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People Profiles
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Sir Charles Dalton (1850-1933) |
Charles Dalton was born at Norway, near Tignish on Prince Edward Island, to Patrick and Mary Dalton. A pioneer in the PEI silver fox industry, Dalton sold his fox holdings in 1914 and was able to retire, a millionaire. In his later working years, Dalton had become a prominent politician on the island, and on November 29, 1930, became Lieutenant-Governor of PEI. Throughout his career, Sir Dalton established a reputation as a philanthropist. He donated an ambulance to the Red Cross, as well as a building for the St. Dunstan's University and a Normal School in Tignish.
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After losing a daughter to the White Plague, Dalton became interested in the fight against tuberculosis on PEI. At this time, approximately 100 people died from TB each year on the island and because of the small population of the island, this was the highest TB death rate in Canada.
Mr. Dalton gave a generous donation to help make possible the erection of a sanatorium on PEI. After the provincial government agreed to give a grant that would cover operating expenses, the Dalton Sanatorium was opened in Emyvale in March, 1915. The federal government took over this sanatorium during World War I to treat soldiers suffering from tuberculosis, but returned it to the province in 1920, after expanding the building significantly. After the province decided the now larger sanatorium was too much to maintain, it was returned to Charles Dalton who closed the building in 1922 and donated all equipment and furnishings to the Charlottetown hospital.
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The Charles Dalton Sanatorium was built between 1913 and 1916, North of Wiltshire, PEI (photos: PEI Public Archives and Records Office). |
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