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Getting to Know Prince Edward Island

Posted on 2017/02/03 by Guy Posted in PEI the Garden Province .

Getting to know PEI

So you’re thinking of visiting PEI.  Better yet, are you thinking of moving to PEI?  Either way, you should get to know our little island a bit before you come…

The Basic Facts

  • Population – just under 150,000 in the winter; we have thousands of seasonal residents.
  • We have 2 cities:  Charlottetown, and Summerside.
  • There are 7 towns, although 2 are just suburbs of Charlottetown
  • Time Zone – Atlantic
  • Soil – Red, due to iron oxide which rusts on exposure to air
  • Land Area 5,656 sq km (2,184 sq mi), it is 280 km (175 miles) from tip to tip.
  • Provincial Bird – Blue Jay
  • Coat of Arms – Armorial Bearings
  • Provincial Flower – Lady’s Slipper
  • Provincial Tree – Red Oak
  • The PEI tartan was adopted in 1960.
  • The Island Hymn was written by Lucy Maud Montgomery in the spring of 1908.
  • Major industries – agriculture, tourism, fisheries
  • Daily Newspapers – The Guardian, Journal Pioneer
  • Help with your School Project

Economy

Although PEI dabbles in a bit of everything, the 3 major pillars remain:

fishing boat

Fishing on PEI

field with red soil

Farming on PEI

tourists at the beach

Tourism on PEI

Regions

We used to have 6 touring regions.  The two eastern regions and the 2 western regions were combined a few years ago. Anne’s Land is still in the North Central region but it has been renamed “Green Gables Shore”.  So if you remember Anne of Green Gables, you will still know where to find her.

coloured map of PEI touring regions

4 regions and one city

The visitor’s guide, maps, and other documentation will make reference to these touring regions to give you a general grouping of attractions.

The 2017 visitor’s guide is out and you can download it in full or in sections from the government website.

If you are contemplating a move here, the Government has made things easier by grouping together much of the information you need like employment, schools, medical, etc.

Stay tuned, i’ll be posting more about our wonderful Island in the next few days.

Guy

 

2 Comments .
Tags: PEI, travel, vacation PEI, Visitor's Guide .

Roundabout PEI

Posted on 2016/11/30 by Guy Posted in PEI the Garden Province .

Roundabout, traffic circle, rotary, or circular one way road.  No matter what you call them, roundabouts are common in Prince Edward Island.

roundabout

Some just have painted lines, some have small raised sections similar to speed bumps, while other have a full curb which may include a decoration in the centre.  Some roundabouts have a single lane like in the picture above.  Others have two lanes which make navigation a little trickier.  There are usually sign before the roundabout to indicate which lane to take to go straight through or to make the equivalent of a left turn.  The government of PEI has a video on how to navigate roundabouts.

Experts say that traditional intersections present dozens of conflicts with crossing or turning vehicles and pedestrian traffic.  Roundabouts reduce these to just a handful, provided you remember the main rule: after pedestrians, the vehicle in the roundabout has the right of way.

Prince Edward Island has 16 roundabouts and likely more to come in the next years.  On a per person basis, that is one per 10,000 inhabitants – likely the highest density in Canada.  Some might argue the PEI is becoming the roundabout capital of Canada.

 

roundabout-capital

If you would like to join the movement, contact @MenBlackTShirts on Twitter.

So if you hear someone say “I’m going for a drive round-about PEI”, maybe it does not mean exactly what you think. When you are planning your visit here, include a refresher on navigating roundabouts.

2 Comments .
Tags: PEI, traffic, travel .

Tanner Craswell, Mitch Maclean, Tabitha Steppel

Posted on 2014/10/28 by Guy Posted in road trip .

No pictures today, except at the end.  While I want to record the places we visited today while passing the 12,000km mark, I want to close with a connection to Prince Edward Island.

From Lethbridge, we went past Fort MacLeod towards Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump.  The museum is 7 stories, carved out of the rock face.  We paid $11 for the privilege of walking the trail where the Crowfoot would lead the buffalo to a deadly fall.  The museum is full of archeological artifacts from the last 3 centuries.

We moved along to Black Diamond – yes it has a black diamond on the main drag, and it also has a wonderful shop full of massive wood carvings.  The town is quaint and reminiscent of old west villages.  The next town West, Turner Valley, was equally quaint.

We went exploring the Elbow river looking for elbow falls.  Although we did not find the falls, we enjoyed the scenery and got our first peek at the Rockies.

We did not go to Vulcan, because we would have missed Charesholm, which was one of our main reasons for visiting Southern Alberta.

