The Paper Trail

Prince Edward Island is a big potato farm

And the rest of the east is a big fishery

Prince Edward Island is a big potato farm

Prince Edward Island is a large potato farm.

That's essentially the extent of its identity. It also has Anne of Green Gables and red sand. We loved the red sand.

Actually, we were in love with PEI. It has one bike trail across the entire province which is in perfect condition. Charlottetown is the largest city. It's hardly a small town in any other province. Why is this place a province? It has less than half the population of Hamilton, Ontario. Kelowna, BC has almost the same population as this entire island.

The residents of this island have twice the voting power of anyone in Ontario, Quebec, or any western province. This little island is almost negligible in its size. What's beautiful, and maybe a bit backwards about PEI, is that they don't pay much attention to anything outside of the island. Famously, PEI residents only know what's happening on PEI. The people there are living their lives, not worried about the conversations of separation going on in the west. They work hard to be kind, polite, and welcoming. When you enter the province, people smile, shake your hand, and you're welcome to visit. It's a microcosm of the entire east coast.

Also, PEI would be unable to survive without the mainland.

Isaac Peltz
About the author

Isaac Peltz

Isaac is a bilingual investigative journalist based in Montréal who specializes in uncovering the political and economic forces shaping Canadians’ everyday lives.