I suppose I can consider myself an Islander. I was born on the Island - perhaps that gives me a birthright. My family moved away when I was a toddler, but I've since married a beautiful island girl whose family continues to live there. A couple of years ago we bought a building lot on the Island with the thought that we'd eventually move back. Living in Nova Scotia is great but we'd rather be real Islanders than Nova Scotians ("Bluenosers"). If you're interested in buying your own piece of PEI, check out this link to Island realty sites. A bargain awaits. We'll hang out together.

Agriculture is a major industry on PEI and much of its population continue to live in rural communities. The unusual red soil seems to be well suited to growing potatoes. Its potatoes and potato products are exported worldwide notably under the brands: McCain and Cavendish Farms. That red soil must be very fertile because everywhere you go on the Island you see beautiful gardens. Part of the credit must go to Vesey's Seeds of York, PEI. Vesey's has become a venerable institution on the Island selling "seeds for short seasons". They subject their products to field trials before they'll sell them. If you live in an area with a short growing season I'd strongly advised you to investigate Vesey's site. The gardens of PEI prove Vesey's know what they're doing.

Another major industry is the various fisheries. It has a significant lobster fishery, and its Malpeque/Caraquet oysters and blue mussels are widely regarded for their quality. If you want some oyster recipes try this link. Lobsters are plentiful enough here in the Maritimes that the McDonalds' offer yummy "McLobster" sandwiches in the summer months. I'll bet Ronald McDonald thought he died and went to heaven! They are so popular here that apparently some New England McDonalds thought it was a good idea and now also offer them. If you want a recipe so you can clone them at home try this link.

Tourism in recent years is growing. The Confederation Bridge, linking the Island to the mainland, was completed a few years ago. It makes the Island more accessible than ever. The bridge, seen above in the title graphic, is the world's longest bridge spanning waters that become iced over in winter. At 12.9 kilometers long it is an incredible engineering feat, especially impressive when you consider the heavy loads put on it by ice flows. You can still get to PEI by car ferry. Many visitors plan their visits so they can experience both the ferry and the bridge. The bridge has its own website; you can visit it here. Not to be outdone, the ferry has a site too; catch the ferry here.

Many people know PEI from the novels of Lucy Maud Montgomery and her most famous character "Anne of Green Gables". The author developed the character through a series of novels. Anne Shirley, that character, is a freckle-faced orphan who is so appealing because, although she is a child, she sees the world with an infectious enthusiasm that the adults around her cannot subdue. She has more girl-power than the Spice Girls ever dreamed about. Lucy Maud Montgomery's work has been translated into 15 languages, made into at least eight films, two television mini-series, a musical, and inspired a television series. It has become a phenomenon in PEI. Each year at least 350,000 people visit the childhood home of the author. Many come to the Island expressly for that purpose and they buy alot of "Anne" merchandise - supporting a significant craft industry.
If you want an inexpensive copy of the book that started it all click here. If you enjoyed the Avonlea television series, you'll love the book as millions of fans do.

The Island has beautiful traditional architecture that adds to its picturesque charm. A friend of mine, H. M. Scott Smith, has published three books on PEI architecture. I highly recommend them if you're interested in architecture. I suppose I'm a little biased in that I helped illustrate Scott's book on houses. The following are links to the books at amazon.com:
Historic Houses of P.E.I.
The Historic Churches of Prince Edward Island
A Light in the Field : Lighthouses, Fishery Buildings, Barns and Mills of Prince Edward Island

The qualities of the Island haven't gone unnoticed in the business world. It was recently ranked by the KPMG: The Competitive Alternative Study as among the most cost effective sites in North America to operate a business. If you're in a position to consider relocating a business to PEI you might be interested in the Province's business development web site. (Remember these unspoken benefits: you can get a nice home really cheap, there are alot of great golf courses, kids don't take guns to school, and you'll be far away from your mother-in-law).

In conclusion I hope you'll visit PEI someday. If you already have, I hope you'll visit again soon. For much more information about PEI check out the Province's official visitor information web site. One kinda neat thing on their site is they have a bunch of aerial photography pics - click here to go direct to them. Feel free to email me with your comments about Prince Edward Island. My name below is an email link. I'd love to hear from you.

Regards, , DesignStop.Com

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