July 24, 2006

Industry veteran donates family estate to Bruce Trail

DAN O’REILLY

correspondent

TORONTO

Retired contractor Patrick J. McNally has donated his 27-acre family estate on the Niagara Escarpment in the Waterdown area to the Bruce Trail Association in support of conservation and the environment.

Valued in excess of $1 million, it is the single largest personal donation to the association, a primarily volunteer non-profit body that maintains the 850-kilometre Bruce Trail from Queenston to Tobermory.

Patrick McNally, a retired contractor, recently donated his property to the Bruce Trail Association in support of conservation and the environment.

The founder of P.J. McNally and Sons, McNally officially donated the property during a recent ceremony at the site. Featured guests included artist Robert Bateman and former MP Sheilia Copps, both of whom are patrons of the Bruce Trail Association.

McNally and his wife purchased the property in 1953 and began construction of their house, which they designed together with the assistance of an architect.

The Hamilton resident has long been a supporter of the Bruce Trail Association in its conservation efforts and commitment to protect the Bruce Trail and the Niagara Escarpment, says association director Beth Kummling.

“As owner of the property, he saw the importance of preserving the land along the escarpment for future generations.”

Located 15 minutes from downtown Hamilton, the property is a natural oasis in the expanding urban fabric of Watertown and Burlington. It contains 500 meters of escarpment edge and is complemented by woodlands, meadows and springs, says Kummling.

“This gift will help us achieve our mission to preserve a conservation corridor along the length of the Niagara Escarpment from Niagara to Tobermory, and make it accessible via the Bruce Trail. It is a significant step forward for the Bruce Trail Association’s fundraising efforts. Close to 400,000 visits are made to the Bruce Trail each year as people enjoy and admire the glorious landscape of the Escarpment. Mr. McNally’s gift helps preserve the Escarpment as a legacy for future generations.”

Raised in the Hamilton area, Patrick McNally graduated from Queen’s University with a degree in mining engineering. For a time he worked for his father and then started a company with his own sons, calling it P.J. McNally and Sons.

It specialized in road engineering and tunneling and some of its projects included Highway 403 as it ascends the Niagara Escarpment and the Jolley Cut in Hamilton. The company is now known as C & M McNally Engineering Corporation and is operated by his sons Chris and Mike.

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