It is just North of here that Tanner Craswell, Mitch Maclen and Tabitha Steppel met their death on the side of the road. The memorial stands about 3km North of Charesholm on Route 2, at the intersection of Township Road 130.  The exact coordinates are

50 02 54 North
113 35 30 West

It is adorned with baseball caps, baseballs, beer bottles, teddy bears, a fairy, flowers and solar lights.

From PEI to Haida Gwaii, we stopped there for a few moments to remember

image

image

1 Comment .
Tags: alberta, canada, PEI, road trip, travel .

Back in Canada

Posted on 2014/10/11 by Guy Posted in road trip .

Yesterday I said I was a bit homesick. Today we are back in Canada where we fell more comfortable for a few reasons

  • Walmarts here have Wi-Fi
  • the parking lot does not have a bunch of 1000w car stereos
  • The ebola fear is on hold for now
  • there are more Tim Horton’s

The other reason we feel at home is that we went to Leaskdale today to see Lucy Maud Montgomery’s other home. Unfortunately we got delayed in Toronto traffic and could not reach anyone from the Society to open the doors after our late arrival.  . . It is off season here also.

image

As you can see the sun was setting when we got there.
Here is a touched up version

image

image

So tonight we are in Aurora,  home of Lester B Pearson.

We are also on Yonge street, the longest street in the world, extending from Toronto, through Aurora, and up past Newmarket.

We have also reached the 5000 km mark of our journey.

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Tags: canada, PEI, road trip, travel .

Travel centers of America

Posted on 2014/10/10 by Guy Posted in road trip .

Where do you find a rest stop with rv dump station, showers, laundry, tv, and free wi-fi? Try Travel Centers of America.

Today was laundry day and we took a leisurely stop at the travel centre.  While we were waiting for the dryers, Cindy found an arts trail flyer. In it we found a place nearby with scrap metal art. Since this fits i. With my BIGS, it will be on our travel list today.

I also got a bit homesick and remembered one thing I miss living in PEI. The eerie sound of a train whistle in the distance.

image

What I don’t miss is waiting at a level crossing for what seems like that never ending freight train.

image

One of the things I do miss is the litter-free road and a view unobstructed by billboards.

image

Until the next free wi-fi

Guy

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Tags: PEI, road trip .

Prince Edward Island Nicknames

Posted on 2012/12/16 by Guy Posted in PEI the Garden Province .

The Island

Along with Alberta, Prince Edward Island seems to have the most nicknames. Islanders love their Island and sometimes just call it “The Island.” The Government of PEI has a page called The Island Today where you can glance at weather, news and things to do.

Spud Island

PEI is known for potatoes.  Therefore it is a good fit to call it the Spud Island. Even the online Dictionary defines Spud Island as PEI.  Google search for Spud Island will yield all sorts of interesting things like potato recipes.

Million Acre Farm

Along with the potato theme, we also have the Million Acre Farm.  A drive through PEI in the summer will quickly illustrate. While you may see some wooded areas, on many roads you will see field after field of various crops like potato, corn, canola, barley, etc. Prince Edward Island is known as the “million acre farm” for its red fertile soil, temperate climate, and abundance of mixed and specialized family farms.

Garden of the Gulf

Nestled in the middle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, PEI is also known as the Garden of the Gulf. The Museum in Montague, chose Garden of the Gulf as a fitting title.  

Abegweit

Meaning Cradle on the waves, Abegweit is the  Mi’kmaq name for Prince Edward Island. Look at a map of Atlantic Canada. It does look like a cradle.  Now we have to wonder which Indian Legend flew over the Island to determine its shape. The name Abegweit is associated with many PEI subjects.

 Minegoo

 The legend of the origins of Prince Edward Island includes Glooscap and Minegoo. This is a colourful tale that incorporates the features of PEI.

The Gentle Island

 A Google Search of (the) Gentle Island will yield several results for PEI. If you want to get to the PEI tourism website, just type gentleisland.com

Play in PEI

My favourite way of reaching the PEI tourism site is peiplay.com.  This is short and easy to remember.  

I hope you are planning on including Prince Edward Island on your next holiday.  Check back here often to see why I love PEI.

 

Guy

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Tags: PEI .

Emblems of PEI

Posted on 2012/08/13 by Guy Posted in PEI the Garden Province .

Just a short drop in today – I have many oars in the fire and I need to get all my ducks on the same page.

PEI Emblem CoinIf you are planning to visit PEI, perhaps you need a bit of research. Do you know the various emblems of Prince Edward Island?  We have a provincial flower, bird, tartan, soil, tree, and of course a flag and coat of arms.

Has anyone seen this coin? Do you have any idea where I might find one?

When I asked Google (because Google knows everything), for “PEI emblems” the first hit took me this website that features a short paragraph on each.  Enjoy the link.

