Category: Prince Edward Island
-
Charlottetown
•
Charlottetown, named after Queen Charlotte, is the capital of Prince Edward Island. It was the site of the Charlottetown Conference in 1864 which led to the beginning of the Canadian Federation. Because of this, the motto of the city is “Birthplace of the Confederation.” We flew into a small airport, picked…
-
Anne of Green Gables
•
Of course, most people who hear of PEI think of Anne of Green Gables. The island has capitalized on the coming-of-age story of an 11-year-old orphaned girl sent by mistake to the Cuthberts on Prince Edward Island in a house with Green Gables. The story relates the struggles and joys Anne experiences as…
-
Driving around PEI
•
Since we were driving around the island, we not only had to get used to kilometers, but also to different traffic signs. I expected them to be in both English and French, but we were surprised. They were in neither language; mostly the road signs in PEI are pictures or diagrams. Some were…
-
Hex Signs
•
Driving around PEI, I saw lots of barns and houses with stars, octagons, and tulips inside a circle. These are hex signs. How odd! Hex signs are said to have been brought to Pennsylvania by the Germans in the 1700s who were called Pennsylvania Dutch. Initally they were used to ward off evil spirits,…
-
Acadians/Cajans
•
Who are the Acadians? How are they related to the Cajans? The Acadians are French who came to “New France” during the 17th century and settled in the region called Acadia, located in what are now the Maritime Provinces of Canada.. They primarily came from the central western region of France. Being…
-
The Potato
•
Ever heard of Potato Fudge? Come to Prince Edward Island. The potato is one of their claims to fame. And you can taste and buy potato fudge., PEI is located north of Maine; the potato was cultivated by the Incas in Peru over 1800 years ago. How did it migrate? Spanish conquistadors are said…
-
Bottle Houses
•
A unique tourist attraction on PEI is the Bottle Houses and Gardens in Cap-Egmont. Here there is a chapel, a six gabled house, and a tavern made of recycled bottles cemented together. Over 25,000 bottles have been used to create this place surrounded by beautiful gardens and a fishpond. The serenity of the…
-
Lighthouses of PEI
•
If you love lighthouses, then Prince Edward Island (PEI) is the place to visit. With 1,100 km (683.51 mi) of coastline, PEI has the highest concentration of light houses in North America. Canada’s smallest province, PEI is 224 km (139 mi) long and is surrounded by the Gulf of St. Lawrence…
-
Searching our Family
•
Our first trip was to Central PEI. We were looking for Margate which turned out to be a wide spot in the road with a church and a few houses. It was at the cemetery beside the Southwest River United Church that we hit the jackpot! We found many graves of the…
-
Prince Edward Island
•
For years my husband has wanted to go to PEI to look for family information. His mother’s family came from there. Getting older, we are at the point of doing something if we want to, so we booked a week on the island. His goal beyond enjoying the beauty was family research; mine…