The first part of the story of Robert Gaffan, from his birth in Turkey to his arrival and subsequent marriage to Maria Zammit in Malta and to his emigration to Canada, was traced in the article ‘From Turkey to Malta to Canada – the Gaffan (Gafà) family’s journey’ (The Sunday Times of Malta, May 30, 2021).

After arriving by a special train to London, Ontario, from Pier 21, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the afternoon of Friday, May 21, 1948, Robert and the other men from Malta were transported by an army truck to the former World War II, Royal Canadian Air Force bombing and gunnery station at Fingal, a few miles southwest of nearby St Thomas.

Robert’s first job in southwestern Ontario was at a lumber yard in Port Stanley, some seven-and-a-half miles southeast of Fingal and about the same distance south of St Thomas. Later, he found work as a barber in Windsor and moved there.

Family photo with baby Paul Gaffan, born April 13, 1951, on his mother’s lap.

He then tried looking for a place for his wife and nine children. Even when he said he had half that number, he was turned down. He was on the point of giving up and returning to Malta when he met Ted Miner and his wife Josephine.

William Edward ‘Ted’ Miner was a son of the late Jack Miner who, in 1932, had established the Jack Miner Migratory Bird Foundation to support the bird sanctuary he had established on his farm on the Third Concession of Essex County’s Gosfield Township, north of the town of Kingsville.

The Miner homestead had not been used in years and was badly in need of repairs. The Miners were willing to rent the old house to Robert ‘Bob’ Gaffan, even after the original four children he said he had back in Malta grew to nine. A deal was worked out whereby Robert and his friends would supply the labour and Ted Miner the materials to fix up the place. In the end, “the house was practically rebuilt”.

The Gaffan family at home, 1957.

Now, it was time to arrange for the arrival of Robert’s family. Maria Gaffan and the children were among the many wives and children of the men who arrived in May and June 1948, who sailed from Malta to New York on board the Yugoslavian ship, the Radnik, in October 1948. From New York, they travelled by train, via Montreal, to Windsor.

On the arrival of the family at the Canadian National Railways station in Windsor, on the afternoon of Saturday, October 30, they were met by their husband and father. Bob Gaffan was accompanied by Ted Miner in his car and Charles Irwin of Leamington in his car to drive the large family to their new home in Canada.

The Apex Barber Shop as it appeared in December 1961.

A photographer and reporter from the Windsor Star were also present and both a photo and write-up on the Gaffan family appeared in the Monday issue of the newspaper. Bob proudly reported that of the more than 500 Maltese in Ontario that year, his was the largest family. The nine children from eldest to youngest consisted of Catharine, age 16, Helen, James, Morris, Joyce, Gloria, Ted, Rose and 10-month-old Charles.

Josephine Miner, Ted’s wife, had stayed behind to prepare a welcoming meal for the family. In addition, the Miners had provided clothes and toys for the children. Meanwhile, Bob would have to continue to travel by bus from the Miner property to his place of work, some 26 miles distance, in Windsor.

Façade of the Barber Shop in 2016.

In 1950, an opportunity arose to rent the building at 21, Main Street, in nearby Kingsville, and Bob fixed it up as a barber shop. Later, he purchased it. At about the same time as Bob set up his business in Kingsville, the family moved there to a house on Pearl Street. Later, they moved to Mill Street East and finally to Spruce Street where Bob and Maria’s two eldest daughters, Kay and Helen, still live.  By the spring of 1951, there were two additional children: Martha and Paul. Paul was to become a hairdresser like his eldest sister, Catherine ‘Kay’ Gaffan, while the eldest sons, Jim and Morris, for a time, became barbers like their father.

The Three Gaffan barbers, c. 1961-62, (from left) Bob and his two sons, Jim and Morris.

After Bob’s death in 1982, Jim took over the barber shop known as Gaffan’s Apex Barber Shop. Jim’s sons, Tony and John, became the third generation of barbers at this iconic shop and still continue to work there. Bob’s wife Maria died in 1994 and was buried beside her late husband in Greenhill Cemetery, Kingsville.

The Three Gaffan barbers, 2016, (from left) Tony, Jim (father) and John.

As for Bob’s mother Basilica (Gaetano) Gaffan, she continued to live in the apartment over Bob’s former barber shop in Vittoriosa until her death in 1966. She had thought of coming to Canada at one time but never did.

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank Kay, Helen and Jim Gaffan, Bob and Maria’s eldest children, for supplying them with both information and photos.

(Concluded. Part one published on May 30)