Charlottetown

I

Introduction

Charlottetown, city, capital of Prince Edward Island, Canada. Charlottetown is the province’s largest city, and Canada’s smallest provincial capital. It is the main administrative, service, financial, and commercial center for the province, and is also its cultural and educational capital. The city was the site of the 1864 Charlottetown Conference, which set the stage for the union of the British North American colonies into the Dominion of Canada. This union is known to Canadians as Confederation. Because of this role, the Canadian Parliament has designated Charlottetown the “Birthplace of Confederation,” and it has become a major tourist destination.

Charlottetown is the seat of Queens County and is situated at approximately the midpoint along the south coast of the island, where the Hillsborough and North rivers empty into Charlottetown Harbour. Despite its northerly location, Charlottetown has a mild climate, with an average daily temperature range of -10° to -3° C (10° to 26° F) in January, and 14 ° to 23° C (57° to 74° F) in July.

II

People

In 1981 the population of Charlottetown was 15,282, but by the 2001 census the city had incorporated the adjoining communities of Parkdale, Sherwood, East Royalty, West Royalty, Winsloe, and Hillborough Park, and the population had grown to 32,245 . Early settlers in Charlottetown were mainly English, but gradually the population mix changed as Irish and Scots people immigrated to the area between 1770 and the 1860s. The city also has a number of Acadian residents, who are descendants of the original French colonists of the region, and a small Lebanese community.

III

City Landscape

Charlottetown covers a land area of 42.6 sq km (16.5 sq mi). One of the most famous buildings in the city is Province House, site of the 1864 Charlottetown Conference and home to the provincial legislature of Prince Edward Island. Province House has been declared a national historic site.

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Near Charlottetown Harbour and next to Province House is the Confederation Centre of the Arts, which was built in 1963 to commemorate the Charlottetown Conference. The arts center was financed by gifts from all the provinces of Canada and a grant from the federal government. It houses a theater, museum, art gallery, and library. It is also the site of the Charlottetown Summer Festival, which each year produces a musical, Anne of Green Gables, based on the novel by local author Lucy Maud Montgomery, as well as other Canadian plays. The festival began in 1965.

Nearby is Confederation Landing Park, which opened in 1996. Located on the waterfront, it marks the landing place of the Fathers of Confederation in 1864. In 1984 a large, modern hotel and convention complex was opened on the waterfront. Its facilities, and the many hotels and motels in the area, allow the city to host large conventions and entertainment events.

The downtown area, which makes up much of the older part of Charlottetown, contains St. Dunstan’s Basilica, the tallest structure in the city and the largest church in the province. It is the seat of the local Roman Catholic diocese and was designated a national historic site in 1996. Close by stands St. Paul’s Anglican Church. The present building, completed in 1868, stands on the site of the original church, which opened in 1803 and was the first church building on the island. Buildings and storefronts on several blocks in the downtown area have been restored to their original appearance, and examples of architecture reflecting various British styles of the 19th century can be seen in this part of the city.

Charlottetown is the center of Prince Edward Island’s thriving harness-racing industry. It has the best half-mile track in eastern Canada and is host to the annual Gold Cup and Saucer Race and Parade. The race is held during Old Home Week in August, an annual event featuring a week of trade, handicraft, and livestock exhibits, midway and vaudeville attractions, and horse racing.

Charlottetown is home to the University of Prince Edward Island, created in 1969 by consolidating Prince of Wales College and St. Dunstan’s University. The university has attracted several research facilities, including a regional agricultural laboratory and a food technology center. In 1986 the Atlantic Veterinary College was established at the university. Jointly financed by the Atlantic provinces, the college is one of only four veterinary colleges in Canada. Holland College (1969), the province’s only Technical Institute, is also within the city’s boundaries.

IV

Economy

During the last half of the 19th century, the golden age of the wooden sailing ship, Charlottetown was one of the major shipbuilding centers of Prince Edward Island. It became home to various industries related to shipbuilding. Other industries, such as furniture and carriage factories, also flourished. The nearby rivers connected Charlottetown to the central and most populous area of the province, and it became the chief import-export center for the province.

Today, Charlottetown’s economy is based primarily on tourism, agriculture, fisheries, and business associated with the provincial government. The city has light industries and services. However, compared to the rest of the province, a lower percentage of the workforce is engaged in industry and manufacturing. Charlottetown, with its excellent harbor, is the chief port of Prince Edward Island. It also has a commercial airport.

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