Daily News, 1970

July 6, 1970

Life as a fashion model in Toronto suits this Newfoundland gal to a ‘T’

BY SHEILA GUSHUE

‘I never thought to 1957 when I entered the Miss Newfoundland contest that I would later be working as a fashion model in Toronto earning 335 an hour,” said Leona Hale to an interview last week at the Daily News office.

Mrs. Hale the former Lona Smith of North West Brook, Trinity Bay was working as a typist at F.M. Oleary’s to St. John’s to 1957. Her coworkers convinced her to enter the contest” I was hesitant about it,” smiled Leona. “I had been very skinny as a child, then became a what I thought was a plump teenager, so I really had to be convinced by friends to enter.”

Leona didn’t win the contest but it did give her a start on a career which she has found to be fascinating and rewarding, despite a lot of very hard work. In the years between then and now Leona also became a trained nurse, studying at the Grace Hospital in St. John’s and the Scarborough General Hospital in Toronto. She worked as a Doctor’s receptionist and later married the man for whom she worked, Dr. C. Hale, who has a general practice to Toronto.

While she was living to Toronto, Leona took a modelling course from the Patricia Stevens School of Modelling. This has enabled her to do all types of modelling, the Fashion shows for large firms like Simposon’s, and Eaton’s, TV commercials, and photography.

Leona’s training as a nurse has given her an edge on other models when a medical type is needed. As a matter of fact she recently made a feature length movie “Change of Mind” to which she played the part of the nurse. She also appears to another movie – an educational documentary “Youth and Society” made by Moreland and Latchford to which Leona plays a soft faced policewoman.

The Hales five in an English Tudor home near Davisville and Yonge in Toronto. Leona is busy seeing to the renovation of the fifteen room home. “We have the first floor just about finished. The photo at right which was used as a fashion picture was taken to the dining room of our home. My husband acted as the male model for this one” said the blue eyed blonde.

Leona’s husband accompanied her to Newfoundland to a family wedding. They visited her parents in North West Brook, Mr. and Mrs. William Smith, her two brothers there, and two sisters in St. John’s Mrs. Wm Baldwin of Mount Pearl and Mrs. Frank Whalen of St. John’s. One brother lives in Toronto and the four nieces, nephews there used to be quite excited when they saw Aunt Leona on TV (she currently has three commercials running to the Toronto area). However they’ve become more blase about it now.

The Hales are now in Bristol, England visiting Dr. Hale’s relatives. They will stay to Europe for about a month visiting London and Paris.

In the Fall Lona expects to be busy again with Winter fashion shows. ‘‘Often I’m out in the garden doing a bit of weeding or such when a call comes through for an audition. So its off with the relax-at-home clothes and into a mini. Usually at an audition to Toronto there will be 50 to 60 models – all beautiful – waiting for that one job. So when you get the job you just have to feel very very lucky!” said Leona.

“A models life can be really hard. Often one commercial may take eight hours of shooting, and the model must remain as calm cool and collected as during the first hour of shooting. This takes practice, and paience”, she said.

On fashions for Fall Leona predicted that women will be wearing a mixture of the mini the midi and the maxi. “Every woman should have at least one maxi in her wardrobe – that is if she is tall and slim! On short women they look terrible.” Leona who is 5 feet 7 feels at ease in any length but favors full skirted hostess gowns for at home wear in the evening. “I don’t think there is anything more feminine or comfortable,” she said.

If feminity is what she is “in” then Leona Hale has it, in abundance.