CANADA
North Port, Prince Edward Island
North Port, Prince Edward Island
There’s no hurry. It isn’t such a long journey - that is what makes it a joy to travel in Prince Edward Island.
There’s time to take the slow route along the back roads. The vista is lovely, whether rolling green fields, the red earth of this tiny province, or Gulf waves crashing onto one of the wide beaches that dot the island.
Along the way there are lovely places to go and fascinating (sometimes bizarre) things to see. And the North Cape Coastal Drive has it all.
At North Point, there is a take-your-breath-away view from the fishing harbour across to a sandy spit where there is lighthouse, brilliant white topped by a bright, bright red roof (does a lighthouse have a roof?). It’s no longer a lighthouse but a home. In the late afternoon sun, it glistens against the horizon as, in the foreground, blue herons wing their way across the bay.
There’s time to take the slow route along the back roads. The vista is lovely, whether rolling green fields, the red earth of this tiny province, or Gulf waves crashing onto one of the wide beaches that dot the island.
Along the way there are lovely places to go and fascinating (sometimes bizarre) things to see. And the North Cape Coastal Drive has it all.
At North Point, there is a take-your-breath-away view from the fishing harbour across to a sandy spit where there is lighthouse, brilliant white topped by a bright, bright red roof (does a lighthouse have a roof?). It’s no longer a lighthouse but a home. In the late afternoon sun, it glistens against the horizon as, in the foreground, blue herons wing their way across the bay.
How do you get there? “You ask a nice man to take you there in a boat,” says Laura Perry of nearby Alberton. “It’s the only way to get there, unless you want to swim.”
From here you can watch the fishing fleet return - and if you are here at the right time (between 10 and 11 a.m.) you can watch the lobster or crab catch is unloaded. This is, after all, a working port, as are most in this area. Nothing Disney here; this is the real thing.
In the far north (33 kilometres away), up past Seacow Pond to the edge of the Island world, at the top of the red cliffs that drop to the sea, a series of wind turbines stretch across North Cape. This is the real thing, too - power provided for the province. The wind farm was established in 2001. “Some people on the island didn’t want (the turbines),” says Cathy Gallien, who lives in the area and works at the adjacent Wind and Reef restaurant. “But we like them - they’re quiet and they’re better than pollution.”
From here you can watch the fishing fleet return - and if you are here at the right time (between 10 and 11 a.m.) you can watch the lobster or crab catch is unloaded. This is, after all, a working port, as are most in this area. Nothing Disney here; this is the real thing.
In the far north (33 kilometres away), up past Seacow Pond to the edge of the Island world, at the top of the red cliffs that drop to the sea, a series of wind turbines stretch across North Cape. This is the real thing, too - power provided for the province. The wind farm was established in 2001. “Some people on the island didn’t want (the turbines),” says Cathy Gallien, who lives in the area and works at the adjacent Wind and Reef restaurant. “But we like them - they’re quiet and they’re better than pollution.”
The Cape’s well-designed interpretive centre, with its interactive audio-visual displays, provides an abundance of information about wind and wind velocity and wind power and turbines, as well as the flora and fauna and fish of the area. “There’s no shortage of wind in Prince Edward Island,” explains David Davidson of Summerside before my visit. And North Cape is the windiest spot on the Island. Hence, the location of project.
The introduction to the exhibits is poetic and appropriate - a quote from Italian poet Christina Rosetti: “Who has seen the wind, neither you nor I, but when the trees bow down their heads, the wind is passing by.” The classic icon of the wind - the curly-haired man blowing fiercely through his lips - is here, too, with indoor technology creating the feel and sound of the wind at various intervals. The North Cape wind plant generates approximately five per cent of the electricity used on Prince Edward Island annually and, as it expands, could generate more than 10 per cent of the island’s electricity.
The introduction to the exhibits is poetic and appropriate - a quote from Italian poet Christina Rosetti: “Who has seen the wind, neither you nor I, but when the trees bow down their heads, the wind is passing by.” The classic icon of the wind - the curly-haired man blowing fiercely through his lips - is here, too, with indoor technology creating the feel and sound of the wind at various intervals. The North Cape wind plant generates approximately five per cent of the electricity used on Prince Edward Island annually and, as it expands, could generate more than 10 per cent of the island’s electricity.
