This area will take you from Summerside to Charlottetown. Starting in Summerside, discover le Centre Belle-Alliance, home to La Voix Acadienne, PEI’s only French newspaper and home to many francophone community organizations including the Acadian and Francophone Society of PEI which is the official voice of Prince Edward Island’s Acadians and Francophones. Community members have frequent events at the centre so check out their calendar. There is also a beautiful French library there.
Head east towards Charlottetown and stop at the Tryon Museum. The story line of the museum features the visit of Indigenous people to the area 11,000 years ago, the Mi’kmaq along the Tryon River, arrival of the Acadians, and the later arrival of the Europeans. The Acadian display is in honor of those who settled along the Tryon River farming the saltmarsh and clearing land.
Then head north to Rustico, the oldest Acadian settlement in Prince Edward Island. On the way there stop in North Rustico and look out into the water at the beautiful bronze statue of a typical Acadian fisherman. You can easily spend a half day in the Rustico area visiting the Farmers bank Museum, the Doucet House, Saint-Augustin church and the lovely trails and scenery in the area. If you are lucky, you might arrive during one of the Making History Events at Farmers Bank and Doucet House where you get to sample traditional food and listen to great entertainers. Rustico is also home of Rendez-Vous Rustico, a festival which takes place at the end of July every year and that always features Lennie Gallant, son of the community.
Rustico is also home to one of PEI’s finest inns: the Barachois Inn. You can make this your night stop and feast in all that the north shore has to offer including yoga on the beach in the PEI National Park.
Steps away is the art gallery of local artist Karen Gallant. Her work is prized by collectors and is Inspired by the elements and rhythm of the Island landscape, people, nature, and local stories.
After your good night’s sleep, head towards Charlottetown but make a slight detour to Skmaqn–Port-la-Joye–Fort Amherst National Historic Site. Be sure to view the Acadian Odyssey monument commemorating the deportation and look for the site of the former homestead of Michel Haché-Gallant and his family.
Charlottetown is the home of the Carrefour de l’Isle-Saint-Jean, another community centre which hosts events, a library and many other services for the local francophone population.
Stop into the Confederation Centre of the Arts where exhibits both permanent and temporary often offer works by Acadian and Francophone Canadian artists. A real treat is the outdoor stage where there are often multi-cultural performances.