What to See in Prince Edward Island - Top Sights and Attractions

Historical landmark in Belfast, Prince Edward Island. The Point Prim Lighthouse is a lighthouse on Prince Edward Island, Canada. It is located at the end of Point Prim Road, also known as Route 209.

The lighthouse itself is 18.5 metres (60.7 feet) tall when measured from its foundation to the weathervane. It is made of brick and is circular—one of only two so constructed this way in Canada. The other is called Fisgard Lighthouse and is located in British Columbia.

There is a keeper's cottage situated to the southeast of the tower. It measures 19.5 metres (34 feet) by 4 metres (14 feet). Due to the small size of the cottage, the keeper normally lived in it alone. In the summer, however, his family would often come and stay with him.^[2]

Lighthouse in Belle River, Prince Edward Island. The Wood Islands Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse built by Joseph Tomlinson III situated on the southeastern shore of Prince Edward Island, located in the community of Wood Islands. The lighthouse is a well-preserved three storey tower with an adjoining 1+1⁄2-storey keeper's residence. The white shingled tower is topped by a red iron lantern, which is enclosed by a white railing on the observation deck. The red roof of the dwelling provides a striking contrast to the white shingled exterior of the dwelling.

It was one of the last three lights on Prince Edward Island to be fully automated, and the last where the keeper and his family lived. The lighthouse and residence are now open as a museum, with exhibits about the history of lighthouses, ferry service and fishing on the island, and includes a 1950s period kitchen and keeper's quarters.^[3]

The Farmers' Bank of Rustico operated in the village of South Rustico, Prince Edward Island, from 1864 to 1894. It is often considered to have been the first community-based bank in Canada. Founded and managed under the leadership of Father Georges-Antoine Belcourt, the Farmer's Bank of Rustico was established on April 21, 1863. The bank received Royal Assent for its act of incorporation at the Court of Windsor on April 7, 1864." The first president was farmer Jerome Doiron, and the first cashier was Marinus Blanchard, a local school teacher.

The Farmers' Bank "was the precursor of the North American credit union movement through its influence upon the pioneer credit union organizer, Alphonse Desjardins of Quebec." Like the later credit unions, the Farmers' Bank accepted deposits and provided loans, primarily for less than 1 year. It showed that villagers could successfully operate a financial institution without the assistance of banking experts. However, there are also important differences. The Bank issued its own currency and kept its working funds in specie. But it never built up a substantial reserve fund—preferring to return most of its annual profits to shareholders as dividends.

The Farmers' Bank was also one of the earliest manifestations of a strong movement of Acadian economic self-determination. Belcourt's innovative ideas also gave rise to dozens of seed grain banks in Acadian communities in the 1860s, including one in Egmont Bay that was a precursor to the later co-operative movement in the Evangeline region of the Island. The Bank also anticipated Mouvement des caisses populaires acadiennes, a 200,000 member network of credit unions in New Brunswick.

As such, it played an important role in the development of the Acadian community in the Maritimes. In the view of MacDonald, "the steady availability of cheap credit for thirty years enabled the predominantly Acadian community to attain economic independence." However, the Canadian Bank Act of 1871 did not envision such small financial institutions, and the Farmers' Bank wound up its operations when its charter was not renewed in 1894.^[5]

Historical landmark in Rocky Point, Prince Edward Island. Skmaqn–Port-la-Joye–Fort Amherst is a National Historic Site located in Rocky Point, Prince Edward Island.

This location has the double distinction of hosting one of the first Acadian settlements in present-day Prince Edward Island, as well as the first military fortification on the island while under control of France as well as the first military fortification on the island while under control of Britain.

From 1720 to 1770 Port-la-Joye, later named Fort Amherst, served as the seat of government and port of entry for settlers to the island while under both French and British control. As such, it played an important role as a colonial outpost in the French-British struggle for dominance in North America.

The site was designated a National Historic Site by Alvin Hamilton, the Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources, on May 27, 1958, on the advice of the national Historic Sites and Monuments Board. The property was acquired by the federal government in 1959, and the present visitor center opened in 1973. The site's name was changed from Port-la-Joye—Fort Amherst NHS to Skmaqn—Port-la-Joye—Fort Amherst NHS on February 16, 2018. The additional Mi’kmaq word means “the waiting place”, and is thought to originate between 1725 and 1758, "when Mi’kmaq and French leaders met annually at the site to renew their relationship and military alliance."^[6]

St. Simon & St. Jude Church, known colloquially as Tignish Church is a 19th-century Roman Catholic church located in Tignish parish, Prince Edward Island, Canada. As of 2006, it is the single largest church on Prince Edward Island, measuring 185 feet high. It can be clearly seen for 6 miles on flat land, and for many more miles at sea. It is perhaps most famous for its widely publicized apparition of Jesus event.

The church, along with the local post office, is one of the few original structures in Tignish remaining in excellent condition. Surrounding churches include Immaculate Conception Church located 6 miles SW of Tignish in Palmer Road, as well as Greenmount United Church located 5 miles S of Tignish. Many from outside the official parish, such as those in Palmer Road or Alberton parishes, will attend the church.^[8]