Prince Edward Island
This article is about a Canadian province. For the South African sub-Antarctic islands, see Prince Edward IslandsPrince Edward Island (simply
PEI or
P.E.I.;
French,
l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard,
Scottish Gaelic,
Eilean a' Phrionns or
Eilean Eòin,
Mi'kmaq Abegweit) is a
Canadian province coextensive with the
island of the same name. It is part of the
Maritimes and is one of the
Atlantic Provinces. It is the nation's smallest province in terms of land area, and has a population 138,307. People from Prince Edward Island are called
Islanders and refer to people not from the island as being "from away."
It is located in a rectangle defined roughly by 46°–47° N, and 62°–64° 30′ W. At 5,660 km² in size, it is the
104th largest island in the world, and
Canada's 23rd largest island.
The island's namesake is
Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent (1767-1820), the father of
Queen Victoria.
Known as the "Garden of the Gulf", the island is located in the
Gulf of Saint Lawrence north of
Nova Scotia and east of
New Brunswick, with which it forms the
Northumberland Strait.
The island has two urban areas. The largest surrounds Charlottetown Harbour, situated centrally on the island's southern shore, and consists of the capital city
Charlottetown, as well as suburban towns of
Cornwall and
Stratford and a developing
urban fringe. A smaller urban area surrounds Summerside Harbour, situated on the southern shore 40 kilometres west of Charlottetown Harbour, and consists primarily of the city of
Summerside. As with all natural harbours on the island, Charlottetown and Summerside harbours are created by
rias. (See also a
list of communities in Prince Edward Island.)
The island's landscape is predominatly pastoral. Rolling hills, pristine forests, white sand beaches, ocean coves and the famous red soil have given Prince Edward Island a reputation as a province of outstanding natural beauty. A number of laws have been passed by the provincial government to retain its quaint feel, although the lack of consistent enforcement and absence of province-wide
zoning and
land-use planning has resulted in aesthetically unpleasing development.
The island's lush landscape has had a strong bearing not only its economy but also its culture. Author
Lucy Maud Montgomery drew inspiration from the land during the late
Victorian Era for the setting of her classic novel
Anne of Green Gables. Today, many of the same qualities that Montgomery and others found in the Island are enjoyed by tourists who visit during all seasons. They enjoy a variety of leisure activities, including
beaches, various
golf courses, eco-tourism adventures, and simply touring the countryside and enjoying cultural events in local communities around the island.
The smaller rural communities as well as the towns and villages throughout the province proudly retain a slower-paced, old world flavour, something that factors heavily into Prince Edward Island's popularity as a destination for relaxation. The popular Canadian television show,
Road to Avonlea, was filmed on Prince Edward Island and, according to creator David McHewen, no film sets were required. Most rural communities on Prince Edward Island are based on
small-scale agriculture, given that the size of farm properties is quite small when compared with other areas in Canada. There is an increasing amount of industrial farming as older farm properties are consolidated and modernized.
The coastline of the island consists of a combination of long
beaches,
dunes, red
sandstone cliffs, salt water
marshes and numerous
bays and
harbours. The beaches, dunes and sandstone cliffs consist of sedimentary rock and other material with a high
iron concentration which
oxidizes upon exposure to the air. The geological properties of a white silica sand found at
Basin Head are unique in the province; the sand grains cause a scrubbing noise as they rub against each other when walked on. Large
dune fields on the north shore can be found on barrier islands at the entrances to various bays and harbours. The magnificent sand dunes at
Greenwich are of particular significance. The shifting, parabolic dune system is home to a variety of birds and rare plants and is also a site of significant
archeological interest.
10 Largest Municipalities by population| Municipality | 2001!1996 |
|---|
| Charlottetown | 32,245 | 32,531 |
| Summerside | 14,654 | 15,525 |
| Stratford | 6,314 | 5,869 |
| Cornwall | 4,412 | 4,291 |
| Lot 34 | 2,344 | 2,180 |
| Montague | 1,945 | 1,995 |
| Lot 1 (Tignish & area) | 1,900 | 1,936 |
| Lot 65 | 1,829 | 1,595 |
| Lot 19 | 1,775 | 1,759 |
| Lot 2 (St. Louis/Elmsdale area) | 1,720 | 1,766 |
|
Red Cliffs at North Cape on a slightly foggy day. |
|
A long wooden bridge linking a national park and sand dunes at the beach. |
Prince Edward Island was originally inhabited by the
Mi'kmaq people. They named the island
Abegweit, meaning
Land Cradled on the Waves.
