Celebrates Canada 150 - Prince Edward Island

Welcome to Prince Edward Island, also known as PEI. Prince Edward Island is one of the three Maritime Provinces; the Maritimes are Canada’s eastern Provinces. PEI is the smallest province in both land and population. PEI is an island located off the eastern coast of Canada, nestled between the provinces of New

Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. You may be wondering if it is an island how can I get there? There are three convenient ways to arrive on Prince Edward Island: drive across the dramatic Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick. The bridge is the longest bridge crossing ice-covered water in the world, 12.9km and takes about 10 minutes to cross. You can also take a ferry (boat ride) from Nova Scotia or arrive by plane. The landscape in PEI is remarkable; the coastline has a combination of long red-sand beaches, dunes, and red sandstone cliffs, which gives the province the reputation as a province of outstanding natural beauty. You will also find low rolling hills in the interior blanketed in trees or crops, especially potatoes, which the island is famous for. Small farms make up the island’s backbone; one quarter of it is dedicated to agriculture, more than 2,000 farms in all. The smaller, rural communities as well as the towns and villages throughout the island, retain a slower-paced, old world flavour. Prince Edward Island has become a popular tourist destination for relaxation. Click here to view a photo gallery of Prince Edward Island http://bit.ly/2f8ELJ9  

 

 

Fun Facts – Prince Edward Island 1. Date of entry into Confederation: Surprisingly, after having played such a

large role in the formation of Canada at the Charlottetown Conference in 1864, Prince Edward Island did not join Confederation until 1873 because it considered the original terms of 1867 unfavourable.

2. Where did Prince Edward Island get its name? The island was named Prince Edward in 1799 in honour of Queen Victoria’s father – Edward, Duke of Kent.

3. Capital: Charlottetown, the capital of Prince Edward Island, was named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III.

4. Population: 146, 283 (in 2014) 5. Provincial Flower: The provincial flower is the Lady’s Slipper. 6. Time Zone: Prince Edward Island is part of the Atlantic Time

zone, which means they are one hour ahead of us in Ontario, Canada. 7. Provincial Bird: Prince Edward Island’s provincial bird is the

Blue Jay. 8. There is no place on the island that is more than 16 kilometers

from the ocean. 9. The Confederation Bridge completed in 1997 joins PEI to New Brunswick. It

is the longest bridge in the world over ice-covered waters. It costs $46 round-trip.

10. Anne Of Green Gables, published in 1908, was written by PEI native, Lucy Maud Montgomery. It’s set in the province near Cavendish Beach. You can visit the house that inspired the book – now a National Historic Site.

11. Potatoes have been produced on PEI since as early as 1771. Today PEI grows a third of Canada’s potatoes.

12. French explorer Jacques Cartier discovered the island in 1534. As part of the French colony of Acadia, the island was called íŽle Saint-Jean.

13. PEI’s famous red soil gets its colour from the high iron content, which oxidizes when exposed to the air.

 

 

Play & Learn – Prince Edward Island Potatoes

Prince Edward Island is, without a doubt, potato country. The starchy vegetable has been farmed in P.E.I. since 1790, and potatoes are the province’s primary cash crop.

Prince Edward Island has such a rich history of growing potatoes because the province has near ideal growing conditions for its most famous crop. The red, sandy soil, rich in iron, is perfectly suited for potatoes, as it retains just the right amount of moisture during the growing season but is then effectively cleansed over the winter. Warm summers, cold winters and adequate annual rainfall result in excellent growing conditions with the right balance of heat, light, and water.

Grow your own Potatoes

What you need:

• Seed potatoes • A wide deep container • Soil

• Small pebbles • Wide glass or jar • Toothpicks

Click here for complete instructions http://bit.ly/2eoyfiY

Potato Stamping

Make your own potato stamps from potatoes - make shapes, numbers, alphabet letters or any other design you like. This versatile vegetable creates interesting prints on paper or fabric.

What you need:

• Potatoes • Knife • Cutting board

• Paint • Shallow plates • Paper or fabric

What to do:

1. Wash and dry potatoes. 2. Cut potatoes in half and then carve out the shape on the flat portion of the potato. 3. Dip in paints and stamp on paper or fabric to create a fun design.

 

 

Play & Learn – Prince Edward island The Red Shores of Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island is famous for its red soil. The red soil gets its colour from the high iron content, which oxidizes when exposed to the air.

Make your own red sand and play with it as if you were on a red sand beach in Prince Edward Island.

