A five-hour drive from St. John's, N.L., and well off the beaten path, Point Leamington seems an unlikely spot for a one-of-a-kind tourist attraction.
But this is where the owner of an Ontario-based glove manufacturer has opened what is billed as the country's first museum devoted entirely to gloves, hoping to draw visitors to the seaside Newfoundland community of about 575 people.
There are dainty gloves worn by Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn alongside a pair of worn-looking leather mitts that belonged to Elvis Presley. The mere sight of the hand coverings, a museum guide said, has been enough to prompt goosebumps and, in the case of the Elvis mitts, even requests to take a whiff.
"It's just such a beautiful place," Superior Glove president Tony Geng said of Point Leamington in a recent interview.
He said the town feels like a "second home."
"Anything that we can do to keep it more alive and attract other people to it, I think is a cool thing."
Inside the sunny, single-room museum, gloves sit upright in clear plastic cases, looking like they're ready for a high-five. There's a bright blue fishing glove with the tip of its pinky finger missing that belonged to David Suzuki, and a thick white glove with segmented fingers that was worn by astronaut Chris Hadfield as he somersaulted through space.
Presley's mitts were part of his uniform in the late 1950s when he was in the U.S. army. Later, in Graceland, a "freak snowstorm" hit Memphis and he gave them to his private nurse's daughter after he saw her playing in the snow in rubber dishwashing gloves, Geng said.
Marilyn Monroe's tiny white gloves have a single pearl fastener on the wrist. Audrey Hepburn's black leather Ralph Lauren gloves are longer, with three buttons gleaming in succession down the extended cuff.
They came from the collection of Sydney Guilaroff, the famed Hollywood hairstylist who created Vivien Leigh's looks in "Gone With the Wind," Tammy Fudge explained as she provided a tour last month.
The elegant gloves have been particularly popular with female visitors and plant workers, said Fudge, the research and development coordinator at the plant.
鈥淭here was one lady who had goosebumps,鈥 she said. 鈥淏ut then again, you'll have a few who will have goosebumps with Elvis Presley's gloves as well.鈥 Nobody has been permitted to smell Presley's gloves, despite several requests.
Most of the items were bought through auctions or were given to Geng by his wife, who knows very well that he's been fascinated by gloves his entire life. His late father, Frank Geng, bought the company in 1961, and Tony Geng began working there when he was just a boy.
Headquartered in Acton, Ont., Superior Glove specializes in industrial gloves and sleeves, built to protect workers from blades, fire and cold. They make a glove for SpaceX. At one point, the company furnished the Canadian Army with trigger mitts like the one worn by Presley, Geng said.
The glove museum is part of the sprawling Point Leamington factory, where machines spin, sew, stamp and sort as employees watch and calibrate. The plant produces more than 3,000 types of gloves and the yarn to make them 鈥 enough yarn in one day to go around the world one and a half times, Fudge said.
Some machines spin threads of tungsten steel so thin they're nearly impossible to see. The threads will be combined into yarn and knitted into cut-resistant gloves.
Point Leamington has a library, a post office, a few stores and not much else. Superior Glove began operations in the town hall in 1988, and it now employs nearly a quarter of the community's population.
"We have husbands and wives, we have a mom and two sons, we have a husband and wife and son," Fudge said of some of the plant's employees.
Rural Newfoundland has a long history of young people moving away to mainland Canada for work. The Point Leamington plant is managed by one such person, Frazer Stuckless, who had worked at Superior Glove in Ontario. He planned to move home and start a taxi business, but Frank Geng asked Stuckless to help get a plant up and running in Point Leamington instead, Fudge said.
Since then, many more from the area have been able to return home and find a job at the factory, including Fudge.
The museum has attracted roughly 1,000 visitors since its grand opening in the spring of 2023, and Fudge led many of them on tours through the displays and the massive plant.
"Most people are surprised it's even here," she said. "Why wouldn't we have a glove museum? We make gloves, and we make things that make gloves."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2024.
Federal cabinet minister Filomena Tassi announced Thursday she will not run for re-election, and sources tell 麻豆影视 at least three other cabinet ministers don't plan to run again.
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has released a statement in response to a recent CTV W5 investigation into an alleged sexual assault in 2014.
Former One Direction musician Liam Payne died due to multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding caused by a fall, an Argentine prosecutors' office said on Thursday, revealing the first official results of the singer's autopsy.
