This article is about the Atlantic island and Canadian province. For the South African islands in the South Indian Ocean, seePrince Edward Islands. For the island in Lake Ontario, seePrince Edward County, Ontario.
"PEI" redirects here. For other meanings of "PEI", seePei.
Prince Edward Island[a] is an islandprovince of Canada. It is the smallest province by both land area and population, and has the highestpopulation density in Canada. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", "Birthplace ofConfederation" and "Cradle of Confederation".[10] Its capital and largest city isCharlottetown. It is one of the threeMaritime provinces and one of the fourAtlantic provinces.
Sincetime immemorial, the island has formed an integral part of theMi'kmaw homeland,Mi'kma'ki, comprising one part of the district "Epekwitk aqPiktuk" (also spelledEpegwitg aq Pigtug).[11][12][13] Come 1604, Epekwitk would be colonized by the French as part of the colony ofAcadia, where it became known as Isle St-Jean (St. John's Island). It was later ceded to the British at the conclusion of theSeven Years' War in 1763 and became part of the colony ofNova Scotia. In 1769, St. John's Island became its own British colony and its name was changed to Prince Edward Island (PEI) in 1798. PEI hosted theCharlottetown Conference in 1864 to discuss aunion of the Maritime provinces; however, the conference became the first in a series of meetings which led toCanadian Confederation on July 1, 1867. Prince Edward Island initially balked at Confederation but, facing bankruptcy from theLand Question and construction of arailroad, joined as Canada's seventh province on July 1, 1873.
According to Statistics Canada, the province of Prince Edward Island had 180,029 residents in 2025.[3] The backbone of the island economy is farming; it produces 25% of Canada'spotatoes. Other important industries includefisheries, tourism,aerospace,biotechnology, information technology andrenewable energy.[14] As Prince Edward Island is one of Canada's older settled areas, its population still reflects the origins of its earliest settlers, withAcadian, Scottish, Irish, and English surnames being dominant.
The island is known inMi'kmawi'simk, the indigenousMi'kmaw language, asAbegweit orEpekwitk, roughly translated as "land cradled on the waves".[16]
When the island was part ofAcadia, originally settled by French colonists, its French name wasÎle Saint-Jean (St. John's Island). In French, the island is today calledÎle-du-Prince-Édouard (ÎPÉ).
The island was split from the British colony of Nova Scotia in 1769, and renamed in 1798 afterPrince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (1767–1820), the fourth son ofKing George III and, in 1819, father of the futureQueen Victoria. Thus, Prince Edward has been called "Father of the Canadian Crown".[17]
InScottish Gaelic, the island's name isEilean a' Phrionnsa (lit. "the Island of the Prince", the local form of the longer 'Eilean a' Phrionnsa Iomhair/Eideard'), orEilean Eòin (literally, "John's Island" in reference to the island's former French name) for some Gaelic speakers in Nova Scotia, though not on PEI.
The island has a maritime climate, moderate and strongly influenced by the surroundingGulf of St. Lawrence.[18][19] As such, it is generally milder than many areas of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia due to the warmer waters of theGulf of St. Lawrence.[20] The climate is characterized by changeable weather throughout the year; in which specific weather conditions seldom last for long.[19]
During July and August, the average daytime high in PEI is 23 °C (73 °F); however, the temperature can sometimes exceed 30 °C (86 °F) during these months. In the winter months of January and February, the average daytime high is −3.3 °C (26 °F). The Island receives an average yearly rainfall of 855 millimetres (33.7 in) and an average yearly snowfall of 2.85 metres (9.4 ft).
Winters are moderately cold and long but are milder than inland locations, with clashes of cold Arctic air and milder Atlantic air causing frequent temperature swings.[19] The climate is considered to be morehumid continental climate thanoceanic since the Gulf of St. Lawrence freezes over, thus eliminating any moderation.[19] The mean temperature is −7 °C (19 °F) in January.[20] During the winter months, the island usually has many storms (which may produce rain as well as snow) and blizzards since during this time, storms originating from the North Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico frequently pass through.[19] Springtime temperatures typically remain cool until the sea ice has melted, usually in late April or early May.
The following climate chart depicts the average conditions ofCharlottetown, as an example of the province's climate.
