Kingsmere Park Act (R.S.C. 1952, c. 161)

“24 The cherished objective of being able to present my Kingsmere properties as a thank-offering for what has come to me in the way of opportunities of public service, I believe I have been able to realize, and I hereby bequeath to the Government of Canada as a public park in trust for the citizens of Canada, subject to certain reservations hereinafter referred to, my several properties at Kingsmere, in the Province of Quebec, amounting in all to nearly Five Hundred (500) acres, and the houses and other buildings erected thereon. The precise boundaries are set forth in the several deeds attached hereto.

25 In making this bequest, I express the wish that the lands at Kingsmere may be maintained as nearly as possible in their present state; that they will be developed as parkland, and that they will form a wild life sanctuary and will continue to have the character of a natural forest reserve.

26 Believing that my successors in the office of Prime Minister may find, as I have found, a renewal of strength in this quiet place, as well as exceptional opportunities for conference on national and international affairs, I hope that the Government of Canada will consider the possibility of setting aside a part of the Kingsmere property as a country home for the holder of the office of Prime Minister of Canada.

27 Inasmuch as relatives and friends of mine have spent their summers, or part of them, at Kingsmere as my guests or tenants, I hope they may continue to enjoy the summer homes to which they have become accustomed; and that other appropriate use may be made of them. I would therefore ask that the Government should authorize my Trustees to provide that, for a period of three years after my death, the cottages and such of their contents as are mine and are not otherwise disposed of in accordance with this my Will shall be available, rent-free, for use by my sister and the members of her family, by the members of my late brother’s family, and by such other persons as may be designated by my Trustees.

28 My Trustees are hereby authorized to dispose of all my possessions in the cottages and other buildings or on the property as they believe will be most in accord with my own wishes; and to meet such expenses as may be necessarily incurred for the maintenance of these cottages for a period of three years.”