Thanksgiving Weekend 2021

Tags

Canada, Cavendish, life, National Parks, PEI, thanksgiving

The weather is still sunny but getting cooler with a North East Wind today. So this is the long Thanksgiving Weekend, was at the grocery store this morning to pick-up a few items, Will is making ice-cream with Irish whiskey, a recipe that never fails to please all.

There is so much to be thankful for in Canada, the economy is doing well, we live in a peaceful and stable country and our life in general is good, no complaints really.

Last night we went for the last time this Season across the street to the Water Prince restaurant and had oysters on the half shell, lobster roll and Halibut Fish and chips. They close at the end of the Lobster Season this Saturday until May 2022. It has been crazy busy all week, lots of last minute tourists. You should hear the questions about the menu. Some do not grasp the concept that we are an Island on the ocean and our seafood comes off the boats just over there. No it is not frozen or sent from a factory in Arkansas. The tourists we get are from Ontario, land of dysfunction and pandemic. Happy to see them go home. The owner Shane has passed the baton to his son Coady who is a school teacher, you cannot improvise yourself a restaurateur, not the same as teaching class to 8 yr olds. It’s too bad really.

Earlier this week we went to Cavendish National Park, it is opposite of French River and New London across the bay from our Summer Cottage. Lots of very big sand dunes and marshes all around. Beautiful and peaceful, nearly deserted at this time of the year. Only one bus with about a dozen American tourists. There was almost no wind and we walked on the wooden elevated pathway across the marsh behind the big sand dunes. In the clear water you see thousand of little Gaspereaux and Blue Back Herring swimming in schools. Lots of small birds, Northern Harrier hawks and bald Eagles, racoons, beavers, muskrats and minks, live in the pine forests growing all around and in the marsh. Parks Canada which manages the area does a wonderful job of managing the park. The buildings are unobtrusive and blend into the scenery. The map of the area shows 3 National parks inter-connected, Cavendish North Rustico, Brackley Dalvay and Greenwich. All those parks were once farmland and owned by families for generations, however with shifting sand and changing currents it progressively became very difficult to farm and the land was either given up or sold to the Federal Government who turned it all into preserved natural areas.

So the plan for Thanksgiving, we have been invited to dinner at friends in Montague, then a catered dinner with 2 other friends on Monday. I was glad this morning not to have to buy a turkey etc.

French River is on the Cliffs

McNeil’s Pond or Lake of Shining Waters, floating platform, the high sand dunes create a
barrier to the sea on the other side.

A week away from Thanksgiving

Tags

Cavendish, curries, Food, life, mussels, PEI, thanksgiving

We are a week away from the Thanksgiving weekend. This year we have not made plans, we are thinking of going to the restaurant with 2 friends, keeping it simple because preparing a meal for a group is a lot of work and we are not in the mood for that. We have also been invited by friends in Montague on a different day and that will be fun. The weather is now much cooler and the trees are slowly changing colours.

As we enter October you realize if you live in PEI that we do live on a kind of resort Island, many restaurants and bars, hotels and motels are specifically geared to the tourist and seasonal travellers from May to early October, they are shut down at Thanksgiving time. Only to reopen in Mid-May or early June, which I have always found disappointing because of the lack of effort to cater to this province residents. Yes it is true that it is still a small population at 150K and that the majority are pinching pennies, so restaurant owners can say they do not have the volume, though the restaurants are full every night. The other excuse given by owners is no staff, but again for many years the salaries in the service industry are so poor, people cannot live on $13. per hour, even $15 will not do it anymore and some employers in the industry are offering $20. A lack of affordable housing for service industry staff, lack of parking, no benefits, compound the problem. This pandemic wave has demonstrated it is not worth working in that sector at all and in the long run this endangers the tourism industry as a whole on the Island. What will May 2022 bring? no one knows, many are hoping we will be out of the pandemic but I do not see that happening. We will simply have to learn to live with it. Unfortunately many have not and behave like spoiled children.

On Tuesday, we will have to carry proof of FULL vaccinations with us and it is required for you to show it on demand to enter businesses. Masks are mandatory inside everywhere. The good side is most people are now fully vaccinated and people do wear masks with no fuss. But it tells you that this is far from over, despite the very low numbers in PEI of 22 persons at home with Covid infections. Though in Alberta out in Western Canada, the hospital system has collapsed and at triage doctors now decides who they will treat and who they will not. Everyone else sick or not are told to stay home because the system is full, no room. Alberta has such a low rate of vaccination they are paying now for their right wing agenda. They still do not get it. Saskatchewan next door is not much better again a right wing government told them its just the flu don’t worry. How sad is that.

This fourth wave as been that of the unvaccinated, the young under 30 who did not get vaccinated thinking this was only for the old. They are now more sick and require more treatment and it is becoming alarming. Many young people are also anti-vaxxers. So baffling.