There is also a recent Island Hymn (2010) that you will find here.

Enjoy your day . . . Guy

1 Comment .
Tags: PEI, vacation PEI .

Tourism Inspection Fees in PEI

Posted on 2012/08/04 by Guy Posted in Hospitality .

 Tourism Inspection Certificate

Inspection fees are on the rise in PEI.  There has been considerable negative feedback on this:

  • We have to pay for government’s extravagances in other areas
  • We’ll have to pass the cost along to the customer
  • Government is taking money out of my pocket that I could direct to improvements
  • This is a disincentive to new operators who will go underground

I’m not ready to take sides yet.  Let’s try to have an objective look at the situation.

Currently, Tourism establishments pay a licencing fee which includes inspection.  Starting next year, the rates will increase to almost double by 2014.  This year, I paid $100 for my licence.  This includes about an hour visit from an inspector, issuing the licence, preparing the inspection reports, keeping records, and publishing the inspection reports on the Internet. Even at the reportedly low salary rates for PEI (minimum wage here is $10.00), you be the judge if this is getting your money’s worth.

Others think the inspection system is archaic and should be forgone, relying on user reviews on Twitter, Facebook, Trip Advisor, etc.  See Robert Patterson’s blog for one such opinion.  While I agree with much of what he says, those of us in the industry know that some Trip Advisor reviews are faked.  Some are written by the owners to boost their ratings, and some by the competition to lower their ratings.  Still, it is true that an official scheduled inspection only provides a sometimes rehearsed snapshot of the establishment.  While there is no perfect system, it seems that licenced establishments should be inspected by some governing authority.

Come back tomorrow for more information for tourists in PEI.

 

Guy

 

 

 

 

2 Comments .
Tags: accommodations, PEI, Travel PEI .

PEI Health Care

Posted on 2012/05/23 by Guy Posted in Moving to PEI .

health care icon

Like all other provinces, we like to believe we have a good health care system in PEI. I have found a few minor differences.  For example, yearly eye exams are not covered, but children get free dental services.

Prince Edward Island has two major hospitals located in Charlottetown and Summerside.  There are also several other smaller hospitals and clinics throughout the island. With the current budget cuts also affecting health care, the scope and structure of regional health care facilities seems to change weekly. You are better off to check the government website for current configuration. Follow this link for hospitals, clinics, dental and other services on PEI.

As PEI has a population under 150,000, you can imagine that not all medical services are provided on the Island.  Some types of surgery and treatments are done off island, usually in Halifax.  The IWK or children’s hospital is also located in Halifax.  In typical Island fashion, I have yet to find someone who knows what IWK stands for.

ambulanceSo this brings me to the subject of this post. It is possible that you will need services off-Island.  That will likely be at the Victoria General or the IWK. You may also be looking for reasonably priced accommodations in the area. I had an experience like that recently.  After asking 2-3 times, I eventually found out about Point Pleasant Lodge.

This is a specialty hotel designed to provide affordable accommodations for both out patients and those caring for loved ones in the hospital. The rates are half what you would pay 10 blocks away in a downtown hotel. I stayed in a room with a double bed so I cannot say what the single or twin rooms look like. However, I can say that the two rooms in which I stayed had a very comfortable bed – that is the main thing. The rooms are small but well furnished. When you spend most of the day at the hospital, all you really need is a comfortable place to crash and wash up for the next day – Point Pleasant Lodge fits the bill.

It is a 5 minute walk to the Victoria General Hospital and a bit farther to the IWK. The lodge also offers a free shuttle. They will give you a direct number to the driver for pick up and drop off.  Please allow suitable lead time for pick up if you have a scheduled appointment. 

There is a dining room on site offering good food at reasonable prices.  I also found I could get something to eat there between meal hours. Again this is a great service when you keep irregular hours back and forth from the hospital.

As I said before, Point Pleasant Lodge is not for profit. Their prices are structured to help people who need to be at the hospital.  Therefore, they will either get a referral from the hospital or ask you for confirmation of the patient you are attending to.

happy faceI saved the best for last. The front desk staff are excellent.  They understand that being in hospital is challenging and stressful. They also understand that your schedule can change unexpectedly.  They take the time required to explain their services.  There is some parking available onsite for $10 a day. When the lot is full, they explain which side of the street you can use for overnight parking. They even explain that cancelling a credit card reservation(hold) may take a few days even though they do it right away.  And finally, the warm smiles and friendly attitude help make a difficult situation (illness) easier to bear.

The staff of Point Pleasant Lodge all deserve the “employee of the year” award for outstanding dedication to customer service.  

So if you ever need to be in Halifax for medical reasons, contact Point Pleasant Lodge for your accommodations.

