Sunsets and Seascapes

North Cape Lighthouse

BY JOHN SUTTON

West Prince, used by Islanders to refer to this particular region of their province, is an area in which residents remain strongly connected to the proud traditions of past generations. Though Prince Edward Island has undergone many remarkable changes, especially during the last quarter of the 20th century, many West Prince residents still rely on the land and sea to forge a living, much as their forefathers have done over the course of the last two centuries. Farming and fishing are still the economic cornerstones of the region and serve as an undying link between past and present.

By traveling along Lady Slipper Drive, one of the Island's scenic routes, visitors are able to immerse themselves in the special culture and flavour of the region. Winding its way along the coast of Prince County, Lady Slipper Drive offers spectacular sea-scape views of the often rugged coastline while also providing travelers with an opportunity to visit such landmarks as the pastoral Anglican Church at Kildare Capes and North Cape Lighthouse. A testament to days gone by, the lighthouse was once the only man-made structure in the North Cape area. Offering a breath-takingly panoramic ocean view highlighted by stunning summer sunsets, North Cape is now also home to a windmill test site, a restaurant, and, for the benefit of visitors, an interpretive centre.

West Point Beach

The harvesting of Irish Moss, a time-honored tradition amongst those who still practice the trade by gathering the moss on the beaches and hauling it away in horse-drawn carts to be dried, offers another example of the closeness West Prince residents have maintained to their past. The story of Irish Moss is told at the Irish Moss Interpretive Centre, located in Miminegash. Other notable landmarks in the area include the West Point Lighthouse Inn and Cedar Dunes Provincial Park, named for the beautiful stand of cedars which provide a striking contrast to the white sand beaches found there. The historic lighthouse, thanks to a community initiative, was converted into a cosy inn and restaurant, the only one of its kind in Canada. From the top of the lighthouse visitors may be fortunate enough to see the "phantom ship" which sails the Northumberland Strait, its masts ablaze.

West Point

The community of Tignish, which celebrated its bicentennial in 1999, offers an eclectic mix of Acadian and Irish tradition. The St. Simon and St. Jude Roman Catholic Church, built in 1860 of local red brick, contains a Tracker pipe organ, built in 1882 and one of the oldest of its kind in North America. Visiting artists give weekly recitals during the summer months. The Alberton Museum contains a detailed exhibit on the history of silver fox farming, a one-time booming industry that made P.E.I. famous in the fashion world. Visitors can also learn about the Island's most important agricultural crop at the Prince Edward Island Potato Museum, located in O'Leary. The growth of tourism as a major industry within P.E.I. has brought its share of change to the West Prince region. Numerous restaurants, inns and bed and breakfasts throughout the area offer proof of this fact. However, the character and tradition of West Prince residents is deeply-engrained in the past, and it is these intangible qualities that endure, unchanged by time and technology.

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