Leaving Nova Scotia, we re-entered New Brunswick en route to Prince Edward Island via the Confederation Bridge. PEI looks quite different from Cape Breton. Instead of heavily forested mountains, there were endless rolling meadows which had been cultivated with various crops. PEI supplies about 25% of the potatoes consumed in Canada. The island is distinctly rural, with only a couple of small cities. Charlottetown, the capital, has a population of 94,000, while Summerside has only 16,000.
Unlike the steep shoreside cliffs on Cape Breton, on PEI flat shorelines extend into the water producing shallow beaches. We had to wade out 30 yards into the water to get Charlie to deep enough water to swim. Early explorers had to land in long boats due to the shallow shore. We had dinner at a dockside restaurant where we watched deep sea fishing charters arrive and depart as the sun dropped toward the horizon.
We camped at a national park along the northern shore of the island near the town of Cavendish. The town is known for the book “Anne of Green Gables”. The author grew up there and there is a house and grounds that were the inspiration for the setting of the book. There were numerous family-friendly attractions.
Rain the next day led us to decide to explore an Acadian history museum in the Evangeline Region, the Acadian and Francophone heartland near Summerside. The first European settlers were French who established the first village in 1605. They called the land Acadie (Acadia). The territory they settled included what is now Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, plus parts of New Brunswick and Maine. They were farmers who brought with them skills in agriculture, animal husbandry and land reclamation, along with a deeply-rooted fidelity to Roman Catholicism.
France and England battled for a century for ownership of the colony. Mainland Nova Scotia was ceded permanently to England by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. The name of the colony was changed to Nova Scotia. The pivotal event in the history of the Acadian people, however, came in 1755 with the Grand Dérangement or Expulsion of the Acadians.
Beginning in the autumn of that year, and continuing intermittently over the next few years, most of the Acadian French — men, women and children — were rounded up by British and New England troops, embarked on waiting transport vessels, and removed from the colony that was their home. The vessels carried them to widely dispersed destinations, including New England, Louisiana (where they came to be called “Cajuns”), the West Indies, Great Britain and France. Many of the Acadians died on ships bound for Europe. Over time, Acadians made their way back to their original homeland.
We enjoyed Gaelic music at Cape Breton so much, we were motivated to explore Acadian music. We visited the Acadian Music Village where we saw a high-energy, 45-min show from a group called “Gadelle” play and dance. Unlike the Gaelic music, there were vocals on almost every song – all in French, of course. And the tap dancing was mostly done while the musicians were seated. I don’t know how the fiddler managed to dance with such ferocity while not missing a note! We got tired just watching the spectacle. The musicians’ joy was infectious.
A second rainy day led us to do a driving tour on the way to Charlottetown. We had planned to see some outdoor music there, but the rain did not let up, leading to cancellation of the performances. That night we saw a country music duo perform on a patio back in Cavendish.
