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Prince Edward Island, usually
referred to simply as PEI, is the smallest Canadian province. Its 2184 sq. miles
(5525 sq. km) make it even smaller than some of Canada's National Parks, but it
also means that the province can be toured within about five days. The island,
vaguely in the shape of a crescent, lies in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is
separated from the northern coasts of the Maritime Provinces of New Brunswick
and Nova Scotia by the narrow Northumberland Strait. Two ferries cross the
Strait year round: from the port of Cape Tormentine in New Brunswick and from
Caribou in Nova Scotia to Wood Islands, PEI.
PEI is a well-known haven of peace and tranquility for those seeking a place to
truly "get away from it all." The islanders are warm, hospitable and
very relaxed. Nature too seems to possess this tranquil quality, with expansive
rolling hills where rich green and reddish farmland offer a harmonious patchwork
of color. Dotting this mellifluous landscape are little villages where the pace
of life has remained oblivious of the internal combustion engine and the
microchip. In the recondite ports along the capricious coastline one might still
find some old salts who, plied with the right lubrication, can spin a yarn
longer than the Canadian border.
From Cradle to Cradle
The island's early inhabitants were the Micmac Indians, who welcomed its fertile
soil and the abundance of fish in the surrounding and inland waters. They called
this new home abegweit, meaning "land cradled by waters," and they
lived here relatively undisturbed until the 16th century. In 1534 the French
explorer Jacques Cartier first set foot on the island, but it took a while
though before French settlers began arriving, their ranks swollen by Acadians
from Nova Scotia, who had been expelled by the British in 1755.
Three years later, however, the British also lay claim to the "land cradled
by waters," which the French explorer Champlain had called St-Jean, and
repeated their expulsion procedures. They founded Charlottetown as their capital
in 1763, naming it after the wife of the British king George III. Their arrival
also opened the floodgates to settlers who came mostly from Scotland and
Ireland. In 1799 the island, now a separate province, was renamed for Prince
Edward, the Duke of Kent, the father of Queen Victoria.
In a rather quiet fashion, the islanders maintained a sense of independence
throughout much of the 19th century, especially whenever the term union was
mentioned, be that with the other Maritime provinces or the rest of Canada. And
it is because of this that the great conference in 1864 that led to the
confederation of Canada was held in Charlottetown, which is why PEI is referred
to as the "Cradle of the Confederation." PEI itself only joined nine
years later.
Like their Micmac predecessors, today's islanders draw quite a livelihood from
agriculture and fishing. While many fruits (raspberries, blueberries,
strawberries), vegetables and grains grow well in PEI's iron-rich soil, potatoes
are by far its number one cash crop. 150,000 acres are devoted to the spud,
which was first cultivated here in 1771. The island's abundant annual potato
yield accounts for most of Canada's potato exports, as well as more than 90% of
the country's domestic seed potatoes. Tourism annually adds around $70 million
dollars to PEI's economy, and is heaviest from May to October. Each PEI's
counties, Prince, Queen and King, has a well-marked drive enabling visitors to
quickly grasp the major sights. They are respectively - and from west to east -
Lady Slipper Drive, Blue Heron Drive and Kings Byway.
(Travel Wizard)
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Wood Islands P.E.I. to
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