In 1926, Toronto became home to one of the strangest inheritance disputes in Canadian history.
Lawyer and businessman Charles Vance Millar, known for his elaborate practical jokes, left part of his estate to the Toronto woman who gave birth to the most children over a ten-year period. The contest — later known as the “Stork Derby” — sparked widespread public fascination, media attention, and moral debate across the city.
When the competition ended in 1936, four women tied with nine children each and received substantial payouts from Millar’s estate. What began as a bizarre clause in a will became one of Toronto’s most infamous social spectacles.