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Cannibal Girls- Hazelburn

Abandoned Other in Aurora, Ontario, Canada

Mar 17 2011

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Recent status Abandoned
Location # 2493

In 1971, unknown film director, Ivan Reitman, came up with a script for a horror movie called "Cannibal Girls". He got 2 completely unknown actors to play the lead roles: Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin of SCTV fame. He needed a bunch of locations to film at. Luckily he found May Jarvis, who owned a well-known farmhouse in Aurora, Ontario. Her home was suited perfectly for a house in which 3 girls lived with a reverend (Rev. St. John). The four stayed forever young as they had a steady diet of meat and blood to keep them ageless. Males of the species Homo Sapien were always the main course at their dinner table. Eugene Levy (aka Clifford) becomes a meal himself.

Here are clips from this Canadian classic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gki9OIMYrhQ

I had wondered for over 20 yrs about the filming locations used in this film. After much research and help from others (you know who you are), I learned that the house in question was located in Aurora.

Hazel Burn Farm History

In the 1800s the Jarvis family owned Hazel Burn Farm in downtown Toronto. Soon Jarvis Street was laid and the home was demolished to make way for the road. A grandson of this prominent family, the famous and notorious Edward Aemilius Jarvis, bought property in Aurora and named it Hazel Burn Farm as well, sometime in the 1920s. He ran the Toronto- North York Hunt Club on this property. For in depth info. on this fascinating historical figure go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aemilius_Jarvis.

His grand-daughter might have been May Jarvis, who owned the farm and suggested it for usage in the aforementioned film. (She even had a part in the movie where she tells the tale of the 3 girls to any of the male strangers who come to the fictional town of Farnhamville). The closest I can come to a "May Jarvis" on ancestry.ca is "Mary Powell Jarvis" (1888-1967 ), who was Aemilius' first born of 5 children, but died in 1967. My guess is that May might have married into the family. I'm thinking she may have married Aemilius' second son Aemilius Irving Jarvis (born 1894-1961). The name Mrs. Aemilius Jarvis appears in the 1974 Aurora phone book..All that makes sense so far would be that Aemilius Irving's wife, Ephie Elizabeth Reid Jarvis (1904-1973) was May Jarvis...

For more historical info on Hazel Burn go here: http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/jarvisci/history/hazlbrn.htm

Other locations in the film - Can you please help with these?

The downtown of the fictional town, Farnhamville, was shot in the town of Beaverton. The legendary Strand Theatre can be seen from the town.

I am looking for help in locating some of the photos below of other filming locations- some have been found, others have not:

  1. the OPP station - found in Oak Ridges, Ontario and is now a pool/spa outlet
  2. the Gulf station - found in Oak Ridges and is now a new Esso
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    1. the other farmhouse - located on a dirt, backroad junction, but still haven(a)t found it yet. Check photo #7 and the very last photo.
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    1. the Motel with street number 26 on it has still not been found yet. There was a big yellow/beige building beside it as evidenced in the 2nd last photo.
  1. a dirt laneway that lead to the Jarvis house seems to now be Gilbert Dr. in Aurora..

Please take a peak and let me know if you recognize anything as I have been searching for the past 20 yrs and would like to know.

Cannibal Feast Meet-up Apr 24th:

We are having a meet-up on April 24th in Oak Ridges..but 1st, please help and try and figure out the location of photo # 7 of the unknown farmhouse and the very last photo too. These 2 photos are from the same area. Also try to figure out the 2nd last photo..that way we can check em out on the 24th when we are there.

Order of exploration on Apr. 24th: (btw-I drive an old green Saturn) .

1-meet at Oak Ridges CW Coops (formerly the Wild Wing) at 12 pm just north of the Esso on west side.
2-Gilbert and Jarvis (Aurora)
3-Leslie St north of Bloomington (AJ(a)s find)
4-south to canadavey(a)s location at Stouffvile rd and Leslie
5-south down Leslie to Gormley Rd. and then Gormley Station Rd. Blacksmith 1840 and CNoR station house
7-south to 9481 Leslie: Henricks/Brodie House 1834 (below Major Mac turn east on Orlando)
6-Canadaveys location on bayview/elgin mills area if time permits

Welcome aboard: captamerica, canadavey, don, timo explorer...we r now full

Got this from a member "[color=white][color=black]The May Jarvis in Cannibal Girls certainly appears to be the 2nd wife of Aemilius Jarvis Sr. (1860-1940). She lived from 1892-1979, so would have been 79 during filming. I recommend the book Aemilius: The Last Viking."[/color][/color]

Here is a photo of Aemilius and May in about 1930 [url=https://goo.gl/images/X27qCJ]https://goo.gl/images/X27qCJ[/url]

Comments

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12 years ago

My Evil twisted Boss makes me work on Saturdays and Sundays... Of course as I get a five day weekend "Monday to Friday" I guess I shouldn't complain too much....

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13 years ago

I'm in! :)

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13 years ago

You Guys did well I am impressed. This thread also inspired me to order the "Canibal Girls" DVD from Amazon!!! I have an old Betamax Video I recorded off of CITY TV but it doesn't play very well anymore.

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13 years ago

OK here goes. The Gulf Station was located in Oak Ridges, on the west side of Yonge Street, 100metres north of King Road. It is now gone and a shiny new Shoppers Drug Mart sits on the location. The phantom OPP station sits almost directly across the road, on the east side of Yonge Street. It remains in place and in its current usage as a pool and spa business. The building also housed a Harle

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13 years ago

Based on your pics timo, if that pool/spa building is the old OPP station, that is 13045 Yonge Street which sits pretty much right at the corner of Yonge and King St.

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13 years ago

Ya I read online that the Strand is the oldest but not sure where or what that meant or if its true

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13 years ago

I google earthed Oak Ridges and nothing matched..However, the area at King Rd has changed big time..I am curious as heck to see what you come up with..I have an old map that does show and old OPP located at King and 11..

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13 years ago

The Gulf Station is now gone, replaced with a shiny new Shoppers Drug Mart, but the OPP station building still exists, now as a business locaion. Pics to follow

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13 years ago

The Gulf Station and the OPP Station are located in Oak Ridges, on Yonge Street slightly north of the King Road. Pics to follow in the next day or two.

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13 years ago

I loved that Movie. Definetly a Canadian Classic. I am curious about image #11 where you refer to the "Strand Theatre" as being the oldest in Ontario?

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13 years ago

Thanks Jay...I checked out Shell in Newmarket to see if it and Gulf Station look familiar. Its not it and I am 100% sure of that . but good lead.. I cant respond to you cos your email is at its limit.