2 Comments .
Tags: medical, PEI, services .

Moving to Prince Edward Island

Posted on 2011/12/10 by Guy Posted in First Timers, Moving to PEI .

PEI SeascapeYou may have decided to move to PEI because of the scenery. Perhaps you have moved to Prince Edward Island for the peace and quiet. Perhaps you moved to PEI for a job opportunity.  Regardless of the reasons, Prince Edward has a lot to offer.

I know that moving can be stressful. I have moved 9 times, lived in 6 municipalities in three provinces.  That is not a lot of moves by today’s standards but it does give me the opportunity to claim some experience.

Fortunately, there is a lot of help available to those who choose to move here. Let’s start with the Government Website.  There is a section for residents.

Medical

The first section is on medical services. The first link in that group is called Medicare where you will find out how to get a health card and the waiting list for family physicians.  Yes, we have a shortage of doctors here also.

Schools

Then there is a section on schools, including information on financial programs. In the wintertime, we can get several bus delays, late openings, or snow days.  Most radio stations will announce these in the morning or you can check online.  Here is one of my favourite storm watch pages. If you check this page during a snowstorm, you will see several announcements.

Basic Needs

Section 3 is on basic needs. It includes social programs and housing. The link to rental agreements is broken at the moment so I have included it here. Prince Edward Island is known to have several verbal leases.  I inquired about this and found out they are perfectly legal. They function the same way as month to month leases with the usual 30-day notice to terminate. However, you may run into minor issues if you require a copy of your lease for tax purposes – just ask the landlord for a letter stating verbal lease agreement.

Motor Vehicles

Section 4 deals with transportation: how to get your driver’s licence,vehicle registration, etc. If you do not have a vehicle, you can take the bus, but is seems the government website has forgotten to tell us about public transit – see below

Environment

The last section has a clump of information labelled environment. Don’t be fooled! There is considerable useful information here. Ooops, another broken link for waste management. Sorting your garbage can be tricky if you are not used to composting (organics) and extensive recycling. You will find a very good interactive guide. Electronics and batteries, for example have to be recycled responsibly at designated centres. Check out the address locator. Once you know where you will be living, you can find out your garbage collection day, including fall cleanup and Christmas Trees. It will also tell you your Fire and Police District, your member of parliament and riding, school district and much more.

Local Transportation

So you do not have a car. The city of Charlottetown has had municipal bus service for a few years.  You can find the full schedule on the internet, including an interactive Google map version for the main line. The web site also has links for bus routes to the neighbouring communities of Stratford and Cornwall. There is also a shuttle that runs morning and night between Charlottetown and Summerside with stops in Hunter River and Kensington.

Then there is a special section just on Moving to PEI.  It is hard to find but I found it after writing all the above.  Waste not what si already there, but please visit the official moving site  🙂 it features the following topics:

  • All about PEI+
  • Banks and Credit Unions+
  • Building on PEI+
  • Buying Land on PEI+
  • Child Care Facilities
  • Churches+
  • Currency and Banks
  • Driving on PEI+
  • Emergency+
  • Employment+
  • Health Care Services
  • Libraries
  • Public Schools+
  • Real Estate+
  • Reference+
  • Rental Housing+
  • Transportation+

putting the cart before the horse

Call it the cart before the horse, a catch 22 or a vicious circle, it all works out the same. You can’t get a driver’s licence or bank account without an address.  It is hard to register for a job without an address. You cannot buy a car or insure it without a driver’s licence or address. You probably cannot rent somewhere to get an address without proof of employment and a bank account for reference.  So if you move to PEI without a car and are looking for a job, things might be complicated for the first few weeks.  Be patient; things will eventually work out. If you have a car and are planning to dispose of it, consider doing so on the Island so you have a car for the first few critical days while house and job hunting. It is impossible to cover alll the possible permutations here – A man who has been warned is worth two – Literal translation of a French Proverb.

There are plenty of other forms of help for people moving to PEI:

  • The PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada has several resources; many of those are also applicable to moving from another province.
  • The Islanders by Choice Alliance has a website a  Facebook page, and a blog.
  • The PEI Government has its own “job bank” where you can search for public sector and private sector jobs.
  • The city of Summerside has just launched a site for skills matching
  • The Confederation Bridge has a useful website that includes Rates and current conditions.
  • The Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC) regulates fuel and oil prices.  These are usually modified on the 1st and the 15th of the month.

I hope my list of references is useful. I have probably forgotten a dozen or more resources for newcomers or existing residents. If you have suggestions, please let me know and I will include in an update.  I am hoping to keep this page up to date for a permanent reference.

Cheers – Granny – ~00~

 

 

30 Comments .
Tags: moving, PEI, services .
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