Yesterday we were invited to dinner at a friends Summer home, let’s call it a mansion on the sea. Located in the Cavendish National Park, a spectacular house in a wild natural setting. This is on the opposite side of the bay from French River where we go in the Summer to the cottage.i The kitchen alone was the height of a professional kitchen with its great U shape 10 place sitting area in marble. We had a wonderful meal of the best PEI Mussels in a yellow curry sauce, just wonderful and followed by a chicken madras and a vegetable curry. Good food and good company, lots of conversation and laughs.

This friend also has another mansion on the South shore of the Island in Keppoch with 9 fireplaces. Truly another spectacular house on 3 levels. Located on a vast expanse of land giving unto the water and spectacular views in a very natural setting. Love going there for a movie night and dinner. Always fun.

Tomorrow I am to get a delivery of my new Apple Computer, that will be nice. The weather for the week is cool 13C and sunny.

French River PEI

Tags

1851, Cavendish, French River, PEI, Yankee Gale

We recently visited friends who were vacationing in the French River area of PEI which is near Cavendish. It is also the area where the birth home of author Lucy Maud Montgomery is located, not to be confused with the house used to lure tourist to Green Gables a fictional place created by Lucy Maud for her 8 books on the story of Anne. That house was the home of her uncle and aunt, she visited them and this gave rise to her inspiration to write the series on Anne. The houses look similar both White and Green and made of wood in the cottage architectural style of the island. But I digress what I wanted to talk about was the abandoned cemetery of Yankee Hill.

photo of the French River area on Lot 21, PEI

At the Art Gallery we have a painting called the Yankee Gale, it shows a terrible storm at sea in 1851 with many ships lost. I knew it referred to a real storm and a naval disaster but did not know anymore about it.

Prior to the Halifax Harbour explosion in 1917, the single greatest Maritime disaster and loss of life occurred in 1851 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence when an American fishing fleet was caught in a tumultuous October storm that lasted for two days. When it finally abated, the coastline of Prince Edward Island was strewn with the wreckage of sailing vessels and the bodies of drowned seamen. In all, 74 vessels were lost and 150 men perished in what became known as The Yankee Gale.

This cemetery is abandoned since 1904 and the forest has grown in and all around it. A group of volunteers have cleaned the under brush and restored the ancient tombstones, also in this cemetery the Cousins Family is remembered, they were French Hugenots from Normandy who had immigrated to New England prior to the revolution of 1776. They were well established and prosperous. As Loyal to the Crown they came to l”Ile Saint-Jean now PEI and settled in the area. The Crown for their loyalty rewarded them with free land, well in fact it was land seized from the Acadians who were either slaughtered or deported in 1755. The name French River comes from the fact that residents of the area were French (Acadians).

The cemetery is lovely and the forest lends an air of mystery to it all, almost no one comes here, it is so well hidden, thus not disrupting the peace of the place.

This is quite a lovely place and not far from us in Charlottetown, then again nothing is far on this Island. We are thinking of renting a cottage there next Summer for 2 weeks just to get away from the bustle of the Capital.

 

 

 

Some photos

Tags

Cavendish, Charlottetown, Old Home Week, PEI, Weather

As we near the end of the 188 edition of Old Home Week in PEI, tomorrow is the big parade in Charlottetown and the Gold and Saucer Cup Race at the Exhibition grounds. The parade goes past our front door on Water Street, we have the best seats. Here are some picture of the end of day. 

Here is a view of the end of the dock at the marina on Peake’s  Wharf next door. Known as Confederation Landing, where the Fathers of Canadian Confederation arrived on the SS Victoria and were brought to shore in a small canoe by Mr Pope.

Full moon tonight over Charlottetown but just 30 Km North of us in Cavendish look at those clouds. A violent storm is coming which will pass us quickly in a matter of 5 minutes. Clouds over Cavendish look at those pictures and they are coming South towards us.

I walked the dogs 5 minutes before the storm hit, the sky was clear and the moon and stars bright. But North of me I could see flashes of lightning and then all of a sudden a strong cold wind came by, I got in just in time. The rain fell hard in buckets for about 5 minutes and then it was all gone. They say the farmers need the rain for the potato crops, but not that sort of violent rain.

* Cavendish weather photos CBC News.

A year ago, August 2015

Tags

Anne of Green Gables, Anniversary, Atlantic, AZ, Cavendish, Charlottetown, Friends, moonshine, PEI, Phoenix, Potatoes, tourism, visit

In late July 2015 in the wee hours of the morning at the Ottawa General Hospital E.R., Will suddenly said to me, you know we have never been to PEI. We visited all other territories and Provinces, in my case with the exception of Newfoudland. I was not expecting that sort of suggestion but two weeks later we were off to PEI.

The week we were in Charlottetown and PEI saw the Annual celebration of Old Home Week and the Gold and Saucer Cup Harness races which has been taking place since 1888, Parades and much celebration in the Capital City. This is when we had the first idea of moving here. Our friends in PEI did warn us to visit in Winter, pointing out that the Island is much different, there are no tourists and the tourist shops and sites are closed. So we returned in February 2016 to see what life was life. The fact that there were no tourists did not bother me at all.

