Ministers Island: Where Time, Tide, and Canadian History Collide
Perched just off the coast of St. Andrews in New Brunswick and only accessible at low tide, Ministers Island is one of Canada’s best-kept secrets—an island frozen in time, layered with stories of Indigenous heritage, Loyalist settlers, and a railway baron who built an empire by steel and steam.
First Footprints: The Passamaquoddy People
Long before grand homes and railways touched the landscape, Ministers Island was the summer home of the Passamaquoddy First Nation. These Indigenous people were the island’s original caretakers, living in harmony with the seasons. In the warmer months, they fished, gathered, and thrived on the island’s natural bounty. As winter rolled in, they would move inland for shelter and survival—continuing a migratory rhythm honed over generations.
A Loyalist Legacy
Fast forward to the late 1700s. After the American Revolution, Loyalists—those who remained faithful to the British Crown—fled the United States and settled in the nearby town of St. Andrews. With them came Reverend Samuel Andrews, an Anglican minister who chose not to build his home in town, but on this serene island instead.
His house still stands today and gave the island its name—Ministers Island. It’s a modest piece of history nestled among the grander stories that followed, but it laid the foundation for what the island would become: a sanctuary, a statement, and a home.
Enter the Railway King: Sir William Van Horne
In 1891, Sir William Cornelius Van Horne arrived on the island—and it was love at first sight. Van Horne, the man who brought the Canadian Pacific Railway to life, saw potential here. Not for trains or tracks, but for relaxation, art, and family legacy.
He didn’t just build a summer cottage—he created a 50-room mansion and transformed the island into a self-sufficient retreat, complete with 21 buildings: a barn, gas house, bathhouse, slaughterhouse, and even a laundry. It was a mini kingdom nestled in the Bay of Fundy.
Van Horne wasn’t Canadian by birth. Born in Illinois in 1843, he left school at 14 to work for the Illinois Railway. Within three months, he was already a telegraph officer. Fast forward to 1881—he took the helm as General Manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Over just four years, he achieved what many believed impossible: laying 2,900 miles of track across Canada, through unforgiving wilderness and towering mountains. The last spike was hammered in at Craigellachie, BC, in 1885—a turning point in Canadian history.
The Family Saga
Van Horne was married to Lucy Hurd and had two children. His son, Benny, and later his grandson, Billy, showed little interest in the island. But his daughter, Adeline (affectionately called Miss Addie), was a different story. She adored Ministers Island. When Van Horne died in 1915, Miss Addie inherited the estate and continued to live the island lifestyle, dividing her time between here and the family’s Montreal residence.
When she passed in 1941, the island was passed down to her grand-niece Beverly Ann, who was only nine at the time. As a result, the Royal Trust Company stepped in to manage the property. Eventually, Beverly Ann sold the island in 1961, and it slipped out of the Van Horne family’s hands for good.
From Abandonment to Restoration
By 1977, after changing ownership a few times, the island’s glory days seemed behind it. One owner tried to sell, couldn’t, and ended up holding a furniture auction in the mansion’s living room—a dramatic moment that saw much of the original furnishing scattered to the wind.
But just three days into the auction, the Province of New Brunswick stepped in. Recognizing the island's historical value, they halted the auction, purchased the island, and eventually declared it a national and provincial historic site.
It wasn’t until 1992 that the island reopened for tours. Then, in 2004, a nonprofit group known as Van Horne Estates on Ministers Island took over. They’ve been instrumental in reviving the island’s magic. Thanks to them—and a little help from the government—a $2.2 million barn restoration brought new life to one of Van Horne’s proudest structures.
Hidden Wonders and Ingenious Design
There’s no shortage of wonders to discover on the island. The bathhouse, perched by the shore, was Van Horne’s favorite retreat. It’s where he painted many of the pieces now displayed in the home. He was a man of many talents, sleeping only four hours a night and spending the rest of his time working, walking, or painting.
Below the bathhouse, he dug out sandstone for construction—leaving a 50-foot-wide, 8-foot-deep hole behind. Instead of filling it back in, he turned it into a tidal swimming pool. Fed by the tides of the Bay of Fundy, the pool would fill naturally at high tide and remain during low tide, gently warmed by the sun. Though it's filled with sand today, you can still make out its outline.
And that’s just the beginning. Behind the mansion, you'll find a carriage house complete with an original carriage, a gas house that once produced carbide gas for lighting, and a windmill-powered water system so advanced it used a buried railway car as a 10,000-gallon holding tank.
Explore Ministers Island Today
Today, the island is open to the public, accessible only at low tide by a gravel bar road that disappears beneath the sea twice a day. Visitors can tour the house, explore the bathhouse and barn, and soak in the history and scenery that once captivated one of Canada's most influential men.
It’s not just a tour—it’s a time-traveling journey through Canada’s industrial triumphs, family sagas, and maritime heritage. Ministers Island doesn’t just tell one story—it tells many, layered like the tides that rise and fall around it.
So pack your camera, wear comfy shoes, and don’t forget to check the tide schedule. Because when the water recedes, the past comes to life.
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