On the other side of the windswept peninsula, (Highway 14 West) Campbellton is a good starting point for a trip up the coastal road, the so-called Blue Heron route. This is the more rugged area of the “gentle island.” Clearly, the people are not rich but for the landscape, the sea at the doorsteps of their small homes, the barren, open land sweeping up from the shore. They must be hardy folk for while the breeze in spring and summer is gentle and, no doubt, welcome, it must be brutal blowing in off the water in the winter. Nevertheless, they choose to live at the shore with nary a tree to protect them.
The best view is from Campbellton Cove, a 30-second drive from the highway, down a PEI dirt road. From Campbellton, the winding road makes its way up to Nail Pond, then veers inland to Norway and thence up to North Cape, passing such fishing villages as Miminegash, where there is a picture-perfect harbour that is home to the Acadian Fishermen’s Co-op Association Ltd. The Irish Moss Interpretive Centre is located here, too; the seaweed is used in jellies and ice cream and also for skin-conditioning products.
The best view is from Campbellton Cove, a 30-second drive from the highway, down a PEI dirt road. From Campbellton, the winding road makes its way up to Nail Pond, then veers inland to Norway and thence up to North Cape, passing such fishing villages as Miminegash, where there is a picture-perfect harbour that is home to the Acadian Fishermen’s Co-op Association Ltd. The Irish Moss Interpretive Centre is located here, too; the seaweed is used in jellies and ice cream and also for skin-conditioning products.
Inland, at O’Leary, (24 kilometres from North Port) is a must-visit site: the Potato Museum. Of course there’s a potato museum; this is Spud Island, after all. You will learn everything you ever wanted to know (and maybe a little more) about potato farms, harvesting, storing, shipping. Did you know?
· The potato was first used in the Andes, 10,000 years ago. It was introduced to North America by the British.
· In North America, 55 per cent of potatoes are either frozen or canned or made into potato chips. Frozen potatoes account for the bulk of the processed food market, french fries alone take up about 85 per cent of all potatoes processed.
· Potato chips contain Vitamin C and other nutrients.
· The average North American eats about 126 pounds of potatoes per year.
Potatoes can be used in pancakes, bread, chowder - and fudge. I kid you not. There’s a cook at the museum. Reby Bulger does the honours. “She has a great rapport with the public and she’s an excellent cook,” says museum manager Donna Cowley. “I think it’s the smell of baking bread that lures people here. And she does, sometimes, a chocolate cake. “
· The potato was first used in the Andes, 10,000 years ago. It was introduced to North America by the British.
· In North America, 55 per cent of potatoes are either frozen or canned or made into potato chips. Frozen potatoes account for the bulk of the processed food market, french fries alone take up about 85 per cent of all potatoes processed.
· Potato chips contain Vitamin C and other nutrients.
· The average North American eats about 126 pounds of potatoes per year.
Potatoes can be used in pancakes, bread, chowder - and fudge. I kid you not. There’s a cook at the museum. Reby Bulger does the honours. “She has a great rapport with the public and she’s an excellent cook,” says museum manager Donna Cowley. “I think it’s the smell of baking bread that lures people here. And she does, sometimes, a chocolate cake. “
At Bloomfield, a short distance from O’Leary, a quick stop at the MacAuslands Woolen (sic) Mill provides a fascinating insight into life on the factory floor. Literally. Visitors can simply walk through the front door into the mill and watch as the wool machines whir and the workers go about their job. Upstairs there is a small shop where blankets and knitting wool are for sale excellent quality, I was told by Barbara Davidson of Summerside. ” And, no, she doesn’t own the place.
To get the real feel of the North Cape coastal area, stay a couple of nights - or more. Northport Pier is the perfect spot - all rooms and suites look out over that take-your-breath-away view. And there won’t be miles to go before you sleep.
To get the real feel of the North Cape coastal area, stay a couple of nights - or more. Northport Pier is the perfect spot - all rooms and suites look out over that take-your-breath-away view. And there won’t be miles to go before you sleep.
