Thoughts From a "Lost Canadian" About Prince Edward Island

As I wrote yesterday, Canada has Providences and Territories, so today I am going to share with you what this "Lost Canadian" has learned about one of these Providences - Prince Edward Island. 

• About 15,000 years ago when the glaciers receded, the land which became Prince Edward Island was connected to the mainland by a strip of land, but when ocean levels rose as the glaciers melted, this land strip was flooded, forming what we know today as Prince Edward Island.
• Prince Edward Island used to have native moose, bear, caribou, wolf, and other larger species. Due to hunting and habitat disruption these species are no longer found on the island. Some species common to P.E.I. are red foxes, coyote, blue jays, and robins. Skunks and raccoons are common non-native species.
• The Mi'kmaq are the Indigenous inhabitants of what is now Prince Edward Island, calling their country Mi'kma'ki.
• Named "Epekwitk" (and rendered as "Abegweit" in English)—meaning "cradled on the waves"—the island was governed by Saqamaq, or community chiefs, a women's council (Saqama'sgw), and wampum keepers (Putu's), eventually falling under the jurisdiction of the Sante' (or Mi'kmawey) Mawio'mi and the Grand Chief, or Kji Sagamaw. Today, Epekwitk (aq Piktuk), along with the other seven districts of Mi'kma'ki, are protected by the Peace and Friendship Treaties the Mi'kmaq have with the Crown.
• The French and British fought for the land until 1763 when the French formally ceded the island, and most of New France to the British in the Treaty of Paris of 1763.
• During the American Revolution the Island debated whether they would join the American Colonies, the Canadians, or remain a country unto themselves, but ultimately Prince Edward Island entered Confederation with Canada on July 1, 1873.
• Agriculture is the dominant industry in the provincial economy, in 2015, agriculture and agri-food manufacturing was responsible for 7.6% of the province's GDP. 
• The Island has a total land area of 1.4 million acres (570,000 hectares) with approximately 594,000 acres (240,383 hectares) cleared for agricultural use - they are the largest provider of potatoes for Canada - they are known as the Idaho of Canada, as a quarter of all Canadian potatoes are cultivated right here.
• Shellfish harvesting, particularly lobster fishing as well as oyster fishing and mussel farming are a large part of what happens on Prince Edward Island.
• Aerospace, bioscience, information and communications technology, and renewable energy have been a focus for growth and diversification. 
• In May 1997, the Confederation Bridge opened, connecting Borden-Carleton to Cape Jourimain, New Brunswick. The world's longest bridge over ice-covered waters, it replaced the Marine Atlantic ferry service.
• Due to the high iron content, the sand on Prince Edward Island is red!
• Prince Edward Island has roughly 2195 square miles of land and is the smallest Province in Canada - 140 miles long and up to 40 miles wide.
• No point on the Island is more than 10 miles from the sea.
• As Canada's 23rd-largest island, it consists of one main island and 231 smaller, surrounding islands.
• PEI has the warmest waters north of the Carolinas, making it a popular beach destination.
• Charlottetown is their Capital.
• As the only province with no land boundary, Prince Edward Island is the 104th largest island in the world.
• The name Prince Edward Island was given in 1799 after Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. He was the fourth son of King George the third and the father of Queen Victoria.
• The Prince Edward Island national park is the province's only national park and is renowned for large sand dunes.
• Summers on this island are comfortable, and winters can dip down to a freezing low of -10 °C and a high of -3 °C. In comparison to several other provinces of Canada, the winters are not as unbearable, and summers aren't super hot. You could expect rain any time between April and December. Prince Edward Island yearly weather varies from 14°F to 76°F.

Prince Edward Island sounds like an amazing place with a very interesting history for sure! If I am ever able to visit it, I'd enjoy seeing the red sand beaches, the lighthouses, and while I'd find it scary, the Confederation Bridge would be amazing to see for sure! You will find more facts about Prince Edward Island at this link and this link.