As part of the
French colony of
Acadia, the island was called
Île Saint-Jean. Roughly one thousand
Acadians lived on the island. However, many fled during the British-ordered
expulsion of
Acadians in 1755. Many more were forciably deported in 1758 when British soldiers, under the command of Colonel Andrew Rollo, were ordered by General Jeffery Amherst to capture the Island.
The new British colony of "St. John's Island", also known as the "Island of St. John" was settled by "adventurous Victorian families looking for elegance on the sea. Prince Edward Island became a fashionable retreat in the 18th century for British nobility"
[Government of Canada - PEI history].
In 1798, Great Britain changed the colony's name from St. John's Island to Prince Edward Island to distinguish it from similar names in the Atlantic, such as the cities of
Saint John and
St. John's. The colony's new name honoured the fourth son of
King George III,
Prince Edward Augustus, the Duke of Kent (1767–1820), who was then commanding British troops in
Halifax. Prince Edward was also the father of
Queen Victoria.
In September 1864, Prince Edward Island hosted the
Charlottetown Conference, which was the first meeting in the process leading to the Articles of
Confederation and the creation of Canada in 1867. Prince Edward Island did not find the terms of union favourable and balked at joining in 1867, choosing to remain part of the nation of Great Britian and Ireland. In the late 1860s the colony examined various options including the possibility of becoming a discrete dominion unto itself, as well as entertaining delegations from the
United States who were interested in Prince Edward Island joining the United States of America.
In the early 1870s the colony began construction of a
railway and frustrated by Great Britain's Colonial Office, began negotiations with the United States. In 1873,
Prime Minister Sir
John A. Macdonald, anxious to thwart American expansionism and facing the distraction of the
Pacific Scandal, negotiated for Prince Edward Island to join
Canada. The federal government of Canada assumed the colony's railway debts and agreed to finance a buy-out of the last of the colony's absentee landlords to free the island of leasehold tenure and from any new migrants entering the island. Prince Edward Island entered Confederation on
July 1,
1873.
As a result of having hosted the inaugural meeting of Confederation, the
Charlottetown Conference, Prince Edward Island presents itself as the "Birthplace of Confederation" with several beautiful buildings, a
ferry vessel, and the
Confederation Bridge using the term "confederation" in many ways. The most prominent building in the province with this name is the
Confederation Centre of the Arts, presented as a gift to Prince Edward Islanders by the 10 provincial governments and the federal government upon the centenary of the Charlottetown Conference where it stands in Charlottetown as a national monument to the "Fathers of Confederation."
Population of Prince Edward Island since 1851| Year | Population | Five Year
% change | Ten Year
% change!Rank Among
Provinces |
|---|
| 1851 | 62,678 | n/a | n/a | 5 |
| 1861 | 80,857 | n/a | 29.0 | 5 |
| 1871 | 94,021 | n/a | 16.3 | 5 |
| 1881 | 108,891 | n/a | 15.8 | 5 |
| 1891 | 109,078 | n/a | 0.2 | 6 |
| 1901 | 103,259 | n/a | -5.3 | 7 |
| 1911 | 93,728 | n/a | -9.2 | 9 |
| 1921 | 88,615 | n/a | -5.4 | 9 |
| 1931 | 88,038 | n/a | -0.7 | 9 |
| 1941 | 95,047 | n/a | 8.0 | 9 |
| 1951 | 98,429 | n/a | 3.6 | 10 |
| 1956 | 99,285 | 0.9 | n/a | 10 |
| 1961 | 104,629 | 5.4 | 6.3 | 10 |
| 1966 | 108,535 | 3.7 | 9.3 | 10 |
| 1971 | 111,635 | 2.9 | 6.7 | 10 |
| 1976 | 118,225 | 5.9 | 8.9 | 10 |
| 1981 | 122,506 | 3.6 | 9.7 | 10 |
| 1986 | 126,640 | 3.4 | 7.1 | 10 |
| 1991 | 129,765 | 2.5 | 5.9 | 10 |
| 1996 | 134,557 | 3.7 | 6.3 | 10 |
| 2001 | 135,294 | 0.5 | 4.2 | 10 |
:
Source: Statistics Canada[Statistics Canada - PEI Population trend]| Ethnic Groups | Religious Groups | | Ethnic Origin | Population!Percent |
|---|
| Canadian | 60,000 | 44.98% | | Scottish | 50,700 | 38.01% | | English | 38,330 | 28.74% | | Irish | 37,170 | 27.87% | | French | 28,410 | 21.30% | | German | 5,400 | 4.05% | | Dutch (Netherlands) | 4,130 | 3.10% | | Acadian | 3,020 | 2.26% | | North American Indian | 2,360 | 1.77% | | Welsh | 1,440 | 1.08% | | American (USA) | 640 | | Polish | 615 | | Italian | 605 | | Lebanese | 525 | | Danish | 420 | | Norwegian | 325 | | Ukrainian | 320 | | Swedish | 315 | | | Belgian | 240 | | Métis | 245 | | Chinese | 225 | | Hungarian (Magyar) | 225 | | | British, not included elsewhere | 210 | | Spanish | 175 | | | Jewish | 165 | | Russian | 160 | | | Swiss | 145 | | | Finnish | 135 | | Inuit | 120 | |
The information is from the Canada 2001 Census[PEI 2001 Canadian Census].
