A tiny province, measuring only 224 kilometers from tip to tip, Prince Edward Island has a rich and wonderful history that has molded the culture we share today.

The Mi'kmaq were the first people to inhabit Prince Edward Island. They camped and fished here during the summer while maintaining a few settlements year round. The Mi'kmaq first called the Island Minegoo, and later changed the name to Abegweit, meaning "cradled on the waves."

The King of France took possession of the Island after Jacques Cartier landed here in 1534. They named the Island, Ile Saint Jean. It was almost 200 years before the first Acadian and French settlers colonized the Island, only to have the British claim the Island in 1758 and change its name to St. John's Island. In 1799, Britain renamed this small colony, Prince Edward Island. Soon, Scottish, Irish, English and Loyalist settlers began colonization, bringing with them their skills of shipbuilding, fishing, agriculture and the lumber trade.

In 1864, Prince Edward Island hosted the first of three conferences that led to the creation of an independant Canada, thus, adding to our list of names, The Cradle of Confederation and The Birthplace of Canada. In 1873, Prince Edward Island accepted the terms of the new federation and become a Canadian Province.

Today, additional names of endearment are: Million Acre Farm, Garden of the Gulf, Spud Island, Kentucky of Canada, The Home of Anne and Fair Island of the Sea. Tourism now plays a large roll in our Island's economy. Our breath-taking landscapes, rich soil and bountiful waters still support a thriving economy, based on the traditions of agriculture, tourism and fishing.

One of Prince Edward Island's most famous authors, Lucy Maud Montgomery, once said "I think that Prince Edward Island is a good place in which to be born, and a good place in which to spend one's childhood."

The pink sand beaches, banked by the ever changing dunes and the red sandstone cliffs are truly wonderful to see and an absolute must to experience!