For many Winter weather is the big obstacle, however being Canadians, Winter is Winter no matter where you are. My family has been in Canada since 1662, we have had a few winters. We left a bitterly cold and icy Ottawa and flew East to the Coast. The weather in PEI was much milder, cold rain, grey skies and fog was the norm. There was snow but none of the icy conditions of Ontario, it was an Atlantic sea side climate. There was plenty to do, arts and culture are dominant here. Life was more quiet but you could still shop and be occupied with various projects. We moved to PEI in May and now a year later we are established here. I got a job at the Art Gallery http://www.confederationcentre.com/en/

This week we are welcoming to Charlottetown friends from Phoenix AZ who are visiting us in our new home. https://sporeflections.wordpress.com

There will be much activities, I told them that we could go to the Fringe Festival straight from the airport at 11PM. to sing Karaoke style the score of Hamilton. I also bought PEI Island Red Beer, they want to try some of the craft beer of the Island. Tomorrow morning is the Farmer’s Market, then a garden party in New Glasgow. Theater tickets for 3 plays, visit to a distillery, we make absinthe and moonshine on the Island 75% proof, there is also wineries. A visit to Cavendish to see Anne of Green Gables farm, and many more sights.

How time flies when you think of it, a whole year and such a different life now.

We visited the following towns

Tags

Anne of Green Gables, Avonlea, Blooming Point, Canada., Cavendish, Charlottetown, PEI, The Dunes, Victoria-by-the-Sea

The Island of Prince Edward has 3 parts, the Capital Charlottetown is in the middle facing the mainland New Brunswick across from the straight of Northumberland. There is a bridge connecting the Island to the mainland of Canada, The Confederation Bridge is 13 Km long and it takes 10 minutes to cross it, the toll fee is $45. per car. It is closed in bad weather or if  there’s a high wind. We did not take it as we flew into Charlottetown airport.

On the first day we drove 40 minutes to Victoria by the Sea to visit with friends who live there and have a business. The Trans-Canada highway takes you there, on the way back we took the more scenic Provincial road 19.

This old house in Victoria B.T.S. has in front the largest tree on the Island.

On another day we went to Kensington and Indian River. Kensington can be reached by using Highway 2, the town has a railway museum, the island had a well established rail  system and in fact the rail question was an important factor in PEI joining the union known as Confederation in 1873. Strangely they instigated the talks back in 1864 but then in 1867 when Canada was united into one country PEI refused to join until 1873 when the newly created Federal government promised them money to finish paying for the island rail system. The rail system was not such a good idea, the soil of the island is very soft and constant maintenance was required to ensure the rail would not sink into the soil or be washed away in the Spring. The other problem was the gage, on the island the gage was narrowed than what was the norm in the rest of Canada. It was finally abandoned. Indian River which is on Malpeque Bay is where the Indian River Festival is held from June to September at the Church of St-Mary.

We then travelled to Cavendish where the fictional town of Avonlea is located, the site of the story of Anne of Green Gables. We visited the home where the story of Anne is set to have taken place, it is in fact the actual home of a relative of Lucy Maud Montgomery the author. It is beautifully done and very respectful in all detail of the story. It is surrounded by a beautiful vegetable and flower garden, all the plants and flowers are of the period. The barn and other farm buildings can be visited. There is also the forest and path featured in the story, all quite nice and it comes under the administration of Parks Canada, the Federal government department responsible for all national parks. There is no crass commercialism to distract from the story of Anne.

We also went to the Provincial Park of Brackley-Dalvay with its forest of sea pines and red sand beaches. You have kilometres of natural beaches, it is very quiet and peaceful. Cavendish and Brackley-Dalvay face the Gulf of St-Lawrence and the Atlantic, there is a fee to pay to enter the park and under the Harper Regime the fees have become quite steep, I would say almost unaffordable for the average family, a park is suppose to be open to all but under the nasty Harper Regime that is not the way of thinking.

At Dalvay in the Park there is this giant Victorian mansion built by an eccentric fellow Alexander Macdonald as a little cottage for him and his family back in 1896, it is a 26 room hotel nowadays from to June to October. Very nicely preserved and in the style of the time again no modern additions.

We went also to visit a shop, restaurant and garden called The Dunes which has a fantastic botanical garden with ponds and heritage flowers, banks of them everywhere, meaning lots of butterflies and bees pollinating.

http://www.dunesgallery.com

The owner Peter from Toronto and his partner Nash who is from Java in Asia have dotted the gardens with Asian deities and Buddhas, all quite lovely if a little incongruous.  We briefly looked into Blooming Point said to be a nudist beach on PEI. Because of the low density of population on PEI, there are lots of camp grounds, National Parks on the Seashore and much protected historical sites. What I noted was how clean it all was and devoid of cars or noise or large groups of people. The beaches are just that a place to relax. A friend told us that she likes to just go walking for miles on end, a relaxing therapy.

During our stay we did not visit the North Cape area nor the East point of the island. We basically stayed in the middle part between Malpeque Bay and Hillsborough River.