Southern Queens County
Hi! We see you’re just preparing to dock at Wood Islands.
The Nova Scotia/Prince Edward Island
ferry
service ferry connects Caribou, Nova Scotia and Wood Islands,
P.E.I. and is operated by
Northumberland
Ferries Ltd. If you haven’t picked up your travel guides yet,
stop in at the Visitor Information Centre on your way out of the
ferry terminal compound (
you must exit the compound and re-enter,
to gain access to the Visitor Information Centre).
While you're getting your map and guide, we'll land and meet
you in a few moments. It may take us a few minutes so enjoy
your first view
of the Island from outside the Visitor's Centre.
The Northumberland Strait which separates
the rest of Canada from P.E.I. was named for the HMS Northumberland,
the flagship of Admiral Lord Colville who sruveyed the area
in 1764. Wood Islands is named for the two small islands which
are now joined and form the harbour.
Stay on the main highway as it bears left.
A right will take you on the eastern portion of the Kings Byway
Drive, but that is another tour. For now we'll follow the main
highway toward Charlottetown. Also, don't take the turnoff to
Montague, that too, is another tour. This area consists of homesites,
small farms and mixed spruce forest. The Island was originally
covered in a mixed hardwood forest but was logged to clear land
for farming and shipbuilding.
There are lots of farms in this area and
the ditches are full of yellow daisies. Keep an eye out for
yard and garage sales which are common on weekends.
At Belle River you can stop and buy some new potatoes. During
early August many farmers harvest a small amount of potatoes to
sell as "new potatoes". They are absolutely the best potatoes
to eat. At
this
farm, you will find potatoes at a roadside stand where you
serve yourself and leave your money in the box. As you drive along
check out the local
farmhouses
and see how well kept they are.
Named after the Belle River which flows
into the Northumberland Strait (its really just a stream)
the MicMac name for the area is Mooinawaseboo meaning
"bear river".
We don't know why the area is called Flat
River. The MicMacs called the area
Telesipgisg and we don't
know what that means either.
Turn left at the
Summer
Savory sign. Down this short dirt lane you will find a small
farm which has been growing summer savory for 25 years. Stop in
and buy a small bag. Buy lots and give some to your friends.
During the busy fishing season,
Pinette
Wharf is home to 13 fishing boats. Now only a couple are tied
up here. The road crosses the river and if you look to the right
you will see
shallow
upper river. Watch out for shorebirds and wading birds like
Great Blue Herons.
