Day 1 (August 15, 2020): To the land of Confederation's birth

Those who know me well, know that one of my greatest passions in life is travel planning.  (And travel, itself, of course!)  Covid-19 has pretty well grounded everyone's plans, and our Summer 2020 travel schematic has gone down the tubes so many times, right up to yesterday.  These were our confirmed summer bookings:

- July 14-28: Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Liechtenstein - canceled, due to those countries banning entry by foreign nationals;

- August 12-22: Alaska, Yukon - canceled due to US-Canada border closure, route cancellations by Air Canada and the Yukon remaining closed to Canadians;

- August 8-22: Alberta, British Columbia - canceled due to Atlantic Canada still requiring 14-day quarantine upon returning; and

- August 15-23: Vancouver Island - literally canceled last night, as last-minute hopes of the Atlantic Canada quarantine requirement being quashed didn't materialize.

If nothing else, the above has given something to be preoccupied with throughout Covid.  And every plan gone astray tends to work out well in the end.  Which brings me to Prince Edward Island, from where this blog is being written tonight.  If our politicians won't open the Atlantic Bubble to Canada, then we are going to squeeze as much Atlantic Canadian joy out of our vacation as possible!  Hence, we left home this morning at 9AM and headed to Caribou, NS to catch the ferry to PEI.

It's not Armenia, Alaska or Alberta, but honestly, PEI is hard to beat.  Look at those rolling hills, puffy clouds and great scenery below.  Wrap it all up with the comfort of familiarity, next-to-no-Covid, no currency, time or electric plug changes, and it makes for a perfect "Plan B".

The MV Confederation left port right on time at 11:15AM and arrived in Wood Islands, PEI at 12:30PM.  There was a short line-up to verify our on-line PEI health declaration, and then we were en route to Charlottetown, where we arrived just before 2PM.

Having started my government career here in 1991, PEI is quite familiar.  But coming as a tourist allows one to enjoy a place from a new perspective.  Our highlights of this truly beautiful town and Province are below.  Tonight we are staying in a hotel literally next to the apartment complex in West Royalty (on Charlottetown's outskirts), where I lived when moving here for work 29 years ago.  Tomorrow, we will move to the North Shore to experience some of the island's wonderful beaches.

Hoping you will enjoy the photos below.

Preparing to board the MV Confederation, from Caribou, NS to Wood Islands, PEI.

The sands of Munroe's Island, shortly after leaving Caribou.


A perfect day for a sea voyage!

The unmistakable red shores of Prince Edward Island!

The Wood Islands Lighthouse, built in 1876.

Welcome to Canada's smallest province!

They call it "the gentle island".  And it truly is!  Rolling hills which, at this time of year, are covered in mature crops of wheat, barley, corn, potatoes, etc.

How do you prefer your hay bales -- in lumps...

...or in jelly rolls?!

Et voila - the Birthplace of Confederation!  In September 1864, representatives of what had been called the Province of Canada (present-day Ontario and Quebec) held a conference here with representatives of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island to talk about forming a federation that would remain loyal to Britain.  Long story short, the Dominion of Canada was born from this on July 1, 1867, comprising Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.  PEI joined in 1873.

The historic buildings of Great George Street.

And how's this for a great idea?  In Charlottetown, groups can "adopt a corner" and beautify a street corner with flowers.

Two Fathers of Confederation.  And yours truly!  St. Dustan's Cathedral in the background.

A floating dock on Charlottetown's waterfront provides a hub-bub of eating opportunities, where we had lunch.

Charlottetown's marina and convention centre.


Ahhh 2020... What a year.  One that most of us would like to forget.

Gerald Beaulieu's "Bluefin Bullet" is a life-sized sculpture of a tuna on Charlottetown's Queen Street, covered in a skin of scales made from... SPOONS!

The Confederation Centre of the Arts was raised in 1964 as a memorial to the Fathers of Confederation.


This dream catcher project at the Confederation Centre of the Arts was funded by Canadian Heritage in 2017 to mark Canada's 150th birthday. The Dream Catchers project included drama and art workshops held across the country for young Canadians to come together and share their stories in creative and artistic outlets. During the workshops, the participants created dream catchers, which were collected and developed into this national dream catcher, now found in Memorial Hall.

The Confederation Centre's Art Gallery may be small, but it is a favourite.  Here, Colleen Wolstenholme’s "Spill," described by the artist as the product of a therapeutic “hard labour”, comprises giant plaster pills.  It is part of the Spheres, Skulls, and Other Icons of the Interior exhibition, running until October 20th.

Victor Cicansky's "The Gardener’s Universe", running until September 6th, brings together more than 100 ceramic and bronze works that present a picture of the artist's career.

We were pleased to see Gerald Beaulieu working on a new copper installation in the courtyard of the Confederation Centre of the Arts.  His two massive crows, made from rubber tires, had been on display at the Centre until last year, when they were moved to Fredericton.  Those crows are simply amazing pieces of public art.

Province House, where the 1864 conference on confederation took place, is in dire shape.  A renovation started in 2014 and will continue until at least 2022.  For now, it's covered in a wrapper.

Back in 2014, however, Parks Canada developed a replica of the board room where the Fathers of Confederation met in 1864, and installed it next door in the Confederation Centre of the Arts.

John A. MacDonald, our first Prime Minister, watches over the 2014 replica of the conference boardroom.


Inside St. Dustan's Cathedral, which was built from 1987-1907, and then burned in 1913.


Victoria Row, Charlottetown's pedestrian street lined with shops and cafes, was fairly busy.

The Daniel J. MacDonald Building houses part of the headquarters of Veterans Affairs Canada.  It's where I started my government career in 1991.


The Prince Edward Battery of 1805 protected Charlottotown's harbour.



Victoria Park.

The view of downtown Charlottetown from Victoria Park.

The City recently installed a floating dock in Victoria Park.  A great place to sit and watch a late afternoon rainstorm develop.

Government House of Prince Edward Island, often referred to as Fanningbank, is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island.  Built from 1832-34, it is located at 1 Terry Fox Drive in Charlottetown.