Wick artist playing a part in commemoration of Prince Edward Island settlers
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A Wick artist will be contributing to celebrations this weekend marking 250 years since one of the earliest Scottish migrations to what would become Canada.
Jenny Bruce developed close links with a historical society in Prince Edward Island (PEI) and a video she made will be shown in Tracadie, near the island's capital Charlottetown, as part of events commemorating the Glenaladale settlers.
In 2016, Jenny – curator of the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry – met members of the PEI Scottish Settlers Historical Society who were hosting the tapestry as part of its global tour. The tapestry, consisting of more than 300 embroidered panels, pays homage to Scottish migrants and their descendants and the positive impact they made in many parts of the world.
Jenny stayed for a month in Charlottetown and had the opportunity to travel around the island. During this time she visited the historic house and estate of Glenaladale and heard how the group hoped to restore it as part of the island's Scottish heritage.
In 1772, more than 200 Glenaladale settlers from Scotland arrived in PEI to start a new life. A number of families, including that of Captain John MacDonald, the eighth laird of Glenaladale on Scotland's west coast, made the hazardous voyage.
Unhappy at the persecution faced by Catholics at the time, John MacDonald mortgaged his lands in Scotland to his cousin to fund his journey and then purchased a plot of land at Tracadie on which he built a mansion and developed the estate.
After MacDonald's death, the property came into the hands of the MacKinnon family who ran a silver fox company and were involved in rum-running. Eventually the property became vacant.
While based in Tracadie in 2016, Jenny supported her new friends who were in the early stages of setting up the Glenaladale Heritage Trust and were determined to restore the 580-acre estate and house. Drawings Jenny made while there were later made into prints and cards and sold to raise money towards the project.
With federal and provincial funding, the trust has been able to purchase and restore the property.
From June 25 to July 3 the trust will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Glenaladale settlers with a programme of cultural events including input from musicians and artists.
Jenny had been invited to be present for all the celebrations but she is unable to attend – hence the video which will be shown at an exhibition of the 37 Canadian embroidered panels from the tapestry, depicting stories relating to Scottish migrants from the 1500s onwards. Five of the panels were made by PEI embroiderers.
