1800’s
MacMillan Point lease was in operation by Lorne MacMillan’s father, John.
Lorne MacMillan was born in 1904 and Edith Cameron was born in 1908. They married around 1925 and spent their life on the farm at MacMillan Point. Lorne was an inventor, farmer, builder, and oyster grower. He was also a skilled mechanic with a homemade fix for everything. Edith was a teacher at the West Covehead schoolhouse and an active partner on the farm and in the oyster operation. Her kitchen skills were legendary—especially her pickles and preserves.
1932
Lorne and Edith MacMillan take over the lease and official DFO survey was done in 1932.
The survey was done using points from local structures, including Shaw’s hotel road point. Lorne MacMillan branded his oysters, Black Point Oyster Company.
1933
Lorne’s oysters were well-known locally, and featured in different establishments in Charlottetown, including the Charlottetown Hotel on the Christmas menu.
(Now the Rodd Charlottetown)
1950s
Lorne was using unique techniques for growing oysters – including horse and plow.
He subscribed to Popular Mechanics in the 1940s and 50s—unusual for rural PEI—and local inventor Donnie Allen recalls spending hours reading the magazines, which sparked a lifelong passion for building equipment.
1950–1960
Friendship and partnership with local businessman F. R. Seaman of Seaman’s Beverages, saw oysters shipped with pop to places like Paris, Boston and New York.
1988
The MacMillans sold their land farm to a local development company who turned the area into what it is today. The deal was made so that the MacMillans could stay in their house as long as they wanted.
1990–94
After Lorne and Edith died, since they had no children, their lease was left to Edith’s nephew, Dr. Wayne Cameron.
Though they had no children, many neighbourhood kids—especially from the Sedgwick family—spent summers with Lorne and Edith. Their home, known for laughter and generosity, hosted countless memories.
1993
Lease was sold in the early ’90s to Dr. Jeff Davidson, and later to Rob MacLaurin.
Dr. Wayne Cameron sold the lease after their passing. Robbie Moore would later take it on.
1994
The MacMillan homestead was taken down in a control burn.
Before the burn, secret wall panels and gravity-fed taps were discovered—fueling stories of possible rum-running through the home. The area is now known as beautiful MacMillan Point.
2002
Robbie Moore took over the caretaking of the lease in 2002, through a handshake deal with Rob MacLaurin. Parts of the agreement are still honoured today.
2007
Robbie officially purchased the lease in 2007. He has been the sole owner ever since.
2007–2017
Robbie sold oysters to many different packers and buyers all over PEI, including Burleigh Brothers and Carr’s Oyster Bar.
2018
Robbie formed a partnership with Kendra Mills and built the Brackley Bay Oyster Company.
2020
Opened first retail location to sell direct to consumers.
2023
In the summer of 2023, Dr. Wayne Cameron and Dr. Jeff Davidson visited the shop and gifted the original wooden stencils used to mark oyster crates that were shipped around the world. They reminded us that we’re now the caretakers of the stencils, the water, and the legacy.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Brackley Bay Oyster Co. is proud to be the steward of one of PEI’s oldest surveyed leases. It’s a responsibility we carry with heart—rooted in tradition, fueled by community, and built on the legacy of Lorne and Edith.