July 19, 2014

Prince Edward Island, and Charlottetown in particular, is celebrating 150 years since the first conference that lead to the formation of the Dominion of Canada. What happened is an interesting story and it’s also ironic that PEI is throwing this 70 day festival so I will tell it.

By the latter half of the 19th century the US was the undisputed political and economic force in North America. The British colonies were increasingly vulnerable to US power and influence and frankly the British crown wanted to divest its responsibilities to the colonies. So when the maritime colonies and their local assemblies threw out feelers for talks on creating a union, the British government was thrilled. The Canadians, modern Ontario and Quebec were then the province of Canada and a separate entity, heard about the Charlottetown conference they decided to crash it. Newfoundland decided to join too late to change the agenda apparently.

This little meeting was not something locals actually paid much attention to. There was a circus in town that everyone preferred. So when the Canadians arrived, there was only a single person to greet them and not a single room in the city for them to stay at. The Canadians dominated the speeches and debates for most conference so it’s surprising that everyone agrees to meet again a month later in Quebec City. The maritime colonies and the Canadian delegates were complete strangers with no previous relationship to build trust on. Apparently it was speech making during the day and socializing in the evening for a whole week. Very wisely, they made no resolutions but to meet again in Quebec where they drew up the resolutions that more or less became the British North America Act and inaugurated Canada. The US was going through the civil war at this time and influenced the delegates to create the relatively strong central government we have in Canada in the hopes of avoid such a calamity.

The irony of the celebration is that Islanders had little interest in joining the confederation. PEI was wealthy with a prosperous future so declined. Only 6 years later when a mismanaged attempt to build a railway across the island had more or less bankrupted the colony did confederation look appealing, especially when the new Dominion offered to build it for them. Seriously, the history of the railroad is the backbone of this country. Newfoundland remained on the sidelines and didn’t join until 1949 when the Britain again wished to unload some responsibilities. As far as I know Canada never offered to build them a railroad.

Road Reports:
I had a very pleasant ride into Charlottetown along the Confederation Trail. Getting to Woods Island to catch the ferry to Nova Scotia was another matter. The cycling map shows a nice, convenient trail but the map jumped the gun as the trail is only being constructed. I therefore ended up on what must have been a surveyors track at one point because it went straight over every hill and through ever valley in its path. It veered neither left nor right. And no shoulders of course.