Israel鈥檚 foreign minister has confirmed that Israeli troops in Gaza have killed Hamas鈥 top leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war.
India鈥檚 External Affairs Ministry has denied that India was in cahoots with India-based mobsters in Canada and even suggested that Canadian authorities had been resisting India's extradition attempts.
Got a few hundred extra dollars? That will buy you one person鈥檚 access to Disney鈥檚 new service at its U.S.parks, which allows you to go into a faster line at any time of the operating day 鈥 once per ride 鈥 without having to reserve it on an app.
An Ontario woman is feeling uneasy after she received a sextortion email demanding she pay the fraudster US$1,900 in Bitcoin or risk having compromising photographs of herself shared with her loved ones.
Edmonton police are asking the public for CCTV footage as they investigate two fires that appear to have been deliberately set as part of an extortion scheme.
A profane anti-Israel message on a digital billboard in Moncton, N.B., has been turned off, but the question of how it got there in the first place remains.
Voters along the south coast of British Columbia who have not cast their ballots yet will have to contend with heavy rain and high winds from an incoming atmospheric river weather system on election day.
Police were called to a frozen yogurt shop in Richmond, B.C., Wednesday after a man went behind the counter and scooped some of the product with his hand.
British Columbia voters face no shortage of policies when it comes to tackling the province's housing woes in the run-up to Saturday's election, with a clear choice for the next government's approach.
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has released a statement in response to a recent CTV W5 investigation into an alleged sexual assault in 2014.
Federal cabinet minister Filomena Tassi announced Thursday she will not run for re-election, and sources tell 麻豆影视 at least three other cabinet ministers don't plan to run again.
Prosecutors are seeking a court order to assess whether an Ontario woman accused of killing three people in three cities over three days is fit to stand trial.
Police are investigating after the body of a student was found in a residence at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary.
After more than seven years of construction, a new cancer centre in Calgary will be opened to patients and researchers.
Calgary police are looking for suspects after a resident was injured during a break-in on Wednesday afternoon.
The Ottawa Police Service is asking the public for help in identifying three suspects involved in an alleged theft and multiple fraud incidents that happened last month in the city's west end.
We will learn more details today about a new pilot program set to launch in Ottawa that will provide residents with free reusable containers from local grocery stores and restaurants.
Environment Canada's senior weather climatologist says Ottawa will see "more of a winter than last year," as it experiences a possible La Nina weather event this year
Police are investigating after two bodies were discovered in a vehicle in the Saint-Leonard borough.
Some 5,000 employees with the SAQ are striking on Thursday to denounce their employer's wage proposal during ongoing negotiations.
The City of Montreal official opposition, Ensemble Montreal, is joining forces with some local sports clubs and associations to demand that free parking be reinstated at the Claude Robillard Sports Complex in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough.
Edmonton police are asking the public for CCTV footage as they investigate two fires that appear to have been deliberately set as part of an extortion scheme.
The Edmonton Police Service is looking for a man they describe as armed and dangerous in connection with a suspicious death.
One person is dead after a two-vehicle crash north of Fairview, Alta. on Wednesday.
A profane anti-Israel message on a digital billboard in Moncton, N.B., has been turned off, but the question of how it got there in the first place remains.
The Nova Scotia government is adding new specialized staff to schools to help prevent and address violence.
The Nova Scotia registry for people seeking a primary care provider is at its lowest since 2022, but there are still tens of thousands of people waiting for a connection.
Federal cabinet minister Filomena Tassi announced Thursday she will not run for re-election, and sources tell 麻豆影视 at least three other cabinet ministers don't plan to run again.
Desiree Scott, a hard-nosed defensive midfielder who won 187 caps for Canada, has announced her retirement at the end of the National Women's Soccer League season.
After a lengthy review, Manitoba's NDP government has halted a plan hatched by the former Progressive Conservative government to build new schools in partnership with the private sector.
The sole debate for the 2024 provincial election has wrapped 鈥 with both sides satisfied that they've successfully made their respective cases on the debate stage.
Following the debate between Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe and NDP Leader Carla Beck, two local experts gave their insights on the event.
A former Saskatchewan rapper turned political candidate apologized Tuesday for lyrics that the incumbent Saskatchewan Party has criticized as misogynistic.
One person has been taken to hospital with life-altering injuries after a serious crash near Cambridge.