Between 250 and 300 million years ago, freshwater streams flowing from ancient mountains brought silt, sand and gravel into what is now the Gulf of St. Lawrence. These sediments accumulated to form asedimentary basin, and make up the island'sbedrock. When thePleistoceneglaciers receded about 15,000 years ago, glacial debris such astill were left behind to cover most of the area that would become the island. This area was connected to the mainland by a strip of land, but when ocean levels rose as the glaciers melted, this land strip was flooded, forming the island. As the landrebounded from the weight of the ice, the island rose up to elevate it farther from the surrounding water.[18][26][27]
Although commercial deposits of minerals have not been found, exploration in the 1940s for natural gas beneath the northeastern end of the province resulted in the discovery of an undisclosed quantity of gas. The Island was reported by government to have only 0.08 tcf of "technically recoverable" natural gas. Twenty exploration wells for hydrocarbon resources have been drilled on Prince Edward Island and offshore. The first reported well was Hillsborough No.#1, drilled in Charlottetown Harbour in 1944 (the world's first offshore well), and the most recent was New Harmony No.#1 in 2007. Since the resurgence of exploration in the mid-1990s, all wells that have shown promising gas deposits have been stimulated throughhydraulic fracture or "fracking". All oil and natural gas exploration and exploitation activities on the Island are governed by theOil and Natural Gas Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988, Cap. 0-5 and its associated regulations and orders.[29]
The Province of Prince Edward Island is completely dependent on groundwater for its source of drinking water, with approximately 305 high capacity wells in use as of December 2018.[30] As groundwater flows through an aquifer, it is naturally filtered. The water for the city of Charlottetown is extracted from thirteen wells in three wellfields and distributed to customers. The water removed is replenished by precipitation.[31]
The Winter River in February 2014. The river provides about 92 per cent ofCharlottetown's water supply.
Infrastructure in Charlottetown that was installed in 1888 is still in existence. With the age of the system in the older part of Charlottetown, concern has been raised regarding lead pipes. The Utility has been working with its residents on a lead-replacement program. A plebiscite in 1967 was held in Charlottetown over fluoridation, and residents voted in favour. Under provincial legislation, the Utility is required to report to its residents on an annual basis. It is also required to do regular sampling of the water and an overview is included in each annual report.[31] TheWinter River watershed provides about 92 per cent of the daily 18-thousand-cubic-metre (4.8-million-US-gallon) water supply for the city of Charlottetown,[32] which had difficulty in each of 2011, 2012 and 2013 with its supply,[32][33][34] until water meters were installed.[33]
Government tabled a discussion paper on the proposedWater Act for the province on July 8, 2015. The use of groundwater came under scrutiny as the potato industry, which accounts for $1 billion every year and 50% of farm receipts,[35] has pressed the government to lift a moratorium on high-capacity water wells for irrigation. The release of the discussion paper was to set off a consultation process in the autumn of 2015.[36]
Detailed information about the quality of drinking water in PEI communities and watersheds can be found on the provincial government's official website. It provides a summary of the ongoing testing of drinking water done by thePrince Edward Island Analytical Laboratories. Average drinking-water quality results are available, and information on the following parameters are provided: alkalinity; cadmium; calcium; chloride; chromium; iron; magnesium; manganese; nickel; nitrate; pH; phosphorus; potassium; sodium; and sulfate, as well as the presence of pesticides.[37] Water-testing services are provided for a variety of clients through the PEI Analytical Laboratories which assesses according to the recommendations of theGuidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality published byHealth Canada.[38]
Some species are unique to the province. In 2008, a newascomycete species,Jahnula apiospora (Jahnulales,Dothideomycetes), was collected from submerged wood in a freshwater creek on Prince Edward Island.[41]
North Atlantic right whales, one of the rarest whale species, once thought to be rare visitors into St. Lawrence regions until 1994, have been showing dramatic increases (annual concentrations were discovered offPercé in 1995 and gradual increases across the regions since 1998),[42] and since 2014, notable numbers of whales have been recorded aroundCape Breton to Prince Edward Island as 35 to 40 whales were seen in these areas in 2015.[43]
TheMi'kmaq have lived in what is now Prince Edward Island sincetime immemorial, calling their countryMi'kma'ki. The island's land based formed one part of the districtEpekwitk aqPiktuk (also spelledEpegwitg aq Pigtug). Named "Epekwitk" (and rendered as "Abegweit" in English)[44]—meaning "cradled on the waves"—the island was governed bySaqamaq, or community chiefs, a women's council (Saqama'sgw), and wampum keepers (Putu's), eventually falling under the jurisdiction of theSante' (or Mi'kmawey) Mawio'mi and theGrand Chief, orKji Sagamaw. Today, Epekwitk (aq Piktuk), along with the other seven districts of Mi'kma'ki, are protected by thePeace and Friendship Treaties that the Mi'kmaq have withthe Crown; however, rather than district-level governance, administration is currently overseen byband governments. On Epekwitk, the twocommunities are theAbegweit andLennox Island First Nations.[45][46]
Stretching back into deep history, the earliest stories of the Mi'kmaq go back to the time ofGlooscap, a cultural hero and first human inWabanaki mythology.[47][48] Big in size and power, Mi'kmaw legend says that when Glooscap finished painting the splendour of the world, he dipped his brush into a blend of all the colours and created Epekwitk—his favourite island. When Glooscap slept,Enmigtaqamu'g (or mainland Nova Scotia) was his bed and Epekwitk his pillow.[49] Another legend tells us thatMinegoo—another name for the island, meaning, simply, "island" inMi'kmawi'simk—was formed by the Great Spirit placing on the Blue Waters some dark red crescent-shaped clay.[50]
Mi'kmaw oral history recalls a time when the world wascovered in water. It was then that the being Sebanees, arriving inkjiktu’lnu("our great boat"), landed on the shores of Epekwitk. The boat, made of ice, carried all the animals and fish his family would need for survival, and it is said that Epekwitk's unique land formation was a result of the melting of the ice boat.[51] Archaeological evidence, such asshell middens and campsite remains, corroborate Mi'kmaw stories which indicate an ancient presence in Epekwitk.[52][53] Prior toEuropean colonization of the Americas, Mi'kmaq engaged in varied relations with neighbouring nations, such as theWolastoqiyik (Maliseet),Passamaquoddy, andAbenaki, with whom they formed theWabanaki Confederacy in Dawnland.
