Merchant Prince: The Story of Alexander Ducan McRae - Softcover

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.