The woman who was fatally shot at a Stratford home on Tuesday has been identified, as well as the man accused of pulling the trigger.
A Guelph woman has been charged with impaired driving after a crash on Wednesday took out a hydro pole and caused a major road closure.
The U17 Saskatoon Alliance won their provincial soccer league title, earning them a spot at nationals. But just to survive nationals is a grueling experience.
A former Saskatchewan rapper turned political candidate apologized Tuesday for lyrics that the incumbent Saskatchewan Party has criticized as misogynistic.
Election season is in full swing in Saskatchewan, and for many young voters, this will be their introduction to the Canadian democratic process.
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has released a statement in response to a recent CTV W5 investigation into an alleged sexual assault in 2014.
Sudbury police say a body was discovered on the side of the road in the city's Falconbridge community early Thursday morning.
Pop star Liam Payne, who shot to global fame with boy band One Direction, died at the age of 31 after falling from a third-floor hotel room balcony. Before the fall, a hotel employee called emergency services.
Ontario farmers are logging extra hours, as they work into the night during the fall grain harvest.
OPP have closed a section of road in Middlesex County following a crash.
An officer was given the replica weapon at a south-side school. Police are sharing concern for this type of thing, saying it could easily be mistaken for a real firearm.
Provincial police are investigating the alleged theft of a classic car from an address in the Town of Mono.
A woman from Scarborough is facing charges and will have to find an alternate method of travel after police say she was clocked speeding nearly 90 km/h over the limit in Innisfil.
Gordon Locking, 66, was found guilty in a Barrie courtroom Wednesday to several weapons charges, including possession of an explosive substance, stemming from an incident at a supportive housing complex.
The only details available are that it's taking place in the 1500 block of Monticello Ave. near Firgrove Drive in the east Riverside area.
The Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS) is reminding drivers to obey all road signs, especially road closure signs.
As tensions escalate between India and Canada, some in the Indian diaspora say they鈥檙e concerned about how the situation might affect travel between the two countries.
Voters along the south coast of British Columbia who have not cast their ballots yet will have to contend with heavy rain and high winds from an incoming atmospheric river weather system on election day.
British Columbia voters face no shortage of policies when it comes to tackling the province's housing woes in the run-up to Saturday's election, with a clear choice for the next government's approach.
Mounties have released startling new details about their investigation into the disappearance of Amber Manthorne, who was reported missing on Vancouver Island more than two years ago, and is believed to have met with foul play.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
With the growing season wrapping up for many, southern Alberta's sweetest crop is in full swing.
Health-care advocates say the province's plan for a new primary care agency, operating separately from Alberta Health Services, won't help with doctor shortages in Lethbridge.
The Vancouver Giants scored late to force overtime before winning 4-3 over the Lethbridge Hurricanes Friday night.
The Ontario Medical Association, which represents the province's 43,000 physicians, medical students and retired physicians, launched their Stop the Crisis initiative Wednesday.
An effort to bring a deep-sea port to Sault Ste. Marie just got a major push forward, with support from the federal government Wednesday.
Some of the world鈥檚 best curlers have arrived in Sault Ste. Marie for the second annual Soo Fall Classic that many curlers say has become a can鈥檛 miss event.
A five-hour drive from St. John's, N.L., and well off the beaten path, Point Leamington seems an unlikely spot for a one-of-a-kind tourist attraction.
A Conservative MP from Newfoundland and Labrador says some small towns in his rural riding are overrun with crime, but police say they haven't received reports to that effect.
As millions in federal funding flow into a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been rejected by Indigenous organizations across Canada, a national Inuit leader worries the Liberal government is putting the rights of Indigenous Peoples at risk.
A Manitoba professor is warning the public after a book on regional mushrooms that he suspects is AI-generated was delisted from Amazon.
A B.C. judge has issued a decision in a years-long dispute between neighbours that began with a noise complaint over barking dogs, crowing roosters and quacking ducks 鈥 awarding $15,000 in damages to the plaintiffs in the case.
An Ottawa man was arrested after taking a shower in a stranger's house, Ottawa police say.
S岣祑x瘫w煤7mesh 脷xwumixw (Squamish Nation) Chef Paul Natrall, the man behind Indigenous food truck Mr. Bannock, is bringing cooking classes on First Nations fare to schools and offices throughout Metro Vancouver.
