PEI’s less travelled shore
It’s been said that one’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. This really hit home when my husband and I spent time on the North Cape Coastal Drive in Prince Edward Island.
Our plan was pretty basic: head to Tignish , settle in at the Tignish Heritage Inn and Gardens, known locally as the Convent Inn, then proceed to follow our nose and do as much (or as little) as we pleased.
The first thing that struck me about this end of the province is how laid back and relaxed it is. Unlike some places on the Island, which can be busy and intense (albeit fun), this region has a gentle, almost sleepy air about it. You might say it’s a bit old-fashioned.
For starters, there are no big box stores and national fast food outlets in the region. How refreshing! And the beauty of staying at the inn is that it’s centrally located in the northern tip of the province, within minutes of coastal drives on both sides. So it was easy to pack a lunch and take day trips in any direction. We loved going to M.J.’s Bakery close by, as it also has a small café. Every day features a surprise special such as chicken pot pie or home-made pizza, along with pretty amazing subs and sandwiches to take out.
The Inn is also next door to the St. Simon and St. Jude Catholic Church erected in 1860. The handsome brick church is home to an 1882 tracker-action pipe organ built by Louis Mitchell, a world-famous organ builder.
Because the organ’s moving parts are made of wood, over the years, it’s been subject to some deterioration. At one point, mice punctured the leather on the bellows. Back in the early 1950s, the person who was hired to fix the organ (and given a substantial sum of money to purchase new bellows) hightailed it—never to return.
Eventually, it was restored (more than once) and has been kept in good shape. In fact, accomplished organists visit Tignish and give organ recitals on Wednesday afternoons. Alas, we missed the performance by two days—good reason to return!
One afternoon, we were lucky enough to meet up with Cindy Brennan and her family at Seacow Pond. They’ve been harvesting Irish moss from shores on the north coast in the traditional way, using horses hauling large metal scoops, rakes, and “glooms” (smaller scoops used by people).
Cindy explained that the best hauls come in after a storm, when the moss washes up close to shore. Horses drag the moss to shore, where it’s placed in piles, loaded onto a truck and transported to a field where the moss is then spread out to dry.
I was mesmerized watching King, the big black horse, as he dragged the shore. King clearly loved his job and made things easy for Cindy’s son, Alex, as the horse knew exactly where to go and what to do. Even the dog enjoyed the excursion. These three were poetry in motion.
Frequently, while driving, it’s common to see people raking/drying moss in their driveways and they are always happy to yarn with visitors. That’s how we learned about a gob-smacking beach on the upper west side close to Skinners Pond.
We were looking for a secluded place to hike along the shore, and were directed to take the Arsenault Road off Route 14—a short side road which turned out to be loaded with cat-o’-nine-tails, purple loosestrife and Queen Anne’s lace. At the end of the lane, we knocked on someone’s door to ask permission to park. The owner grinned and said, “Sure! And be sure to watch for the eagles. They’ve been cruising around lately.”
Barrie and I didn’t see any eagles, but … the beach! It was so long, we couldn’t see the end of it in either direction. There wasn’t a single other soul there. Later, driving through Skinners Pond, we came upon a one-room schoolhouse. It’s not only the oldest school in PEI, it’s also where Stompin’ Tom Connors attended school back in the 1940s. My only regret is that it was closed. What fun it would have been to go inside.
Further along, we ventured into Miminegash to check out the wharves where we’d heard that fishermen’s colourful buoys are a feast for the eyes. We weren’t disappointed. Then we made a beeline for O’Leary and The* Canadian Potato Museum*, hoping to get in before it closed—which we did, with plenty of time to spare.
I never thought the lowly potato (and the history of potato farming) could be so interesting. Bonus: the on-site Country Kitchen features everything potato where we chowed down on chili fries, a “loaded” potato, ice cream and potato fudge. (See left for more potato recipes.)
Another day we headed to the very tip of the island to tour the North Cape Interpretive Centre and learned a lot about wind power. It’s a fascinating story and the centre has some interesting learning stations. Outside are lots of hiking trails and footpaths leading around the wind turbines and along the shore. At one spot we were surprised to discover scores of inukshuks that visitors had made during the summer.
Enroute back through Seacow Pond we met Joe Dorgan, a retired dairy farmer who started a new business making compost from Irish moss. Joe and his two Corgis were most entertaining and we loved hearing him talk about his research and the compost-making process. Had we stayed much longer, Barrie and I may have applied for a job as it all sounded so interesting. This summer, Joe’s company— North Atlantic Organics —will be in full swing. Guess what photo is featured on his bags of compost? None other than Alex Brennan and King, hauling moss to shore.
Following our noses gave us plenty of opportunity to find a “new way of seeing things.” It’s all about meeting people, striking up conversations, and going with the flow—the old fashioned way.