Prince Edward Island

Last night I looked around Charlottetown - it’s the Provincial capital since Prince Edward Island is the smallest Canadian province. So there is a government house, and the provincial government building where where Canada first agreed to unite.

In the morning, I went to a place that’s now called Skmaqn - Port la Joye - Fort Amherst. It’s at one of the heads of the bay at Charlottetown. Originally it was a meeting ground for the Mi’kmaw people for over 10,000 years. There is a birch bark wigwam there.

Then the French came, and it was the site of Arcadian settlement and fortifications, and where they met with the Mi’kmaw each year to renew their treaties. The British attacked, won, and burnt the area down, but the French came back. When Nova Scotia was lost, thousands of Arcadian refugees came. This was the last part of the Maritimes to change again to British hands. When they took it over, they rounded up three quarters of the Arcadians and sent them to France. Two thirds died on the voyage. The fort had been rebuilt twice, in slightly different places, and was never very elaborate. From the top, you can look across the bay to Charlottetown.

They had an exhibition of Canadian indigenous dancers in costume, and I photographed the Mi’kmaw ones.

The day was bleak, so most of the famous scenery was invisible, but I did go to L M Montgomery’s birthplace.

The house that Green Gables is based on is a museum. This confronted me when I arrived.

I went around the corner, and was confronted by barns.

But, further on was the house.