The Celtic Colours Festival is taking place at venues around Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia from Oct. 11 to 19.
Sometimes love is written in the stars, but for one couple, it鈥檚 written in the aurora borealis.
Canadian hip hop artist Dillan King says running 100 marathons in 100 days was not only the hardest thing he has ever done, but the 'proudest accomplishment' of his entire life.
James Taylor never expected to be walking home with a bag full of groceries he didn't buy.
This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of a large blizzard that paralyzed Manitoba.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says it's very disturbing that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre won't get the top-level security clearance needed to view classified documents on foreign interference.
Federal cabinet minister Filomena Tassi announced Thursday she will not run for re-election, and sources tell 麻豆影视 at least three other cabinet ministers don't plan to run again.
The parliamentary budget officer says the federal government likely failed to keep its deficit below its promised $40 billion cap in the last fiscal year.
Patients who are older, don鈥檛 speak English, and don鈥檛 have a high school education are more likely to experience harm during a hospital stay in Canada, according to new research.
Health Canada released an advisory Wednesday warning that baby walkers available online may pose a risk of injury and reminding consumers the items are already banned in Canada.
Coca-Cola has recalled more than 13,000 cases of Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade because the mislabelled cartons actually contained the full-sugar version of the drink, according to a report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
At the heart of the ancient city of Petra, Jordan, carved into pink sandstone cliffs, lies an elaborate monument known as the Khaznah, or the Treasury. And buried beneath that edifice, archeologists recently discovered, is a tomb with at least 12 human skeletons and artifacts that are estimated to be at least 2,000 years old.
Expect to see more northern lights in unusual places as the sun continues to sizzle, space weather forecasters said Tuesday.
Hong Kong's oldest zoo is seeking answers in a monkey medical mystery after nine animals died in two days, including three members of a critically endangered species.
The death of Liam Payne, who shot to stardom as a member of the boy band One Direction and grappled with intense global fame while still in his teens, sent shockwaves across the world Thursday as Argentine authorities continued their investigation at the scene.
Mitzi Gaynor, the effervescent dancer and actor who starred as Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film of 'South Pacific' and appeared in other musicals with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, has died. She was 93.
Matt Berry has spent six years playing a suburban New York vampire but he will forever associate 'What We Do in The Shadows' with Toronto, where the acclaimed series was filmed.
Dozens of people rallied outside the Michigan headquarters of WK Kellogg Co. Tuesday, demanding that the company remove artificial dyes from its breakfast cereals in the U.S.
Coca-Cola has recalled more than 13,000 cases of Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade because the mislabelled cartons actually contained the full-sugar version of the drink, according to a report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
A survey from J.D. Power shows customer satisfaction is higher at mid-sized banks than the Big Five as Canadians are focused especially on fees.
Got a few hundred extra dollars? That will buy you one person鈥檚 access to Disney鈥檚 new service at its U.S.parks, which allows you to go into a faster line at any time of the operating day 鈥 once per ride 鈥 without having to reserve it on an app.
Check your pockets: the winning ticket for Tuesday night鈥檚 $65-million Lotto Max jackpot was sold in Toronto.
In 2018, Jason Bennett packed up and moved to the South American country of Colombia permanently after "falling hard" for Medell铆n, once one of the most notorious cities in the world. He now works for himself, running two companies, from his "adopted home."
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has released a statement in response to a recent CTV W5 investigation into an alleged sexual assault in 2014.
麻豆影视' Rachel CrowSpreadingWings sat down with legendary Inuk hockey player Jordin Tootoo for an open conversation on his new documentary, Tootoo: The Jordin Tootoo Story. The film takes a look at achievements throughout his hockey career and his struggles with addictions.
The Ontario Provincial Police has acknowledged that one of its employees did not follow the organization's policy when an alleged victim of sexual assault called a local detachment earlier this year to report an incident involving eight former junior hockey players.
Canada鈥檚 border guards have seized more than 1,900 stolen cars so far this year at railyards and ports, which is over a hundred more than in 2023.
The Ontario Provincial Police says the number of fatal collisions caused by distracted driving on the roads it patrols has increased by 40 per cent compared to this time last year.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled on Thursday his vision of a 'a fun, exciting future,' an 'age of abundance' full of his company鈥檚 self-driving cars without steering wheels, parking lots turned into parks and robots that will walk among the population 鈥 that he once again promised would be available within a few years.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.