*The percentages add to more than 100% because of dual responses (e.g. "French-Canadian" generates an entry in both the category "French" and the category "Canadian".) Groups with greater than 1,000 responses are included.'' |
:''The information is from the 2001 Canadian Census |
The Roman Catholic
Diocese of Charlottetown comprises the entire Island and is the second oldest English diocese in Canada. The
Archdiocese of Kingston is the oldest.
The provincial economy is dominated by the seasonal industries of agriculture, tourism, and the fishery. The province is extremely limited in terms of industry, although there may be undetermined mineral quantities beneath the eastern end of the province.
Agriculture remains the dominant industry in the provincial economy, as it has since colonial times, although
potatoes have replaced mixed farming during the 20th century to become the leading cash crop - accounting for one-third of provincial farm income. The province currently accounts for a third of Canada's total potato production, producing approximately 1300 million
kg annually
[PEI Potato - Potato production figures]; comparatively, the state of
Idaho produces approximately 6200 million kg annually
[Idaho Potator Production]. PEI is a major producer of seed potatoes, exporting to more than 20 countries around the world
.
Prince Edward Island's transportation network traditionally revolved around its seaports (Charlottetown, Summerside, Georgetown, and Souris) and airports (Charlottetown and Summerside) for communication with mainland North America. Until
1997, the province was linked by two passenger-vehicle
ferry services to the mainland - one service provided by
Marine Atlantic operated year-round between
Borden-
Cape Tormentine, the other provided by
Northumberland Ferries Limited operates seasonally between
Wood Islands-
Caribou. A third ferry service provided by
CTMA operates seasonally between
Souris-
Cap-aux-Meules, connecting with Quebec's
Magdalen Islands.
On
June 1, 1997, the
Confederation Bridge opened, connecting Borden-Carleton to
Cape Jourimain, replacing the Marine Atlantic ferry service. Since then, the Confederation Bridge's assured transportation link to the mainland has altered the province's tourism and agricultural and fisheries export economies.
Prince Edward Island is home to one provincial university, the
University of Prince Edward Island, located in
Charlottetown. The university was formed from the merger of
Prince of Wales College and
St. Dunstan's University. UPEI is home to the
Atlantic Veterinary College, which offers the only veterinary medicine program in
Atlantic Canada.
Holland College is the provincial
community college, with campuses across the province. Holland College has several specialized training facilities including the
Atlantic Police Academy and the
Culinary Institute of Canada.
The
Maritime Christian College, also located in
Charlottetown, is a private
evangelical Christian college with a university degree-granting charter. It was established in 1960.
The
College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada, located in
Summerside, specializes in the instruction of
bagpipe and other traditional
Scottish and
Irish performance art such as
highland dance.
* The island has several nicknames: Epikwetk (Abegweit) which is a
Mi'kmaq word meaning "Cradled in the Waves"; "Garden of the Gulf" referring to the pastoral scenery and lush agricultural lands throughout the province; "Million Acre Farm" also refers to the province being dominated by agriculture; and finally "Birthplace of Confederation", referring to the
Charlottetown Conference in 1864. Among some Islanders, it is also referred to as "Potholes Every Inch", a joking reference to PEI's sub-par road conditions.
