Daffodils: The Symbol of Hope! On a business trip back east in 1956, the late Geoffrey Vantreight Junior embarked upon a huge venture.
by Valerie Green
At the time, he did not realize the enormity of it but, in the half century since, the business deal he launched that year has offered hope to millions of people suffering from cancer. It all began over a casual lunch in Toronto with his sister, Margaret, and two other ladies, Fran Shannon and Mary McGinnis, the organizers of the annual Toronto April Cancer Drive. The national emblem for the Cancer Society was, of course, the daffodil, so Geoff suggested to the ladies that they should have fresh daffodils from the West Coast to distribute and promote the Cancer Drive instead of the usual symbolic imitation. The daffodil, representative of spring and new life, seemed an obvious choice to raise money for cancer. The ladies liked the idea and ordered 100 boxes of fresh daffodils from Vantreight Farms, at that time operating in Gordon Head. In the spring of 1957, Geoff shipped his first Cancer Society order back east in refrigerated trucks. Inmates at the women’s jail outside Toronto built trays for the 10,000 volunteers to carry and distribute the fresh flowers on the streets of the city. Those original 100 boxes of daffodils soon turned into 200 and by the third year of operation, 700 boxes were being ordered and shipped. Although the distribution of fresh daffodils was originally only meant as a reminder of the upcoming April 1 Daffodil Tag Day Drive, once people were presented with a golden flower from the West Coast many wanted to donate immediately. The volunteers, therefore, were not only equipped with a tray of golden daffodils – they also carried a can with them so people could make a donation toward the Cancer Society, which was destined to become one of Vantreights’ most important clients. Demand increased and Toronto was soon ordering over 7,000
boxes of daffodils every year. Other cities such as Vancouver, Courtenay, Nanaimo, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Montreal were also being supplied by Vantreight Farms, and even cities in the U.S. were adopting “Daffodil Day.” Within a few years Geoff was shipping his flowers by air.
For many years, Vantreight Farms was the sole supplier across Canada for the annual cancer drive until eventually the demand outgrew even their capabilities. In 1995, the Cancer Society raised over $1 million from the flowers promoting the April 1 drive. This was most heartening for the Vantreight family. Although this was very good for business, it has also presented major headaches every January and February ensuring that orders can be filled in time. In addition, co-operation from the weather is important as the time frame for picking is small and dependent upon temperature plus the ability to hire enough labour to pick the flowers during that small window of opportunity. Owner Ian Vantreight, fourth generation Vantreight, is continually presented with the problem of finding enough pickers. However, it is a rare day when Vantreight Farms, located on the Peninsula since the early 1990s, does not meet its commitments. Ian’s father, Geoff Vantreight, who succumbed to cancer in May of 2000, would be delighted to know that his dream of making a difference more than 50 years ago is still continuing today. To know that this beautiful flower has become a Symbol of Hope for so many cancer sufferers and is still doing its job every year would make even the staunchest cynic’s heart fill with pleasure, so please remember to buy a daffodil this year for cancer research and continue the ongoing battle. Valerie Green is a historian and author of many books including the family biography “The Vantreights – A Daffodil Dynasty.” She can be reached at valerie_green@telus.net.
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MARCH 2010
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