In 1534,Jacques Cartier was the first European to see the island.[44] In 1604, theKingdom of France laid claim to the lands of the Maritimes under thediscovery doctrine, including Prince Edward Island, establishing theFrench colony ofAcadia in Mi'kma'ki. The island was namedÎle Saint-Jean (St. John's Island) by the French. The Mi'kmaq never recognized the claim but welcomed the French as trading partners and allies.
Map of Prince Edward Island and French settlementsc. 1744
During the 18th century, the French were engaged in aseries of conflicts with theKingdom of Great Britain and its colonies. Several battles between the two belligerents occurred on Prince Edward Island during this period. Following the Britishcapture of Louisbourg during theWar of the Austrian Succession, New Englanders launched an attack on Île Saint-Jean (now Prince Edward Island); with a British detachment landed at Port-la-Joye. The island's capital had a garrison of 20 French soldiers under the command ofJoseph du Pont Duvivier.[54] The troops fled the settlement, and the New Englanders burned the settlement to the ground. Duvivier and the twenty men retreated up the Northeast River (Hillsborough River), pursued by the New Englanders until the French troops were reinforced with the arrival of the Acadian militia and the Mi'kmaq.[55] The French troops and their allies were able to drive the New Englanders to their boats. Nine New Englanders were killed, wounded or made prisoner. The New Englanders took six Acadianhostages, who would be executed if the Acadians or Mi'kmaq rebelled against New England control.[55] The New England troops left for Louisbourg. Duvivier and his 20 troops left for Quebec. After the fall of Louisbourg, the resident French population of Île Royale (nowCape Breton Island) were deported to France, with the remaining Acadians of Île Saint-Jean living under the threat of deportation for the remainder of the war.[56]
New Englanders had a force of 200 soldiers stationed atPort-La-Joye, as well as two warships boarding supplies for its journey of Louisbourg. To regain Acadia, Ramezay was sent from Quebec to the region to join forces with theDuc d'Anville expedition. Upon arriving at Chignecto, he sent Boishebert to Île Saint-Jean to ascertain the size of the New England force.[57] After Boishebert returned, Ramezay sent Joseph-Michel Legardeur de Croisille et de Montesson along with over 500 men, 200 of whom were Mi'kmaq, to Port-La-Joye.[58] In July 1746, the battle happened near York River.[59] Montesson and his troops killed forty New Englanders and captured the rest. Montesson was commended for having distinguished himself in his first independent command.[60] Hostilities between the British and French were ended in 1748 with theTreaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748.
Monument for theAcadian expulsion in Prince Edward Island. A large number of Acadians were forcibly removed from the island in the mid 18th century.
Roughly one thousandAcadians lived on the island prior to theAcadian Exodus from Nova Scotia. The population grew to nearly 5,000 the late 1740s and early 1750s, as Acadians from Nova Scotia fled to the island during theAcadian Exodus, and the subsequentBritish-ordered expulsions beginning in 1755.[61][62]
Hostilities between British and French colonial forces resumed in 1754, although formal declarations of war were not issued until 1756. After French forces were defeated at thesiege of Louisbourg, the British performed amilitary campaign on Ile Saint-Jean (now Prince Edward Island) to secure the island. The campaign was led by ColonelAndrew Rollo under orders from GeneralJeffery Amherst. The following campaigns saw thedeportation of most Acadians from the island. Many Acadians died in the expulsion en route to France; on December 13, 1758, the transport shipDuke William sank and 364 died. A day earlier theViolet sank and 280 died; several days laterRuby sank with 213 on board.[63] The French formally ceded the island, and most ofNew France to the British in theTreaty of Paris of 1763.
Initially named St. John's Island by the British, the island was administered as part of the colony of Nova Scotia, until it was split into a separate colony in 1769. In the mid-1760s, a survey team led bySamuel Holland divided the Island into 67 lots. On July 1, 1767, these properties were allocated to supporters ofKing George III by means of a lottery. Ownership of the land remained in the hands of landlords in England, angering Island settlers who were unable to gain title to land on which they worked and lived. Significant rent charges (to absentee landlords) created further anger. The land had been given to the absentee landlords with a number of conditions attached regarding upkeep and settlement terms, many of which were not satisfied. Islanders spent decades trying to convince the Crown to confiscate the lots; however, the descendants of the original owners were generally well connected to the British government and refused to give up the land.
