Charlottetown
Charlottetown is a capital of the province of
Prince Edward Island and a blend of country living, urban pubs, eateries, and cafes, and clean air. City-wide and community festivals, lovely venues for night life, and a scenic harbor give this city uniqueness and charm.
The French were the first settlers to arrive from Europe in 1720, founding the settlement Port La Joye. The British took control over the area at the peak of the Seven Year’s War and deported the French settlers. In 1764, the town was made a seat of Queens County and proclaimed a capital of the colony St. John’s Island a year later. The town was a host of the Charlottetown Conference of 1864, with negotiations that led to the creation of the Canadian Confederation held in the Province House. In 1873, Prince Edward Island joined the Confederation, and the town was given a status of city in 1885.
Nowadays, the
economy of Charlottetown is concentrated in the public sector, with federal, provincial, and municipal authorities being the
major employers in Queens County. Other major sectors of the city’s economy include production of chemicals, machining, and bio-technology. The charter line Prince Edward Air is headquartered in Charlottetown. In terms of
demographics, the resident population of the city stands at over 32,000 inhabitants, and persons of European origin constitute the majority of the population. Most residents are of Canadian, Scottish, English, Irish, French, Dutch, German, and First Nations ancestry. Other represented ethnic groups are Welsh, Lebanese, and Acadian. The population is predominantly Christian, and other represented religions are Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism.
The confluence of 3 rivers has formed the harbor where the city is located. Charlottetown is V-shaped and enclosed by Hillsborough and North Rivers to the east and west. The region has a humid continental
climate with mild winters and a median daily temperature for January at -8 °C. Due to the coastal position of the city, the winter season sees frequent and heavy snow precipitation, with seasonal average of 312 cm. Due to the influence of the ocean waters, the spring warming is rather gradual. Because of maritime moderation, the summer season is mild, with July high reaching 23.2 °C.
Charlottetown is a preferred tourist destination for visitors from the United States,
central Canada, and the other Canadian Maritime provinces. The downtown nucleus of the streetscape contains numerous Victorian houses, parks, and walking trails, developed on past industrial sites. The newly opened cruise ship terminal aims to attract an increasing number of cruise vessels which operate on the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Among the popular tourist destinations are the provincial legislature, located at Province House, which was the host of the Charlottetown Conference. The Founders Hall features an interactive journey through the history of the country, tracing the formation of the Canadian Nation. The Charlottetown Festival is held in the summer at the Confederation Centre of the Arts which also offers live theatre and hosts an art gallery. Other galleries and theatres worth visiting are the Arts Guild, the MacKenzie Theatre, and the Pilar Shepard Gallery.