Prince Edward Island hosts tours and events celebrating the children's classic Anne of Green Gables. Tips on visiting this beautiful area.
Prince Edward Island (PEI) not only has the distinction of being the tiniest Canadian province, some swear it is one of the nicest spots in Canada to seek a relaxing vacation. Surrounded by deep blue, clear, shining water, the island abounds in virgin sand beaches. Red-hued earth and rocks, a change for the eyes. No fewer than sixty picturesque lighthouses, and green countryside as far as the eye can see. Visitors can sample the island's seafood cuisine, such as Malpeque Bay oysters and fresh-caught lobster; or, on a more active level, may decide to golf on uncrowded fairways, or try their hand at deep-sea fishing.
Milder than other provinces, due to continuous warm currents from the ocean, the refreshing ambience of PEI may be experienced even during a Canadian winter, cross-country skiing, for example.
PEI's growing reputation as a place to visit in the warmer months, however, is not wholly related to its amenable surroundings or first class food, nor to its healthy climate and uncrowded beaches. As thousands of visitors from all over the world are discovering, Prince Edward Island is home to Anne of Green Gables!
Born in Clifton, PEI, in 1874, Lucy Maud (L.M.) Montgomery authored the renowned children's classic, Anne of Green Gables, in 1908, to be followed over the ensuing years by many more stories chronicling Anne's adventures and those of other young heroines.
The original "Anne" has been translated into fifteen languages and adapted for film (eight in number), video, stage, and television (series, and mini-series). On an interesting note, Anne's popularity in Japan is reported to stem from an animated cartoon made a number of years ago.
Although Montgomery moved to Ontario at the age of 37 following her marriage to a pastor, and raised three children there, the settings, inspiration, and local flavor of her stories spring from the beloved island where she grew up. She was buried at Cavendish in 1943.
Local institutions and activities emanating from the worldwide popularity of Anne's creator, and from her stories and their characters, are numerous. One may tour Green Gables House in PEI National Park, where the fictional spunky and red-headed Anne lived, the author's birthplace at Clifton Corner, the Anne of Green Gables Museum at Silver Bush, and the nearby Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum, or Avonlea Village, a recent commercial enterprise. On the strictly literary and academic side, one may view the author's original manuscripts at Confederation Centre Art Gallery in PEI's capital city, Charlottetown.
In the summer, the musical stage show at Confederation Park in Charlottetown is the place to be. As well, the sets at Cabot Beach Provincial Park, where the "Emily of New Moon" TV series is underway, are open to visitors and, like the sets for the previous "Anne" series, will probably be retained for viewing long after the series is over.
Until quite recently, PEI was accessible only by air or ferry. In 1997, the newly constructed thirteen kilometer Confederation Bridge, connecting the island to New Brunswick, changed this picture and Canada's "best-kept secret" opened its doors to the world. The bridge, composed of forty-four spans, each the length of a city block, was built amid protests of citizens'groups who expressed fears for the environmental future of the small island.
On the positive side, PEI can welcome many more visitors from around the world to experience what travel brochures call a "Storybook Holiday." Not to be overlooked, the burgeoning sales of dolls, clothing, souvenirs, and other Anne-related goods lends significant support to the local craft industry.
