Welcome to Part One of the Prince County
Tour. We'll start at Read's Corner. Follow along on your map.
Remember, if you don't have a map, you can
order
visitor information online or send us an
e-mail
and we’ll have them mailed to you.
Head North on route 1A for 1.8 kms (1.1 miles) then turn left
onto route 2. This area between Malpeque Bay and Bedeque Bay
is the narrowest part of the Island and is only about 5 kms
(3 miles) wide. The recently enlarged City of Summerside also
includes the area between here and St. Eleanor's a few kilometres
down the road.
Slemon Park is now an industrial park and
convention centre. Once a military airbase, the facility was closed
by the armed forces and converted to civilian use. Many of the
buildings and hangars now house a variety of aerospace and other
industries.
Miscouche is home to the
Acadian
Museum which chronicles the history and contribution of the
Acadian settlers on the Island. This is the beginning of the Région
Évangéline and many community and family names are of
French origin. Here you'll see many homes flying the
Acadian
flag as well as the Canadian and Provincial flags.
After you've had a chance to look around the museum, continue
on for about a block and at Km 12 (mile 7.5), turn left onto
route 12. A short distance down the road bear right onto route
11. The area here is very flat and boggy and many of the poorest
fields have been abandoned in favour of more productive areas.
After a short distance you'll pass by Sunbury
Cove and the community of St. Nicholas.
At Union Corner the road takes a sharp right and begins to follow
the shore. At the corner, the old schoolhouse has been turned
into the
Union
Corner Schoolhouse Museum. It is said to be named Union Corner
because the school was built with the goodwill of everyone. Like
these
fields at Mont
Carmel, many homes and fields hug the shore. In the distance
you can see New Brunswick.
The most significant landmark in the area, the
Église
Notre Dame du Mont Carmel towers high above the road through
town. Even the
home
of the parish priest is an imposing building.
The road parallels the shore and nearby at Cap-Egmont there
is a roadside parking area from which you can enjoy the view
of the strait. The Acadians love colour! Their penchant
for painting things bright colours is evident at this campground
mini-golf. At Cap-Egmont, the road turns to follow the shore
northward.
The
small farms
in the area are brightly painted and have a terrific view of the
strait. Small well kept fields reflect the neatness of the farms.
As you drive along, take note of the many cottage properties.
Here in the Acadian region cottages are not mere cottages. The
signs at the driveways proclaim them to be villas, chateaus or
even
castles.
Maximeville was probably named after Maxime Arsenault whose widow
and daughters were noted as living here in 1880. The small
bay
houses a harbour which is home to 26 boats one of which has been
hauled up on shore
perhaps because it is no longer seaworthy.