After the island was detached from Nova Scotia to become a separate colony,Walter Patterson was appointed the first British governor of St. John's Island in 1769. Assuming the office in 1770, he had a controversial career during which land title disputes and factional conflict slowed the initial attempts to populate and develop the island under afeudal system. In an attempt to attract settlers from Ireland, in one of his first acts (1770) Patterson led the island's colonial assembly to rename the island "New Ireland", but the British Government promptly vetoed this as it exceeded the authority vested in the colonial government; only the Privy Council in London could change the name of a colony.[64]
Map of the island with lot boundaries in 1775. The island was divided into lots in 1767.
During theAmerican Revolutionary War Charlottetown was raided in 1775 by a pair of American-employed privateers.[65] Two armed schooners,Franklin andHancock, fromBeverly, Massachusetts, made prisoner of the attorney-general at Charlottetown, on advice given them by some Pictou residents after they had taken eight fishing vessels in theGut of Canso.[66]
During and after the American Revolutionary War, from 1776 to 1783, the colony's efforts to attract exiledLoyalist refugees from the rebellious North American colonies met with some success. Walter Patterson's brother, John Patterson, one of the original grantees of land on the island, was a temporarily exiled Loyalist and led efforts to persuade others to come. Governor Patterson's dismissal in 1787, and his recall to London in 1789, dampened his brother's efforts, leading John to focus on his interests in the United States.Edmund Fanning, also a Loyalist exiled by the Revolution, took over as the second governor, serving until 1804. His tenure was more successful than Patterson's.[citation needed] A large influx of Scottish Highlanders in the late 1700s also resulted in St. John's Island having the highest proportion of Scottish immigrants in Canada. This led to a higher proportion of Scottish Gaelic speakers and thriving culture surviving on the island than in Scotland itself, as the settlers could more easily avoid English influence overseas.
On November 29, 1798, during Fanning's administration, the British government granted approval to change the colony's name from St. John's Island to Prince Edward Island to distinguish it from areas with similar names in what is nowAtlantic Canada, such as the cities ofSaint John in New Brunswick andSt. John's in Newfoundland. The colony's new name honoured the fourth son ofKing George III,Prince Edward Augustus, the Duke of Kent (1767–1820), who subsequently led the British military forces on the continent asCommander-in-Chief, North America (1799–1800), with his headquarters inHalifax.
In 1853, the Island government passed the Land Purchase Act which empowered them to purchase lands from those owners who were willing to sell, and then resell the land to settlers for low prices. This scheme collapsed when the Island ran short of money to continue with the purchases. Many of these lands also were fertile, and were some of the key factors to sustaining Prince Edward Island's economy.
From September 1 to 7, 1864, Prince Edward Island hosted theCharlottetown Conference, which was the first meeting in the process leading to theQuebec Resolutions and the creation of Canada in 1867. Prince Edward Island found the terms of union unfavourable and balked at joining in 1867, choosing to remain a colony of the United Kingdom. In the late 1860s, the colony examined various options, including the possibility of becoming a discrete dominion unto itself, as well as entertaining delegations from the United States, who were interested in Prince Edward Island joining the United States.[67]
In 1871, the colony began construction of thePrince Edward Island Railway (PEIR) and, frustrated by Great Britain's Colonial Office, began negotiations with the United States.[68] In 1873, Canadian Prime MinisterJohn A. Macdonald, anxious to thwart American expansionism and facing the distraction of thePacific Scandal, negotiated for Prince Edward Island to join Canada. The Dominion Government of Canada assumed the colony's extensive railway debts and agreed to finance a buy-out of the last of the colony's absentee landlords to free the island of leasehold tenure and from any new immigrants entering the island (accomplished through the passage of theLand Purchase Act, 1875).[69] Prince Edward Island entered Confederation on July 1, 1873.[70]
As a result of having hosted the inaugural meeting of Confederation, the Charlottetown Conference, Prince Edward Island presents itself as the "Birthplace of Confederation" and this is commemorated through several buildings, aferry vessel, and theConfederation Bridge (constructed 1993 to 1997). The most prominent building in the province honouring this event is theConfederation Centre of the Arts, presented as a gift to Prince Edward Islanders by the 10 provincial governments and the Federal Government upon the centenary of the Charlottetown Conference, where it stands in Charlottetown as a national monument to the "Fathers of Confederation". The centre is one of the 22National Historic Sites of Canada located in Prince Edward Island.[71][72]
Dominant self-identified ethnic origin of the population of Prince Edward Island
According to the2016 Canadian Census[75] of the 139,690people who self-identified with an ethnic origin, 98,615 were ofEuropean origins and 85,145 chose British Isles Origins. The largest ethnic group consists of people ofScottish descent (36%), followed byEnglish (29%),Irish (28%),French (21%),German (5%), andDutch (3%) descent.Prince Edward Island's population is largely white; there are fewvisible minorities.Chinese Canadians are the largest visible minority group of Prince Edward Island, comprising 1.3% of the province's population.[75] Almost half of respondents identified their ethnicity as "Canadian".
