Merchant Prince: The Story of Alexander Ducan McRae

by Betty O'Keefe, Ian Macdonald

Alexander Duncan McRae, a Canadian who made good, is largely forgotten even though his enterprise and colourful life helped define the growth of western Canada. McRae played a leading role in the birth of many prairie communities before becoming a West Coast industrialist in lumber, mining and fisheries. He was a key figure in BC's "golden years," an opulent era in the early 20th century.

McRae also served Canada as a First World War general and returned from overseas to become an outspoken BC politician, federal member of Parliament and senator. After donating Hycroft to the government for use as a veterans' hospital, McRae devoted his later years to Eaglecrest, a Qualicum Beach country estate and a 4,000-acre experimental farm. Alexander Duncan McRae was a blend of social conscience, political savvy and entrepreneurial skill, a true "merchant prince."

Hycroft, Alexander and Blaunche McRae's elegant 30-room mansion, became the centre of Vancouver's social life in Shaughnessy and a lasting symbol of the age. Today, Hycroft and half of the original McRae estate are owned, cherished and enjoyed by the members of the University Women's Club of Vancouver.

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2001