Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island
Encyclopedia
Wood Islands is a Canadian
rural farming and fishing community located in southeastern Queens County
, Prince Edward Island
on the Northumberland Strait
.
The population of the community is unavailable as a result of its small size; Wood Islands falls under the larger township Lot 62
, which has a population (1996) of 554 residents.
It takes its name from several small forested islands located several hundred metres offshore in the Northumberland Strait. These islands are permanently linked by sand bars to form Wood Islands Harbour, a sheltered harbour which hosts a ferry service to Caribou
, Nova Scotia
operated by Northumberland Ferries Limited
, as well as a small craft fishing harbour. The southwestern shore of the lagoon forming Wood Islands Harbour is also the southernmost point in Prince Edward Island with coordinates 45º65'54"N, 62º45'18"W.
Wood Islands Provincial Park
, a picnic area, is located southeast of the ferry terminal on the largest of the islands and adjacent to the Wood Islands Lighthouse, an automated light station operated by the Canadian Coast Guard
. The Wood Islands Lighthouse is now a museum operated by a local community group and can be toured daily from mid July to mid September .
The ferry terminal in the community is the eastern terminus of Route 1, the Trans-Canada Highway
in the province.
service under Crown corporation Canadian National Railways between Borden, PEI and Cape Tormentine
, NB
in 1917, residents of eastern Prince Edward Island had lobbied their elected representatives for an alternative service to Pictou
, Nova Scotia
.
In 1935, Prime Minister MacKenzie King brought Saskatchewan
politician Charles A. Dunning back into federal politics to economically resurrect the nation from the Great Depression
and appointed him Minister of Finance
. Dunning was elected by acclamation as a parachuted in the dual riding of Queen's
(it had 2 MPs at the time). Residents seized upon this opportunity and elicited a promise from the King government to establish a ferry service to Caribou
, NS, near the town of Pictou, however the PEI terminal was a source of controversy.
The deepest water on the PEI shore suitable for a ferry dock was located just inside the Kings County
boundary in Little Sands, several kilometres east of Wood Islands. However, given that Dunning represented the riding of Queen's, Little Sands was rejected in favour of a terminal located at Wood Islands, to better help the residents of his district, despite its inferior water depth.
The federal government set about building a ferry port in the community's small harbour, dredging sand from the harbour bottom and constructing wharves. A new privately owned company, Northumberland Ferries Limited
, was established to operate the seasonal ferry service under license for the federal government, which retained ownership of the terminals and vessels.
Dunning left politics in 1939 but the ferry service was instituted nevertheless in 1941 and has continued uninterrupted under the NFL banner to the present day, using several used and new vessels over the decades. Today it remains the only ferry service to the mainland after Confederation Bridge
opened in 1997. A major redevelopment of the Wood Islands terminal took place in the early 1990s before the new high capacity M/V Confederation entered service in 1993.
In 2004 the provincial government opened a new visitor information centre complex in the community at the intersection of Route 1 and Route 4, immediately north of the ferry terminal, replacing an older facility in the ferry terminal itself. This visitor information centre complex is operated by the Wood Islands and Area Development Corporation. Wood Islands is home to the 70-Mile Coastal Yard Sale held in September each year and the Mermaid Tears Sea Glass Festival held in July each year. T
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
rural farming and fishing community located in southeastern Queens County
Queens County, Prince Edward Island
Queens County is located in central Prince Edward Island, Canada. The county is geographically divided by the Hillsborough River's estuary, a tidal inlet which almost splits the county and Prince Edward Island...
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
on the Northumberland Strait
Northumberland Strait
The Northumberland Strait is a strait in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in eastern Canada...
.
Lot 62, Prince Edward Island
Lot 62 is a township in Queens County, Prince Edward Island, Canada. It is part of St. John's Parish.According to the Canada 2001 Census:*Population: 484*% Change : -12.8*Dwellings: 221*Area : 80.39*Density : 6.0...
, which has a population (1996) of 554 residents.
It takes its name from several small forested islands located several hundred metres offshore in the Northumberland Strait. These islands are permanently linked by sand bars to form Wood Islands Harbour, a sheltered harbour which hosts a ferry service to Caribou
Caribou, Nova Scotia
Caribou is a small Canadian rural community in Pictou County, Nova Scotia.Located on the Northumberland Strait northwest of the town of Pictou, Caribou is named after the Woodland Caribou which used to live in Nova Scotia until European settlers hunted the herds to extinction in the 19th century...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
operated by Northumberland Ferries Limited
Northumberland Ferries Limited
Northumberland Ferries Limited is a ferry company operating in eastern Canada and headquartered in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island...
