An Island, a Manor!
Société d’histoire et de généalogie de l’île Jésus, P17 – Fonds Société historique de l’île Paton, P17/C1,6.003 Paton Manor, circa 1940?
Hugh Paton bought Île Bourdeau in 1880 for $2,800. He carried out most of the development work in 1884 with his wife, Isabella Robertson. The 50-room manor was not the only remarkable building constructed. The Patons also built a greenhouse, stables, tennis courts, a golf course and gardens. That was quite an achievement, considering that there had only been a wooden house and a barn on the 60 arpents (20 ha) of land to begin with. In 1941, after Hugh Paton’s death, the estate was sold to the Berthiaume-Du Tremblay family, who were owners of the La Presse newspaper. Unfortunately, fire destroyed the manor in 1966.