychnine to treat himself.
He was a diabetic and gangrene had set into his leg. Doctors had suggested amputation, but he
had refused treatment. Three men tried to intervene. Frederick Campbell, Pearl’s husband was
shot in the throat while trying to protect Pearl. Thomas Major who lived with Florence
was shot in the neck and jaw, but managed to bludgeon Robert in the head. A neighbour and
schoolteacher, Peter Miller also fought with Robert and was shot in his arms and hands. All three
men survived. Florence’s son Brian (10) had a shotgun blast travel over his head, singeing his
hair. Margaret was treated for shock after coming face to face with Robert while hiding under a
bed. Robert had $3,000 in a money belt and despite his head wound he fled the scene and drove
away. He only made it about 10 kilometers west of Castleton. His driving was erratic and his
shotgun was pointing out of the car window. Police forced him into a ditch. Robert fell into a
coma and was under guard at Coburg General Hospital. He died the following day.
The two surviving children, Margaret and Brian were sent to live with Gladys and Robert’s
brother Harold and his family in Calgary. Harold and his family offered a secure, loving
environment for the children. Brian and Margaret went on to have successful careers and
fulfilling family lives.