A princely paradise

0 Comments | Insight on the News, August 14, 1995 | by Stanley H. Murray

Prince Edward Island off southeastern Canada is the country's playground.

It's claimed that if the Gulf of St. Lawrence were sealed from the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf Stream would swing westward and palm trees would spring up along the coast of Prince Edward Island.

Palm trees or not, few realize that Prince Edward Island, or PEI, as it's commonly known, has 40 of Canada's best beaches, with water temperature in summer similar to that of South Carolina, But then again, PEI is full of surprises. The island is a timeless realm of emerald pastures and weathered villages, all connected by a web of quiet roads that wind through rural farmland and harbors.

Charlottetown, the largest city and the capital, is inhabited by a mere 16,000 people - hardly more than a by mainland standards. Yet with a total population of 130,000, PEI is the country's most densely populated province. It teems with history and is world-renowned as the home of novelist Lucy Maud Montgomery, as well as the setting for her legendary book, Anne of Green Gables.

The island's first inhabitants, the Micmac Indians, called PEI Abegweit -- "Land Cradled on the Waves" - and held that it was created by the Great Spirit from clay left over from making the Earth. The island was renamed Ile St.-Jean by the French in 1534. Following Britain's victorious siege of Cape Breton Island, France ceded Ile St. Jean to England in 1763. It became a separate colony in 1769 and was renamed in 1799 for Prince Edward, Duke of Kent.

But it wasn't until the end of World War II that tourists discovered PEI's natural beauty and charm and turned it into the playground of Atlantic Canada: 11 golf courses, with one for every level of ability; parks galore, both national and provincial; endless miles of cycling and hiking trails; unmatched birding, with about 315 species. And of course, a plethora of historic sights.

To get to PEI, take the 45-minute ferry from Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick, to Borden, near the center of the island on the South Coast: PEI at its scenic best, with rolling hills, towering red cliffs along the shore and swift-flowing rivers. Don't bother with the Trans Canada Highway as it heads toward Charlottetown. Instead, follow Blue Heron Drive as it meanders along the coast to capture the spirit of this enchanting island. (Incidentally, don't be shocked to see the construction of a bridge, scheduled to be completed in 1997, that will link the province with the rest of Canada.

Charlottetown rightfully bills itself as "the Birthplace of Canada," where Canada's founders walked from their ship, the steamer Queen Victoria, to Providence House, site of the Charlottetown Conference in 1864, which started the ball rolling toward the confederation of all British North American colonies in 1867.

Due east of the capital is a relatively small rural region known as Hills and Harbours for its idyllic, gently rolling hills. If you enjoy seal watching, this region offers PEI's best opportunities.

To the northeast is the ever-so-rural region known as Bays and Dunes, ideally suited to pleasures such as cycling, canoeing, sea kayaking, deepsea fishing and, most pleasant of all, relaxing on a deserted beach with nothing but the sun and shore birds for company.

Small villages are strung in time warps along the length of both coasts. Their rustic look is enhanced by quaint fishermen's shanties and piles of lobster traps at the water's edge, while white buoys just offshore denote the mussel lines where the famous Island Blue mussels are bred. One of the most charming villages at the easternmost tip of the island is Eastpoint, said to be where "the sun rises and the tides meet." Souris, the metropolis of the East End and island terminus for the ferry to the Magdalen Islands, is the spot for shore dinners.

There is, of course, a place called Anne's Land, on the north shore, bordering the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Since most of the Montgomery novels took place here, the region is full of familiar places, not unlike Joyce's Dublin. These include, besides the Green Gables House of book fame, Anne's birthplace in New London, her Cavendish home, the Green Gables post office, the Anne of Green Gables Museum at Silver Bush, Montgomery Manor in Park Corner and Cavendish Cemetery, where the author was buried in 1942. There's even a Lucy Maud Montgomery Festival held locally each August.

Strange as it might seem, there are other things to do and see in Anne's Land in addition to those related to Canada's most famous orphan. There are hundreds of craft shops scattered about, and for children, a choice of amusement parks, such as Rainbow Valley, Great Island Adventure, Cranberry Village and Sandspit. Little ones, devoted to the popular television series, The Road to Avonlea, also will want to stop at what is called the White Sands Hotel on the show, but in real life is the elegant Dalvay by the Sea in Bedford.

To the south of Anne's Land, and just west of Charlotte's Shore, is Ship to Shore, often called the Evangeline Region because of its heritage. The French influence is evident, but it's best known as the home of the succulent Malpeque oysters, harvested in Malpeque Bay. Those fortunate enough to be in the region around the first of August can experience the unforgettable Tyne Valley Oyster Festival.