The Facts of Life star Lisa Whelchel visited Brampton in 1983. While malls like Shoppers World Brampton regularly hosted top soap opera actors and sports stars for autograph signings, TV's “Blair Warner” came for a rally at Bramalea Baptist Church.

The Brampton Guardian photographed her with Pastor Stuart Silvester on May 14, 1983.

A year after speaking in Brampton, Whelchel received a Grammy nomination for Best Inspirational Performance, for the album All Because of You. In 1988, Whelchel skipped an episode of the series that saw Natalie (Mindy Cohn) become the first of the lead young women to lose her virginity. According to a 2001 autobiography, she said that the script originally called for “Blair” to be the one to have sex.

The negative for this photograph is available in the Brampton Guardian fonds at the Region of Peel Archives. To learn more about exploring this trove of local history, contact pamaarchives@peelregion.ca — the archives is always free to use.