It may be the smallest of Canada’s 10 provinces (think Rhode Island, but slightly larger), but what Prince Edward Island (PEI) lacks in size, it more than makes up for in stature.
Located on the east coast north of Nova Scotia, PEI was originally home to the Mi’kmaq people who called the island ‘Epekwitk (meaning “to rest upon the waves”). By the 1720s French settlers had renamed it Île Saint-Jean before, inevitably, the British showed up. Conquering the island in 1758 during the Seven Years’ War, they renamed it St. John’s Island before changing it back to Prince Edward Island after the son of King George III and soon-to-be father of Queen Victoria.
Today, PEI is home to around 177,000 people, but in peak season from June to September, the influx of tourists eager to experience all this postcard island has to offer can see that double.
Perhaps the first thing you’ll notice about PEI are the lighthouses – they’re everywhere. In fact, there are 63 in total with 35 still in use and nine of them open to the public. The oldest on the island is Point Prim, which dates back to 1845.
For many, however, PEI will be best known for its association with Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of the beloved novel, Anne of Green Gables. A publishing phenomenon, the story of 11-year-old orphan Anne Shirley, first published in 1908. It has since been translated into over 30 languages and sold over 50 million copies worldwide.
Montgomery was born and lived her entire life in PEI and this November will be the 150th anniversary of her birth, an occasion that the Royal Canadian Mint has marked with a special commemorative $1 coin.
Today, you can enjoy Montgomery-themed literary tours, taking in some of the spots that inspired her and her most famous characters, but the best place to start is the LM Montgomery National Historic Site on Canada’s north coast.
It is home to the Green Gables Heritage Place (the setting of the novel) and the Montgomery home.
There’s also an Avonlea village (the fictitious name Montgomery gave her hometown of Cavendish in “Anne of Green Gables”) and a living museum, complete with the original school where she once taught, the minister’s residence and many houses other copies based on those presented. in the book. It’s also free entry.
Another thing that PEI is justly proud of is its unparalleled seafood. The island is known for it, especially for oysters, lobsters and mussels, which abound in its cold waters.
Every September, it hosts the annual PEI International Shellfish Festival in the capital, Charlottetown. It’s a four-day celebration that showcases the many culinary delights the island has to offer and includes demonstrations, tastings, live music and competitions such as the potato and scramble championship. Think Woodstock on wheels.
If you need to get off some of that seafood, then head to Confederate Trail.
Created from the island’s abandoned railway lines, it was developed in the 1990s and now boasts over 290 miles of trails for walkers or hikers, runners or cyclists. It’s the ideal way to take in all that PEI has to offer, from its rugged cliffs and coastline to its beautiful beaches – Cavendish Beach is a must – and its many quaint fishing villages such as Summerside and Victoria-by -the-Sea. It’s a distillation of all the reasons why Montgomery loved PEI so much.
“You never know what peace is until you walk the shores or the fields or along the red winding roads of Prince Edward Island on a summer sunset… You will find your soul then.” she wrote.
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Image Source : nypost.com