A pioneer of the Canadian theatre industry, Barbara Chilcott has passed away at the age of 99 on Jan. 1, 2022.
Her passing — she died at her home in Toronto of age-related natural causes — was noted in media outlets across the country, acknowledging her as "a national treasure."
She was known for her role in creating the former Crest Theatre in Toronto with her brothers and starred in countless shows in Canada and around the world.
Long before she found success on the stage, the actress was born in Newmarket in 1922 as Barbara Chilcott Davis.
While she will be remembered for her lasting legacy in Canadian theatre, the family has a deep history in the town of Newmarket.
She launched the Crest Theatre with brothers Donald and Murray Davis in 1953.
The entrepreneurial spirit runs in the family as their grandfather Elihu James Davis and uncle Aubrey Davis owned the Davis Leather Company, according to History Hound Richard MacLeod.
In his NewmarketToday column, MacLeod said Elihu James (E.J.) Davis was a politician in King, York County, and eventually served in the Ontario Legislature before relocating to Newmarket.
The Davis Leather Co. was a staple of Newmarket industry and after E.J. Davis, the family remained a pillar of the community.
When he first moved to Newmarket, Davis purchased Woodlawn, a 22-acre estate on Bayview Avenue. According to MacLeod, the home stayed in the family until 1953 when E.J's daughter, Mabel Davis, donated part of it to the county. That land is now known as the Mabel Davis Conservation Area.
The family was also generous when it came to donating to community projects, like the construction of York County Hospital, now Southlake Regional Health Centre.
In honour of their contributions, Highway 9 was named Davis Drive in November 1946.
Despite her ancestors' large legacy on a local level, Barbara Chilcott has an impressive resume of her own, appearing in shows in Stratford, Toronto, England, and on film and television.
She had roles in Twelfth Night, Antony and Cleopatra, Taming of the Shrew, and The Glass Cage, to name a few.
Chilcott also worked on many projects with her husband, composer Harry Somers, who died in 1999.
The actress' last performance came at the age of 89.
