McMillan Family Reunion on Salt Spring Island

The weekend of September 28 - 30, 2012, Neil and I travelled to Salt Spring Island, one of the gulf islands between Vancouver and Vancouver Island.  We went to attend a McMillan Family reunion organized by myself, and my second cousins, Cindy and Terry.  This reunion was for the descendants (that we could locate) from the marriage of Robert Sheddan McMillan born on January 30, 1848  in Greenoch, Scotland and Jane (Jean) Blackburn born on March 3, 1851 in Loch Winnoch, Scotland.

Cindy, Terry and myself had been working on this reunion for months and were delighted when our Salt Spring cousins offered their home for a Saturday get together and a community hall for a Saturday night dinner.

Neil and I stayed at the Hedgerow House Bed & Breakfast just outside of Ganges on Salt Spring and were delighted with its quiet beauty.  We had a very comfortable room, large bathroom, and outdoor garden terrace. Breakfast was great and our hosts were friendly and helpful.

This B & B has since become #1 on Trip Advisor for B & Bs on Salt Spring Island.  Highly recommended.

On the Friday evening, we joined my cousins, Louise and Stan, for dinner at the House Piccolo restaurant in Ganges, and it was so wonderful to visit with them again.

House Piccolo

The reunion was very exciting because other than meeting my second cousins Cindy and Terry a couple of times previously, and one of my first cousins attending the reunion, I had not met anyone else.  Our great grandparents, Robert and Jean had five children who survived infancy, of whom 3 daughters and one son immigrated to Canada (Victoria and Vancouver).  One daughter, Jean, remained in Scotland.  The son had no descendants, and the descendants of one daughter have died out. So we had the descendants from three sisters:  Jean (from Scotland), Elizabeth (from Vancouver) and Helen (from Victoria), being the McLay, Sharp and Rowan families.  There were about 35 - 40 people at the various reunion events.

I had prepared a stand up tri-fold poster board showing the generations to take with me and display and it was a big hit, and quite helpful to distinguish who belonged to which family.  I worked on obtaining the information from my first cousins, all the photos, and assembling it for weeks.

 

The Saturday afternoon event was at the oceanside home of Don and Gail, where we all met, many for the first time, to gales of laughter, and also wonderment at the resemblances that we noticed.  We talked and talked and talked about family and ancestors.

 

Dock outside Don and Gail's home



Audrey & Terry, from different family branches, but quite a resemblance

 

Part of the gang of first, second and third cousins

 

Neil and I also enjoyed our visit to Salt Spring Island.  On Saturday we went to the famous Saturday market, featuring fresh Salt Spring produce, arts and crafts, speciality food items, and alternative health products.

 

 

 

 

 

Cousins

 

Neil and I also enjoyed sightseeing on Salt Spring Island.  Here are two pictures from the Ganges Harbour:

 

 

 

Sunday morning we went for a drive to the south end of the island and then walk in Ruckle Provincial Park:

 

 

 

 

 

We were very lucky with the weather.  Then we returned home on the BC Ferries, having had a wonderful weekend and reunion.