Languages of Prince Edward Island (red: English, blue: French).Evangeline Region is the only Francophone majority area on the island.
As of the2021 Canadian Census, the ten most spoken languages in the province included English (149,525 or 99.36%), French (19,445 or 12.92%), Mandarin (2,940 or 1.95%), Hindi (1,660 or 1.1%), Tagalog (1,630 or 1.08%), Punjabi (1,550 or 1.03%), Spanish (1,425 or 0.95%), Arabic (1,165 or 0.77%), German (1,040 or 0.69%), and Vietnamese (785 or 0.52%).[78] The question on knowledge of languages allows for multiple responses.
TheCanada 2016 Census showed a population of 142,910. Of the 140,020 singular responses to the census question concerning mother tongue, the most commonly reported languages were as follows:
In addition, there were 460 responses of both English and a "non-official language"; 30 of both French and a "non-official language"; 485 of both English and French; and 20 of English, French, and a "non-official language". (Figures shown are for the number of single language responses and the percentage of total single-language responses.)[79]
Traditionally, the population has been evenly divided between Catholic and Protestant affiliations. The 2001 census indicated number of adherents for theRoman Catholic Church with 63,240 (47%) and various Protestant churches with 57,805 (43%). This included theUnited Church of Canada with 26,570 (20%); the Presbyterian Church with 7,885 (6%) and theAnglican Church of Canada with 6,525 (5%); those with no religion were among the lowest of the provinces with 8,705 (6.5%).[81] If one considers that the founders of the United Church of Canada were largelyPresbyterians in Prince Edward Island, the Island has one of the highest percentages of Presbyterians in the country. Since 2016 there are twoAmish settlements on Prince Edward Island.[82]
A harvester at work in a soybean field. Agriculture remains a major part of the province's economy.
Agriculture remains the dominant industry in the provincial economy, as it has since colonial times. In 2015, agriculture and agri-food manufacturing was responsible for 7.6% of the province's GDP.[83] The Island has a total land area of 1.4 million acres (570,000hectares) with approximately 594,000 acres (240,383 hectares) cleared for agricultural use.[84] In 2016, the Census of Agriculture counted 1,353 farms on the Island, which is a 9.5% decrease from the previous census (2011).[85] During the 20th century,potatoes were grown as acash crop across more than a million acres of farmland. Traditionally, crops were grown on arotational basis: common examples would be either potatoes, hay, clover, or oats being grown on a piece of land at any given time.[86] More recently, the total amount of farms used for potatoes has decreased, but the province is still Canada's largest supplier of the crop.[87] The number of acres under potato production in 2010 was 88,000,[35] whilesoy accounted for 55,000.[88] There are approximately 330 potato growers on PEI, with the grand majority of these being family farms, often with multiple generations working together.[35] The province currently accounts for a quarter of Canada's total potato production, producing approximately 1.3 billion kilograms (1,400,000short tons) annually.[35][89] Comparatively, the state ofIdaho produces approximately 6.2 billion kilograms (6,800,000 short tons) annually, with a population approximately 9.5 times greater.[90] The province is a major producer of seed potatoes, exporting to more than twenty countries around the world.[35] An estimated total of 70% of the land is cultivated and 25% of all potatoes grown in Canada originate from P.E.I.[91] The processing of frozen fried potatoes, green vegetables, and berries is a leading business activity.[92]
As a legacy of the island's colonial history, the provincial government enforces extremely strict rules for non-resident land ownership, especially since the PEILands Protection Act of 1982.[93] Residents and corporations are limited to maximum holdings of 400 and 1,200 hectares respectively. There are also restrictions on non-resident ownership of shorelines.[93]
Many of the province's coastal communities rely upon shellfish harvesting, particularlylobster fishing[94] as well asoyster fishing andmussel farming.
The island's economy has grown significantly over the last decade in key areas of innovation. Aerospace, bioscience,information and communications technology, and renewable energy have been a focus for growth and diversification. Aerospace alone now accounts for over 25% of the province's international exports and is the island's fourth largest industry at $355 million in annual sales. The bioscience industry employs over 1,300 people and generates over $150 million in sales.[95]
The sale of carbonated beverages such as beer and soft drinks in non-refillable containers, such asaluminum cans orplastic bottles, was banned in 1976 as an environmental measure in response to public concerns over litter. Beer and soft drink companies opted to use refillable glass bottles for their products which were redeemable at stores and bottle depots.
