NOVA SCOTIA

Memories of Cape Breton Island and Prince Edward Island ---PEI

Historic Pictou

            A replica of the Hector sits in the harbor at Pictou on Cape Breton Island, Canada.

in the historic village of Pictou.  She sailed from the Isle of Skye in the Scottish Highlands with 200 passengers. A piper wanted to sail on the Hector, but had no money for the passage, so the other adventurers took up a collection to pay for his passage.

            He played the bagpipes during the difficult passage to keep everyone’s spirits up. When they landed on the island, Indians greeted them---not sure friendly or otherwise. The piper played a greeting, which scared the Indians who took off running.

            Strolling down the main street of the historic town we stopped several times to read waist high brass markers giving a single historic fact. I thought this was an excellent way to relate the city’s history. The markers were easier to read than a plaque on a building, which is such a common practice. One fascinating tidbit was that chloroform was produced in Pictou in 1848, ----the first time in North America.

Charlottetown

            PEI is the birthplace of Canada dating back to 1864 when there was discussion of a British Union. PEI is divided into three counties: Prince on the west, Queens in the center, and Kings in the east. The Micmac called the island Abegeweit meaning land cradled by waves. About 1000 Micmac reside on the island and the culture thrives here.

In the French River mussel farming is a thriving industry. There are no true rivers on the island, but the brackish inlets are called and named rivers.

            PEI grows potatoes in its red soil, feeding most of Canada its spuds. The 30 varieties grown on the island are grown for food, seed, and the huge French fry industry. Canadian Farms, a French fry processing plant, is the largest industry employer on the island. It takes 27 tractor loads of potatoes a day to run the plant at full capacity!

Part of the gardens at Victoria Park

            Canadian Bloom is a nationwide project of beautification. Charlottetown is covered with window boxes and concrete planters producing gorgeous blooming flowers. A water truck rides the city each day watering the planters. Many pocket parks throughout the city lend an air of spaciousness as well as peace and quiet. There are also many lovely parks.

            Grass covered sand dunes, salt marshes, sandstone cliffs, and red clay lanes rolling over the picturesque undulating countryside has virtually nothing to spoil the lovely scenery. The north coast has 24-miles of beach in the Prince Edward Island National Seashore.

            By far, the biggest tourist attraction on the island is the Green Gables Museum---the house where Lucy Maud Montgomery visited her aunt as a child and is the setting for her stories about the red headed orphan Anne, spelled with an e.

People living on the island are from here, and everyone else is from away.