* On August 1, 1758, Jeffery Amherst, commander of the British forces in North America, ordered Colonel Andrew Rollo to capture what is now P.E.I. and expel the remaining Acadians. Rollo Bay is named after the Colonel.
* Until
May 1,
1924, automobiles drove on the left side of the road.
* The
Prince Edward Island Railway (
Canadian Government Railways after 1915,
CNR after 1918) was a
narrow gauge system when it was built in 1873. Converted to
standard gauge by 1930, the railway was abandoned province-wide in 1989.
* The world's fur-farming industry started with fox fur on a farm in Prince County.
* It is the only province which has yet to ratify the
National Building Code of Canada.
* The island has recently become home to a small population of a unique form of coyote, closely related to wolves, which evolved in neighbouring Maritime provinces.
* Repeal of
prohibition of alcohol was vetoed in 1945 by then
Lieutenant Governor B.W. LePage[PEI Government - Repeal of prohibition].
* There are 27
Canadian cities with a larger population than Prince Edward Island, 14 in Ontario alone.
* The provincial government enforces extremely strict rules for non-resident land ownership as a legacy of Islanders' distrust on this issue from their colonial history. Residents and corporations are limited to maximum holdings of 400 and 1200 hectares (4 and 12 km²) respectively. There are also restrictions on non-resident ownership of shorelines and higher property taxation is in place for recreational properties, the majority of which are owned by non-residents.
* The province had the highest per capita enlistment rate in the armed forces of any Canadian province in the volunteer army, navy and air force of the
Second World War.
* Canadian Author
Lucy Maud Montgomery was born in
Clifton, setting many of her famous novels in her native North Shore communities.
* Prince Edward Island is the first province in Canada to elect a Premier of non-European descent (
Joseph Atallah Ghiz) in 1986.
* It is also the first province in Canada to elect a female Premier (
Catherine Callbeck) in 1993; both the Lieutenant Governor and the Leader of the Official Opposition at that time were also female. British Columbia had a female Premier prior to Callbeck (
Rita Johnston), although she did not win a provincial election.
* Prince Edward Island, along with most rural regions in North America, is experiencing an accelerated rate of youth outmigration. The provincial government has projected that public school enrollment by the 2010s will decline by 40%.
* It is not legal to sell canned carbonated beverages such as soda and beer. Carbonated beverages are sold in recyclable glass bottles.
* The prices of petroleum products including
Gasoline,
Diesel fuel,
Propane and
Furnace oil are regulated through the
Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission [PEI Government - Island Regulatory and Appeals Commisssion - Oil products price regulations]. Also the
Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission is authorized to limit the entrance of companies who can sell petroleum products .
* Prince Edward Island has a 10% Provincial sales tax rates at the retail level charge above the Federal
Goods and Services Tax, the highest in
Canada, however, it is not charged on all goods, for example, produce, and clothing.
* Prince Edward Island has a three tiered waste management system that is run by the Island Waste Management Corporation, a Crown Corporation. The program is mandatory and has reduced the amount of waste on the island by 64%
[PEI Government - Island Waste Management Corporation - Waste reduction]. Prince Edward Island leads the Country of Canada in waste diversion and recycling.
* Prince Edward Island only requires license plates on the back of motorized vehicles. Many vehicles have novelty plates, or plates advertising car dealerships, on the front.
*Prince Edward Island has an incredible level of political overrepresentation, with 4
Members of Parliament, 4
Senators, 27
Members of the Legislative Assembly, 2 cities, 7 towns and 60 incorporated rural communities (having over 500 municipal councillors and mayors) to give a total of 566 elected officials for a population of 138,307 (
as of 2006).
 |
Pei-map.png |
*
List of cities in Canada*
List of Prince Edward Island premiers*
List of Prince Edward Island lieutenant-governors*
List of communities in Prince Edward Island*
List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols*
List of Prince Edward Island counties*
Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island*
Petroeum Pricing in Prince Edward Island*
Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission*
Scouting on Prince Edward Island
*
PEIinfo - a popular website for Islanders & Tourists.*
WikiPEI - a local public tourism Wiki initiative.*
The Government of Prince Edward Island*
Satellite image of Prince Edward Island (interactive)
*
CBC Digital Archives - PEI Elections: Liberal landslides and Tory tides*
The official website about the Island Waste Management Corporation