Though often environmental and economic agendas may be at odds, the ‘ban the can’ legislation, along with being environmentally driven, was also economically motivated as it protected jobs. Seaman's Beverages, a bottling company and carbonated beverage manufacturer, was established in 1939 and a major employer in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.[96] Making it illegal to retail cans led to a bigger share of the carbonated beverage market for Seamans. Seamans Beverages was eventually acquired by Pepsi Bottling Group Inc in 2002 prior to the lifting of the legislation.[97]
Farming on Prince Edward Island
The introduction of recycling programs for cans and plastic bottles in neighbouring provinces in recent years (also using a redemption system) has seen the provincial government introduce legislation to reverse this ban with the restriction lifted on May 3, 2008.[98][99][100]
Prior to harmonization in 2013, Prince Edward Island had one of Canada's highest provincial retailsales tax rates at 10%. On April 1, 2013, the provincial tax was harmonized with the federalGoods and Services Tax, and became known as theharmonized sales tax.[101] The 15% tax is applied to almost all goods and services except some clothing, food and home heating fuel. This rate is the same as the neighbouringAtlantic provinces, with the exception of Nova Scotia.
The provincial government provides consumer protection in the form of regulation for certain items, ranging from apartment rent increases to petroleum products includinggas,diesel,propane andheating oil. These are regulated through thePrince Edward Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC).[102] IRAC is authorized to limit the number of companies who are permitted to sell petroleum products.
As of 2015[update], the median family income on Prince Edward Island is $76,607/year.[103] The minimum wage is $16.00/hour as of October 1, 2024[update].[104]
Since 1918,Maritime Electric has delivered electricity to customers on the Island. The utility is currently owned and operated byFortis Inc.[105] Approximately twenty-five percent of electricity consumed on the island is generated fromrenewable energy (largelywind turbines); the provincial government had set a renewable energy target for 30–50% for electricity consumed by 2015, though this goal has not been met. The total capacity of wind power on the island is 204 MW from 89 turbines.[106] There are eight wind farms on the island, the largest beingWest Cape Wind Park with a capacity of 99 MW from 55 turbines. All of the turbines have been manufactured byVestas: theVestas V-80, Vestas V90, andVestas V-47.[107] A thermal oil-fired generating station, theCharlottetown Thermal Generating Station, is used sometimes for emergencies. It is being decommissioned.[108] A second thermal generation station exists inBorden, theBorden Generating Station.[109] The majority of electricity consumed on Prince Edward Island comes from New Brunswick throughundersea cables.[110] A recent $140M upgrade brought the capacity of the cable system from 200 MW to 560 MW.[111]
ThePoint Lepreau nuclear plant inNew Brunswick was closed for refurbishments from 2008 to 2012, resulting in a steep price hike of about 25 per cent, but the province later subsidized rates.[112] Residents were to pay 11.2 per cent more for electricity when theharmonized sales tax was adopted in April 2013, according to the P.E.I. Energy Accord that was tabled in the legislature on December 7, 2012.[113] and passed as theElectric Power (Energy Accord Continuation) Amendment Act, which establishes electric pricing from April 1, 2013, to March 1, 2016. Regulatory powers are derived for IRAC from theElectric Power Act.[93]
Prince Edward Island's public school system has an English school district named thePublic Schools Branch (previously the English Language School Board),[114] as well as a Francophone district, theCommission scolaire de langue française. The English language district has a total of 10 secondary schools and 54 intermediate and elementary schools while the Francophone district has 6 schools covering all grades. 22 per cent of the student population is enrolled in Frenchimmersion. This is one of the highest levels in the country.
The provincial government is responsible for such areas as health and social services, education, economic development, labour legislation and civil law. These matters of government are overseen in the provincial capital, Charlottetown.
The direct participation of the royal and viceroyal figures in any of these areas of governance is limited; in practice, their use of the executive powers is directed bythe Executive Council, a committee ofministers of the Crown responsible to the unicameral, electedLegislative Assembly and chosen and headed by thePremier of Prince Edward Island (presentlyRob Lantz), thehead of government. To ensure the stability of government, the lieutenant governor will usually appoint as premier the person who is the current leader of the political party that can obtain the confidence of aplurality in the Legislative Assembly. The leader of the party with the second-most seats usually becomes theLeader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition (presentlyHal Perry) and is part of an adversarial parliamentary system intended to keep the government in check.[117]
The Mi'kmaq Confederacy of PEI is the tribal council and provincial-territorial organization in the province that represents both the Lennox Island and Abegweit First Nations.
Prince Edward Island is divided into threecounties that have historically been used as administrative divisions for the provincial government, and prior toConfederation (in 1873), the colonial government.