What you need:

• 4 cups cornstarch • 1 cup coconut oil • Red food colouring

What to do:

1. Add cornstarch to a medium/large bowl. 2. Melt coconut oil. 3. Add food colouring to melted coconut oil, whisk together. 4. Add coconut oil to the cornstarch. 5. Mix everything together with a fork and then with your hands. Once the moon sand

is fully mixed you can add more food colouring if you want. 6. Place wax paper or a tray on the table, dump the moon sand out and play. 7. Store in an airtight container when finished playing.

The Confederation Bridge

The confederation bridge is a toll bridge that connects New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The curved, 12.9 kilometer (8 mile) long bridge is the longest in the world crossing ice-covered water, and more than a decade after its construction, it endures as one of Canada’s top engineering achievements of the 20th century. What you need:

• Lego or Duplo blocks What to do:

1. Try and build the longest bridge you can.

PROVIDERS don’t forget to take pictures and send them in!

 

 

Reading Fun – Prince Edward Island

1. I is for Island: A Prince Edward Island Alphabet

by Hugh MacDonald

2. Apples and Butterflies: A Poem for Prince Edward Island

by Shaunty Grant and Tamara Heikalo

3. Lookbook!: A Children’s Guide to Prince Edward Island by

Jordan McIntyre

4. Island Morning by Rachna Gilmore

5. Anne of Green Gables: Stories for Young Readers by Deirdre

Kessler

 

 

Colouring Page – Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island’s flag was adopted on March 24, 1964.

• The top portion is a red rectangle with a gold lion.

• A white rectangle on the bottom has an oak tree and three saplings.

• The saplings represent the three counties of the province: King's, Queen's

and Prince.

• The flag is bordered on three sides by red and white stripes.

 

 

Colouring Page – Prince Edward Island The Confederation Bridge is a 12.0 km bridge that joins New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island. It is the longest bridge over ice-covered waters in the world.

 

 

Kids Kitchen – Prince Edward Island Potato Scones Prince Edward Island is, without a doubt, potato country. The Prince Edward Island Potato Board has many recipes that include potatoes. Potato scones are a popular one; the namesake ingredient – mashed P.E.I. potatoes – is key to keeping the scones moist. Ingredients: 1 2/3 cup/400 mL all purpose flour 2/3 cup/150 mL whole wheat flour 1 tsp/5 mL salt 4 tsp/20 mL baking powder 1/4 cup/50 mL white sugar 1/8 tsp/0.5 mL nutmeg 1/3 cup/75 mL butter 1/3 cup/75mL raisins and/or candied mixed fruit 3/4 cup/175 mL mashed PEI potato 1 whole egg 1 egg yolk 3/4 cup/175 mL milk 1 egg white, lightly beaten Granulated sugar Directions:

1. Combine flours, salt, baking powder, sugar and nutmeg in large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is the consistence of cornmeal. Stir in raisins and/or fruit. Combine potato, whole egg, yolk and milk in medium bowl. Whisk until no lumps remain. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add liquids all at once. Stir with fork to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. If necessary, add 1-2 tbsp more milk.

2. Press lightly into a ball and knead gently on floured surface about 6 times. Roll out

dough to 1/2-inch (1 cm) thickness; cut into triangles or rounds. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Brush with slightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 13-15 minutes or until golden. Makes 12-16 scones.

 

 

Souvenir Shop – Prince Edward Island Lighthouse

A lighthouse is a tower containing a beacon light to warn or guide ships at sea. If you love Lighthouses, you’ve come to the right place. Lighthouses of many shapes and sizes dot the coastline of Prince Edward Island; there are 45 lighthouses on the island. What you need:

• Red plastic cup • Smaller clear cup • Battery operated tea light • Scissors • Black construction paper • White tape or paint • Glue

What to do:

1. Place red cup upside down. Using white tape, make two parallel stripes on the cup.

2. Cut a door shape and two windows out of the black paper and glue them onto the lighthouse where you see fit.

3. Turn on the tea light and place it on the top of your lighthouse, which is the bottom of the red cup.

4. Place the clear plastic cup atop the lighthouse, over the tea light, upside down.

 

 

Postcard – Prince Edward Island A postcard is a card with a photo on one side and a space to write on the other side. People sometimes purchase postcards while on vacation; they either collect them or send them to someone back home.

Below outlines what a postcard consists of. Use the template on the following page and have children create their own postcard from Prince Edward Island. Cut it out, fold it in half and glue the two sides together so it becomes a two-sided card.

Stamp

Addressee

Message:

Summarize the event, location, etc.

Using:

• Who? • What? • Where? • When?

Front:

Illustrate the event, person, place, or location. This can be hand drawn or use cut outs.