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Authority record
Person · 1903-1978

Dr. Carleton Lamont (Monty) MacMillan was born in Goldboro, Guysborough County in April 1903 to William H. and Constance E. MacMillan (née Griffin). He had two sisters Netta Dillion (née MacMillan) and Olive. Dr. MacMillan married Ethelean Parker and they had two children, a son and namesake, Dr. Monty MacMillan Jr. and a daughter named Connie. Dr. MacMillan lived in Guysborough County from 1903-1919 when he moved to Sydney. After graduating from Sydney Academy, he went on to attend Acadia University for one year before continuing his education at Dalhousie Medical School where he graduated in 1928. After graduating, Dr. MacMillan did a brief stint in Rose Bay, Luneburg County before moving to Baddeck in 1928. It was in Baddeck that Dr. MacMillan set up his medical practice and worked as a county doctor from 1928-1966 when he was forced to retire due to health problems. He also served as the MLA for Victoria County from 1949-1967 and went 18 years undefeated. Dr. MacMillan published his only book in 1975 titled, “Memoirs of a Cape Breton Doctor”, where he discloses his experiences as a country physician in Baddeck for 38 years. Through his influence in 1949, the Victoria County Memorial Hospital was built. In 1973, Dr. MacMillan was awarded the Order of Canada in recognition of his contributions to the community of Baddeck. In 1977, he was awarded the senior membership in the Canadian Medical Association. He was officially honoured twice by the community of Baddeck who declared Dr. MacMillan Day where an official celebration was held. For his service as an MLA, the ferry that travelled between Grand Narrows and Iona was named, “C. Monty MacMillan”. The ferry was in service from ca.1971–1993 when it was replaced by the Barra Strait Bridge. He has been featured in a leading Canadian magazine as an outstanding example of the ideal country doctor. He was a past master of St. Marks Lodge No.35, AF and AM, chairman and life member of the Baddeck Public Library, a Rotarian, and a member of the Board of Trade and the Bras d’Or Yacht Club. On February 10th, 1978, Dr. MacMillan passed away at the Victoria County Memorial Hospital in Baddeck.

The Gaelic College
Corporate body · 1938-

"The Gaelic College was founded in St. Ann’s, Nova Scotia, in 1938, by people from the local community who wanted to create a memorial for the Gaelic speaking pioneers of Cape Breton. Efforts were spearheaded by Angus William Rugg MacKenzie, the minister at the Knox Presbyterian Church in nearby Baddeck. That year, the Cape Breton Island Gaelic Foundation began the work of raising funds to establish the Gaelic College. A committee toured the United States and Canada, raising money through $5 subscriptions. The first building at the site on the Bay of St. Ann’s was a log cabin raised in 1939. Classes in the early years included Gaelic language, Gaelic grammar, Gaelic song, bagpiping, the history of the Gaelic in Scotland, in Nova Scotia and in the rest of North America, as well as social economics. Classes in weaving, folklore and highland dancing were soon added. From its humble beginnings, this unique institution has expanded and gained an international reputation for its contribution to the maintenance and preservation of the language and culture."

Bell, Mabel Hubbard
Person · 25-Nov-1857 to 3-Jan-1923

Mabel Gardiner Hubbard Bell, aeronautics financier, community leader, social reformer and advocate for the deaf (born 25 November 1857 in Cambridge, Massachusetts; died 3 January 1923 in Chevy Chase, Maryland). Bell actively supported and contributed to the work of her husband, inventor Alexander Graham Bell. Her financial investment in his work made her the first financier of the aviation industry in North America. She was a community leader in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, where the Bell family spent their summers. She was also a social reformer and supported innovation in education.

Bell, Alexander Graham
Person · 3-Mar-1847 to 2-Aug-1922

Alexander Graham Bell, teacher of the deaf, inventor, scientist (born 3 March 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland; died 2 August 1922 near Baddeck, NS). Alexander Graham Bell is generally considered second only to Thomas Alva Edison among 19th- and 20th-century inventors. Although he is best known as the inventor of the first practical telephone, he also did innovative work in other fields, including aeronautics, hydrofoils and wireless communication (the “photophone”). Moreover, Bell himself considered his work with the deaf to be his most important contribution. Born in Scotland, he emigrated to Canada in 1870 with his parents. Bell married American Mabel Hubbard in 1877 and became a naturalized American citizen in 1882. From the mid-1880s, he and his family spent their summers near Baddeck on Cape Breton Island, where they built a large home, Beinn Bhreagh. From then on, Bell divided his time and his research between the United States and Canada. He died and was buried at Baddeck in 1922.