, as well as a small craft fishing harbour. The southwestern shore of the lagoon forming Wood Islands Harbour is also the southernmost point in Prince Edward Island with coordinates 45º65'54"N, 62º45'18"W.
Wood Islands Provincial Park
Wood Islands Provincial Park
Wood Islands Provincial Parks is a provincial park in Prince Edward Island, Canada, situated immediately south of Wood Islands and from Charlottetown, the provincial capital...
, a picnic area, is located southeast of the ferry terminal on the largest of the islands and adjacent to the Wood Islands Lighthouse, an automated light station operated by the Canadian Coast Guard
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
. The Wood Islands Lighthouse is now a museum operated by a local community group and can be toured daily from mid July to mid September .
The ferry terminal in the community is the eastern terminus of Route 1, the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
in the province.
Ferry Service
Ever since the federal government established a subsidized ferryFerry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service under Crown corporation Canadian National Railways between Borden, PEI and Cape Tormentine
Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick
Cape Tormentine is a Canadian rural community in Westmorland County, New Brunswick.The community derives its name from a headland of the same name which extends into the Northumberland Strait, forming the easternmost point in the province.-Railway:...
, NB
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
in 1917, residents of eastern Prince Edward Island had lobbied their elected representatives for an alternative service to Pictou
Pictou, Nova Scotia
Pictou is a town in Pictou County, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Located on the north shore of Pictou Harbour, the town is approximately 10 km north of the larger town of New Glasgow....
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
.
In 1935, Prime Minister MacKenzie King brought Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
politician Charles A. Dunning back into federal politics to economically resurrect the nation from the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and appointed him Minister of Finance
Minister of Finance (Canada)
The Minister of Finance is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible each year for presenting the federal government's budget...
. Dunning was elected by acclamation as a parachuted in the dual riding of Queen's
Queen's (Prince Edward Island electoral district)
Queen's was a federal electoral district in Prince Edward Island, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1968.This riding was created in 1903 from parts of East Prince, East Queen's and West Queen's ridings....
(it had 2 MPs at the time). Residents seized upon this opportunity and elicited a promise from the King government to establish a ferry service to Caribou
Caribou, Nova Scotia
Caribou is a small Canadian rural community in Pictou County, Nova Scotia.Located on the Northumberland Strait northwest of the town of Pictou, Caribou is named after the Woodland Caribou which used to live in Nova Scotia until European settlers hunted the herds to extinction in the 19th century...
, NS, near the town of Pictou, however the PEI terminal was a source of controversy.
The deepest water on the PEI shore suitable for a ferry dock was located just inside the Kings County
Kings County, Prince Edward Island
Kings County is located in eastern Prince Edward Island, Canada.It is the province's smallest, most rural and least-populated county. Kings County is also least dependent upon the agriculture industry compared with the other two counties, while being more heavily dependent on the fishery and...
boundary in Little Sands, several kilometres east of Wood Islands. However, given that Dunning represented the riding of Queen's, Little Sands was rejected in favour of a terminal located at Wood Islands, to better help the residents of his district, despite its inferior water depth.
The federal government set about building a ferry port in the community's small harbour, dredging sand from the harbour bottom and constructing wharves. A new privately owned company, Northumberland Ferries Limited
Northumberland Ferries Limited
Northumberland Ferries Limited is a ferry company operating in eastern Canada and headquartered in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island...
, was established to operate the seasonal ferry service under license for the federal government, which retained ownership of the terminals and vessels.
Dunning left politics in 1939 but the ferry service was instituted nevertheless in 1941 and has continued uninterrupted under the NFL banner to the present day, using several used and new vessels over the decades. Today it remains the only ferry service to the mainland after Confederation Bridge
Confederation Bridge
The Confederation Bridge is a bridge spanning the Abegweit Passage of Northumberland Strait, linking Prince Edward Island with mainland New Brunswick, Canada. It was commonly referred to as the "Fixed Link" by residents of Prince Edward Island prior to its official naming. Construction took place...
opened in 1997. A major redevelopment of the Wood Islands terminal took place in the early 1990s before the new high capacity M/V Confederation entered service in 1993.
In 2004 the provincial government opened a new visitor information centre complex in the community at the intersection of Route 1 and Route 4, immediately north of the ferry terminal, replacing an older facility in the ferry terminal itself. This visitor information centre complex is operated by the Wood Islands and Area Development Corporation. Wood Islands is home to the 70-Mile Coastal Yard Sale held in September each year and the Mermaid Tears Sea Glass Festival held in July each year. T