Standing proudly on the shore of Cape Breton’s shimmering Bras D’or Lake is the picturesque town of Baddeck. This special place would be our home base for the next few days as we explored the famous Cabot Trail and the many sights of Cape Breton.
Baddeck may be small by some standards, but the history of this town is as big as it gets. This starts with the town’s connection to its most famous former summer time residents, inventor Alexander Graham Bell and his wife Mabel.
Of course, anyone with a cell phone can thank Alexander for his most important invention because on March 10, 1876, he successfully transmitted the first sentence over the telephone to his assistant, Thomas Watson. “Mr. Watson, come here I want to see you.” The rest, as they say, is history as Bell’s discovery changed the world.
It also provided Bell with considerable personal wealth which he generously invested to support other inventors and their inventions. And this is where Baddeck’s place in history takes off, quite literally.
Bell and Mabel travelled to Baddeck in 1885 and instantly fell in love with the lake, the surrounding hills and valleys, and especially the warm-hearted people they met. So, in 1893, they built a majestic summer home overlooking Bras D’or Lake which they called, Beinn Bhreagh, Gaelic for “beautiful mountain”.
For the next several decades Beinn Bhreagh was their summer escape where their children and grandchildren could grow and learn in a fun-filled environment far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It was also a place where Bell would bring together other inventors to propel their ideas forward. This led to the formation of a special group who shared a passion for the science of aviation. They called themselves The Aerial Experiment Association and its members included: Bell, Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge, Casey Baldwin, J.A.D. McCurdy and Glenn Curtiss. Not household names, but their contributions to aviation were monumental.
On a frigid winter day, February 23, 1909, these gents made history and became responsible for Baddeck being celebrated as the birthplace of aviation in Canada when their plane, the Silver Dart, successfully lifted off of the ice on Baddeck Bay. It flew approximately 800 metres and then landed safely. There were more than 100 locals cheering wildly for that first successful flight, and one of them happened to be the great grandmother of our beautiful daughter in law, Mairi.
Young Helen MacLean was with her family standing at Mackay’s Point with a bird’s eye view of the historic flight. It must have been an amazing day of wonder and excitement for her and all of the MacLean’s and other Baddeck locals. Ironically, even though Helen raised an amazing family of her own (married name MacNeil) and lived to be 100 years young, she never once flew in an airplane. But, she did see something incredible happen right before her eyes that cold, winter day on Baddeck Bay.
While Bell was well known for his associations with the telephone and a large number of other inventions, his true passion was his life-long work teaching deaf people to speak. Supported by his wife Mabel, they worked tirelessly to increase the number of qualified teachers of speech education and advocated day schools for the deaf, rather than the standard of the day when children who were deaf were often segregated in boarding schools.
The impact their good work had on so many individuals and families continues to this day as their advances in teaching helped open a world of opportunity for deaf people. These insights and many more are on display at the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site. Overlooking Bras D’Or Lake on the outskirts of Baddeck, this museum is a fascinating place to learn more about this incredible man, his inspiring wife, and their many contributions to science and to helping others.
Alexander and Mabel’s deep love and affection for Baddeck and the community continues to this day as, according to their final wishes, they were buried together at Beinn Bhreagh.