The Government of Canada announced Wednesday it has provided $705,000 in funding to allow Glenaladale Heritage Trust Inc. to acquire the Glenaladale Estate in Tracadie Bay, Prince Edward Island.
The announcement was made by the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage.
The historic Glenaladale Estate is considered an invaluable cultural asset to Prince Edward Island. Acquiring the 523‑acre estate acquisition will help Glenaladale Heritage Trust protect and preserve the site, educate the public about the province’s Scottish heritage, and promote arts and culture in the region.
Glenaladale was the private home of three generations of the family of Captain John MacDonald until 1905, when it was purchased by the MacKinnon family who have called it home since then.
The Glenaladale Settlement of 1772 became the earliest large Scottish emigration to what would become Canada. Some 214 Highland Catholics sailed aboard the Alexander to settle on St. John’s Island (later called Prince Edward Island) under the leadership of Captain MacDonald, a Highland from the Clanranald estate of Glenaladale.
Captain MacDonald and his grandson, tobacco magnate and educational philanthropist Sir William C. Macdonald, are both recognized as persons of national historic significance.
Photos of the Glenaladale estate and information about its history can be found on the The Glenaladale Heritage Trust website.
