Summerside, Prince Edward Island Totally Explained

Summerside (2006 pop. 14,500(External Link)) is a Canadian city in Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is the second largest city in the province and the principal municipality for the western part of the island. Summerside was officially incorporated as a town on April 1, 1877 and reincorporated as a city on April 1, 1995.

Geography

Summerside's waterfront is situated on Summerside Harbour along the island's southern shore fronting the Northumberland Strait. The city occupies 28.36 square kilometres on a 4 km wide isthmus separating the Northumberland Strait from Malpeque Bay, a sub basin of the Gulf of St. Lawrence; this is the narrowest part of Prince Edward Island.

History

The land occupied by the present city was settled by members of the Mi'kmaq Nation for centuries. The first settlers of European descent would have been a limited number of Acadians during the early 1700s. The community saw its first permanent European settlement in 1840 when a wharf was constructed and a road was built to St. Eleanors, which was then the shire town of Prince County (after the failed settlement at Princetown). Joseph Pope soon built a shipyard at the wharf, and the town began to grow.
The arrival of the Prince Edward Island Railway in 1872 saw Summerside became a seaport connecting Prince Edward Island with steamship service to mainland railway connections at Shediac, New Brunswick. The port grew into an important import/export facility for all manner of consumer goods, as well as the Island's agricultural exports such as potatoes.
Shipbuilding went into decline by the early 20th century and Summerside transitioned to become a service centre for the trading of fox pelts. The town grew during the 1940s after the Royal Canadian Air Force built RCAF Station Summerside on the outskirts of the town. The base (renamed CFB Summerside in 1968) closed in 1991 and has been converted into a business park named Slemon Park. The federal, provincial, and municipal governments have undertaken community economic development initiatives in an effort to diversify the regional economy. The community's reincorporation in 1995 coincided with municipal amalgamation which saw the adjacent communities of Wilmot, St. Eleanors and Sherbrooke merged with the larger town to form the new city.

Attractions

The Summerside Raceway

is a standard bred harness racing track which is adjacent to the Summerside Wellness Centre

, a community sport and fitness facility. Other attractions include the College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts

, the Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club

, the Summerside Golf & Country Club

, the PEI Sports Hall of Fame

and Spinnaker's Landing

.
The city has recently incorporated several waterfront industrial sites that were abandoned by the railway and marine terminal during the 1990s into new parkland. A major reconstruction of the west end seawall has resulted in a new boardwalk for residents and visitors along the waterfront.

Economy

Large employers in the city include the Summerside tax centre, from which the Canada Revenue Agency administers the Goods and Services Tax (or GST). Atlantic Turbines

, which manufactures and repair parts for aircraft is an important employer in the Slemon Park business park. Slemon Park also includes other large employers including Testori Americas

and Honeywell

Engines and Systems. The neighbouring community of New Annan is home to two large Cavendish Farms

frozen foods processing plants which is the province's largest private sector employer.
Summerside has been aggressive in courting new business opportunities and has created an Economic Development Office for the purpose of encouraging investment in the city. Visit investinsummerside.com

for more details.

Neighbourhoods

The city's neighborhoods vary from working class (especially in the outlying regions) to upscale and affluent (near the downtown area and parts of the suburban areas). A number of stately Victorian homes near downtown have been converted into bed-and-breakfast businesses. Summerside is well known throughout Canada for its splendid nineteenth century and early twentieth century residential architecture.

Medical Services

The city is home to the Prince County Hospital

, the second largest hospital in the province.

Education

Summerside's public schools include four elementary schools (Elm Street

, Greenfield

, Parkside

and Athena Consolidated

), two middle schools (Summerside Intermediate

and Athena Consolidated), and one high school (Three Oaks

). Holland College maintains two campuses in Summerside, one in the downtown core which includes a marine training centre, and another in the Slemon Park business park which includes the Atlantic Police Academy.

Government

Basil Stewart, a former police officer, is the current mayor of Summerside. He won his eighth consecutive term in November, 2006 and has held the office for over 2 decades.

Trivia

Summerside is home to current NHL player Steve Ott and former hockey player John Chabot.

Summerside is also the birthplace of former NHL players Gerard Gallant and Errol Thompson, as well as former Columbus Blue Jackets GM/coach and current Tampa Bay Lightning co-owner Doug MacLean.

Summerside the hometown of current Canadian recording artist Nathan Wiley.

The Summerside area was at one time home to the world's largest concentration of Silver Fox farms. This is highlighted at the Silver Fox Museum.

External results

Click here for more details on Summerside Prince Edward Island

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