The Gentle Island

A trip to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island had been on the back burner for a while but kept being put off.  A September trip meant that although we would miss the crowds, some attractions would be curtailed or missing.  We hoped for good weather, great scenery, some late fall migrants, and good seafood.  In most cases we were not disappointed.

After a couple days of hard driving we drove across the Confederation Bridge, an 8 mile long structure connecting Prince Edward Island to the mainland.  One of Canada's engineering marvels, it cost a billion dollars and is the longest span over ice-covered water in the world.

"The Quartermaster with Confederation Bridge in Background"

Immediately after crossing the bridge a small park with a  museum honors the marine and rail personnel who risked their lives getting inhabitants back and forth from the mainland before the bridge was constructed.  This was no small feat in winter.  The island was often isolated for up to five months a year.  Desperation bred a determined population.  Ice boats - small wooden boats equipped with steel tipped oars, sails, and harnesses became the only way to navigate.  This was not an ice-skating rink  environment that had to be crossed but patches of open water, hummocks, pressure ridges and crags.  Male passengers as well as crew were expected to harness up and drag the boat over the ice, hopping back when encountering open water.  It was not uncommon to fall through the ice but thanks to the harness the unlucky passenger could be pulled back into the boat.  A load of firewood was taken for such emergencies along with a compass in case of fog.  This experience cost the passenger $2 but if you were a female the fare doubled - you weren't expected to row or harness up and drag.  The last ice boat crossing was made in 1917 when steam ferries took over.  Even then ice boats were carried along - just in case.

Anne of Green Gables

The town of Cavendish is epicenter for the "Anne of Green Gables" phenomenon.  A local industry has been built around this beloved character with the hard luck story, freckles, red hair and fiery temper.  The entire area is full of locations that can be visited by Anne fans which will help them relive the story.  The house that served as the inspiration for the story is probably the most visited of all the "Anne sites".

The 19th century farm house is owned by the author's relatives.  The surrounding grounds, outbuildings, and gardens all help recreate the story.  Even during the off season visitors swarmed the place.  Two bus tours pulled in while we were there.  I didn't realize how far the mania had gone until I saw women parading around with Anne-like red braids and hats purchased at the gift shop.  A frustrated husband was yelling to his wife that it was time to leave.  We passed her as we walked down by the creek.  She was pretending to be Anne.  Lost hopelessly in the story she yelled up to her husband to "go away".

Leaving the Anne fans  behind I started to see red.  Red soil growing beautiful potatoes, red roads, and possibly .... a lot of red hair!  Was it my imagination or were there a lot of red-haired people on this island?  A little research was in order.  Red hair is the rarest hair color in humans comprising only 1-2% of the population.  Scotland and Ireland, however, have the highest incidence with about 13% of the population and estimates of almost half the population carrying the gene.  These countries are the most well represented on the island so I assume I was not imaging things.  When L.M. Montgomery developed the Anne character she was surrounded by red haired people.  It is no wonder that some of the red hair stereotypes also influenced her story.  When Anne broke her school tablet on Gilbert Blythe's head after being teased about her red hair the fiery temper belief was reinforced.  Anne hated her red hair.  She might have thrown even a greater school tempest if she had known that in 2011 one of the largest sperm banks stopped accepting red-haired donors.  The demand just wasn't there.

A descendant of L.M. Montgomery talks to visitors at the small visitor center west of the author's former home

Our next stop was Victoria-by-the-Sea.  This small village with it sheltered harbor and wharf was an important trade center at one time but now seems to be fixed in time. There are several restaurants on the wharf and some shops and cute residences but for the most part appeared pretty sleepy - which added to its charm.  We picked up lobster for lunch and headed to our next stop.

Lobster Barn Restaurant on Victoria-by-the-Sea

Hotel in Victoria-by-the-Sea

Fort Amherst was built by the British on the former site of a French fort.  The area was an important colonial outpost for first the French and the British in their long struggle for control of North America.  The mistrust that the British had for the many French colonists came to a head in 1758 when the British forcibly deported about 3100 French inhabitants.  Only the outline of the fort is visible now but many signs give visitors a good idea of the history.

The red soil of Prince Edward Island surrounds the area around Fort Amherst.

We spent the night at the Stanhope Campground in Prince Edward Island National Park before touring the island some more the next day.  The Woods Island-Carabou Ferry carried us to Nova Scotia in the morning.