This site is dedicated to historical reflection of the community of Boisdale, Cape Breton and surrounding communities. We've learned that in all these smaller communities is where the pre-dominently agrarian people spent most of their lives; at least until the advent of cars and better roads.

Comments

  1. boisdaleOctober 17, 2019 at 6:53 PM

    This site will replace boisdale.org. Please have patience while we rebuild.

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  2. Wanting SerenityApril 11, 2022 at 12:10 PM

    What was Gillis House in Boisdale ... remnants of stone buildings across from the church?

    ReplyDelete
  3. boisdaleMarch 1, 2026 at 9:03 PM

    Better late than never for a reply. In the 1970's, with fewer priests to serve rural parishes; St. Andrew's became of mission of the St. Barra's in Christmas Island. Meantime, the Diocese decided to open the Boisdale site as a facility to serve sick and semi retired priests. It was named after the late Fr. Michael Gillis, a previous St, Andrew's pastor and a WWI chaplain. Fr. John Webb, who had developed Talbot House in Frenchvale and had served as it's head for aprox. 20 years was name as head of Gillis House. The purpose of the House was altered somewhat to include addicted male individuals with a heavy emphasis on servile work to form part of the long term nature of their treatment. A lot of the resultant stonework remained after Gillis House closed

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Tours

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Over the years since our inception in 1997, we've paticipated in a variety of walking historical tours. We hope eventually to include virtual tours for the benefit of our readers. We try to walk in the same path as our ancestors. Roddie MacNeil and Johnny MacKinnon visit a small waterfalls just south of their Beaver Cove properties. circa 1944. courtesy Theresa MacKinnon A BHS tour that started in Beaver Cove, headed south through the Rear Beaver Cove close to MacMullin Lake for pickup and transportation to the Bourinot Rd. circa 1998
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