Today, the counties are no longer used as administrative boundaries for the provincial government, though they continue to be used ascensus divisions byStatistics Canada for statistical purposes in administering theCanadian census.[119]
Municipal statuses in Prince Edward Island arecities,towns,rural municipalities, andresort municipalities.[120] Under Prince Edward Island'sMunicipal Government Act (MGA), which came into force on December 23, 2017,[121] the formation of a municipality can be proposed by the Minister of Fisheries and Communities, the council of an existing municipality, or a petition signed by 30% of the residents that would be the electors of the new municipality.[122] To be eligible for city or town status, certain minimum estimated population and total property assessment value criteria must be met.[122] If those criteria are not met, rural municipality status can be granted if it is the opinion of the Minister of Fisheries and Communities that it would be in the public interest.[122] The province's lone resort municipality – theResort Municipality of Stanley Bridge, Hope River, Bayview, Cavendish and North Rustico – was established byorder in council in 1990.[120] The 2017MGA prevents creation of any new resort municipalities.[120]
The province has a single health administrative region (or district health authority) calledHealth PEI. Health PEI receives funding for its operations and is regulated by theDepartment of Health and Wellness.
Many PEI homes and businesses are served by central sewage collection and treatment systems. These are operated either by a municipality or a private utility. Many industrial operations have their own wastewater treatment facilities. Staff members with theDepartment of Environment, Water and Climate Change provide advice to operators, as needed, on proper system maintenance.[123] TheIRAC regulates municipal water and sewer in the province,[93] now under theEnvironmental Protection Act.[93] Since around 1900, the residents of the City of Charlottetown have benefited from a central sanitary sewer service. Early disposal practices, while advanced for their time, eventually were found to compromise the ecological integrity of the nearbyHillsborough River and theCharlottetown Harbour. By 1974, the commission had spearheaded the development of a primary wastewater treatment plant, known as theCharlottetown Pollution Control Plant, together with the construction of several pumping stations along the city's waterfront, and outfall piping deep into the Hillsborough River.[124]
Until 2016, Prince Edward Island was the only province in Canada that did not provideabortion services through its hospitals. Until that time, the last abortion that had been performed in the province was in 1982 prior to the opening of theQueen Elizabeth Hospital which saw the closure of the Roman Catholic-affiliatedCharlottetown Hospital and the non-denominationalPrince Edward Island Hospital; a condition of the "merger" being that abortions not be performed in the province. In 1988, following the court decisionR. v. Morgentaler, the then-oppositionProgressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island tabled a motion demanding that the ban on abortions be upheld at the province's hospitals; the then-governingPrince Edward Island Liberal Party under PremierJoe Ghiz acquiesced and the ban was upheld.[125] Until more local access was guaranteed, the Government of Prince Edward Island funded abortions for women who travelled to another province. Women from Prince Edward Island also travelled to the nearest private user-pay clinic, where they were required pay for the procedure using their own funds. Formerly this was theMorgentaler Clinic inFredericton, New Brunswick[126][127][128][129][130] until this clinic closed due to lack of funds in July 2014.[131] The clinic was reopened under new ownership in 2016 as Clinic 554 with expanded services.[132] During that gap, women had to travel to Halifax or further. In 2016, the Liberal government led by Premier Wade MacLauchlan announced they would open a women's reproductive health clinic to provide abortions within the province.[133] Abortions are now provided in Prince Edward Island.[134]
Prince Edward Island's transportation network has traditionally revolved around its seaports of Charlottetown, Summerside, Borden,Georgetown, and Souris —linked to its railway system, and thetwo main airports in Charlottetown and Summerside, for communication with mainland North America.The Prince Edward Island Railway system was abandoned byCN in 1989 in favour of an agreement with the federal government to improve major highways.
In May 1997, theConfederation Bridge was opened, providing a fixed link between the island and the mainland.
Until May 1997, the province was linked by two passenger-vehicle ferry services to the mainland: one, provided byMarine Atlantic, operated year-round betweenBorden andCape Tormentine, New Brunswick; the other, provided byNorthumberland Ferries Limited, operates seasonally betweenWood Islands andCaribou, Nova Scotia. A third ferry service provided byCTMA operates all year round with seasonal times betweenSouris andCap-aux-Meules, Quebec, in theMagdalen Islands. In May 1997, theConfederation Bridge opened, connecting Borden-Carleton toCape Jourimain, New Brunswick. The world's longest bridge over ice-covered waters,[135] it replaced the Marine Atlantic ferry service. Since then, the Confederation Bridge's assured transportation link to the mainland has altered the province's tourism and agricultural and fisheries export economies.
The Island has the highest concentration of roadways in Canada. The provincially managed portion of the network consists of 3,824 kilometres (2,376 mi) of paved roadways and 1,558 kilometres (968 mi) of non-paved or clay roads. The province has very strict laws regarding use of roadside signs.Billboards and the use of portable signs are banned. There are standard direction information signs on roads in the province for various businesses and attractions in the immediate area. Theby-laws of some municipalities also restrict the types of permanent signs that may be installed on private property.
There is an extensive bicycling and hiking trail that spans the island. TheConfederation Trail is a 470 kilometres (290 mi) recreational trail system. The land was once owned and used by Canadian National Railway (CN) as a rail line on the island.
