Glenaladale Estate
The Glenaladale Estate, in Tracadie, was built by Scottish Laird Captain John MacDonald and operated as a private property for 250 years. Today, it is being developed by the Glenaladale Heritage Trust for all to enjoy.
A popular beach destination through the ages
The Hotel Acadia, originally called the Lorne Hotel, rested on the shores of Tracadie Bay facing the dunes of Blooming Point beach. Though its construction date is unknown, it was operated in 1894 by Isaac C. Hall, a former fish plant and cannery owner. The large resort, which could accommodate 95 guests, catered primarily to American clientele. It was ideal for ocean bathing, golfing, lawn tennis, croquet, horseback riding, sailing and fishing. Room rates started at $2 per day with weekly rates also available. Sadly, the Hotel Acadia was destroyed by fire in 1906; all guests and staff escaped safely.
The local swimming hole has often been nicknamed Pogey Beach because of its reputation as a popular hang out for those on employment insurance or “pogey.” The beach at Blooming Point was featured in an episode of Just Passing Through, a comic web series about Maritime cousins who arrive unexpectedly on a friend’s doorstep in Toronto, en route to sweet jobs in Alberta. The successful episode led to a 2019 movie called Pogey Beach. It focuses on the arrival of two new residents to the area, a Torontonian father and daughter, who move to Tracadie, after buying the local fish plant. Unsurprisingly, this transplant of city folks causes upheaval and rivalries in the community.
Enjoy the splendour by the dunes
Blackbush at Old Tracadie Harbour
While you are in the area, walk the miles of white sand near the Blackbush Beach Resort on either the ocean side or the bay side - or both.
Blackbush is named for the thriving 19th-century fishing wharf that was nestled in what is now giant dunes across Tracadie Bay from the resort. North shore winds of PEI can be harsh on spruce trees that lean into onshore winds. The salt in the air turns the needles black.
The story of Dalvay-by-the-Sea
Dalvay-by-the-Sea, a beautiful Canadian National Historic Site, was built in the late 19th century as a summer residence for wealthy American businessman Alexander MacDonald and his family. He was so enamoured by the Island, which he visited on vacation, he immediately bought 120 acres of land on the north shore. He named the house after his boyhood home in Scotland. This property, now run as a hotel, is every bit as impressive today as it was back then and still features beautiful furniture, pottery and draperies from that era.