The island's cultural traditions of art, music and creative writing are supported through the public education system. There is an annual arts festival, theCharlottetown Festival, hosted at theConfederation Centre of the Arts.
Lucy Maud Montgomery, who was born in Clifton (now New London) in 1874, drew inspiration from the land during the lateVictorian Era for the setting of her classic novelAnne of Green Gables (1908). The musical playAnne of Green Gables has run every year at the Charlottetown festival for more than four decades. The sequel,Anne & Gilbert, premiered in the Playhouse inVictoria in 2005. The actual location ofGreen Gables, the house featured in Montgomery'sAnne books, is inCavendish, on the north shore of PEI.
Prince Edward Island's documented music history begins in the 19th century with religious music, some written by the local pump and block maker and organ-importer Watson Duchemin. Several big bands including the Sons of Temperance Band and the Charlottetown Brass Band were active. Today, Acadian, Celtic, folk, and rock music prevail, with exponents includingGene MacLellan, his daughterCatherine MacLellan,Al Tuck,Lennie Gallant,Two Hours Traffic andPaper Lions. The celebrated singer-songwriterStompin' Tom Connors spent his formative years inSkinners Pond. Celtic music is certainly the most common traditional music on the island, with fiddling and step dancing being very common. This tradition, largely Scottish, Irish and Acadian in origin is very similar to the music of Cape Breton and to a lesser extent, Newfoundland and is unique to the region. Due to the Islands influence as a former Highlander Clans Scottish colony, a March 4/4 for bagpipes was composed in honour of Prince Edward Island.[136]
TheIsland Storm were a professional basketball team that played in theNational Basketball League of Canada. The team was founded in 2011 as the Summerside Storm for the league's inaugural season and became the Island Storm in 2013. The team was granted a one-year leave of absence in 2021 but have not returned since.
Prince Edward Island has hosted threeCanada Games: two winter editions in 1991 and2023; and a summer edition in2009.
Hainan, China, has been thesister province of Prince Edward Island since 2001. This came about after Vice-Governor Lin Fanglue stayed for two days to hold discussions about partnership opportunities and trade.[141]
^PEI; French:Île-du-Prince-Édouard;Scottish Gaelic:Eilean a' Phrionnsa; colloquially known asthe Island
^Extreme high and low temperatures in the table below are from Charlottetown (April 1872 to December 1934), Charlottetown CDA (January 1935 to March 1943), and Charlottetown Airport (April 1943 to present).
^Prince Edward Island. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. 2013.Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. RetrievedSeptember 30, 2013.
^"Historical Overview".Cape Breton University. Cape Breton University. RetrievedSeptember 6, 2025.The Mi'kmaw Nation has lived and occupied the area now known as the Atlantic Provinces and the southern Gaspè Peninsula since time immemorial.
^"Mi'kmaq Holdings Resource Guide".Nova Scotia Archives. Province of Nova Scotia. RetrievedSeptember 6, 2025.They are different words, but contain the same spirit of continuity and solidarity that has defined the eloquence and endurance of the Mi'kmaq Nation 'since Time Immemorial.'
^Raja, Huzefa A.; Shearer, Carol A.; Carter, Adrian; Platt, Harold W. (October 2008). "Freshwater ascomycetes: Jahnula apiospora (Jahnulales, Dothideomycetes), a new species from Prince Edward Island, Canada".Mycoscience.49 (5):326–328.doi:10.1007/S10267-008-0428-2.S2CID84899319.
^John Clarence Webster's, "Memorial on Behalf of Sieur de Boishebert" (Saint John: Historical Studies No. 4, Publications of the New Brunswick Museum, 1942) at p. 11.
^"Assembly Timeline"(PDF).Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island. Government of Prince Edward Island.Archived(PDF) from the original on June 10, 2011. RetrievedOctober 22, 2011.
^Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island."Role > Role and Responsibilities". Queen's Printer for Prince Edward Island.Archived from the original on June 10, 2011. RetrievedSeptember 13, 2012.
^Elizabeth II (2008)."Election Act"(PDF). Queen's Printer for Prince Edward Island. 4.1(2)(b). Archived fromthe original(PDF) on September 24, 2015. RetrievedSeptember 13, 2012.
^abc"Municipal Government Act"(PDF). Prince Edward Island Queen's Printer. November 28, 2019. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on January 30, 2020. RetrievedJune 25, 2020.
Bolger, Francis (1973).Canada's Smallest Province: A History of Prince Edward Island.Charlottetown: Prince Edward Island 1973 Centennial Commission.OCLC1031515. Also underOCLC223434609
Clark, Andrew Hill (1959).Three Centuries and the Island. A Historical Geography of Settlement and Agriculture in Prince Edward Island, Canada.Toronto:University of Toronto Press.OCLC203962. A very broad look at the historical geography of P.E.I.
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