Weird and Wonderful Places to Visit on PEI
Prince Edward Island is the smallest province of Canada, cradled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and tucked in close to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It’s a beautiful island known for its seafood, farming, and the red-headed literary figure Anne of Green Gables. It’s also where I was born and raised — but it’s still full of new places to explore and sights unseen.
Every summer, my husband and I try to visit at least one new place on the Island that we haven’t been to before. After three years of this, I wanted to share some of the sights we’ve seen. Some are wonderful, some are weird, and some are a little bit of both.
Mi’kmaq Cultural Center | Wonderful
Found on the Lennox Island First Nation, the Mi’kmaq Cultural Center offers insight into the lives and history of those who called PEI home first. According to the Lennox Island website, the center officially opened in the year 2000.[1] Through displays and photographs, the center explores Mi’kmaq history, language, and spirituality up to the present day, promoting the culture in a positive manner.[1] Whether you’re visiting the Island for the first time, a regular visitor, or have lived there your whole life, I think it’s incredibly important to learn about our indigenous people and show them respect and support. Visiting the Mi’kmaq Cultural Centre is a good step in that direction.
Bottle Houses | Weird and Wonderful
These are exactly what the name implies — houses made from bottles. They’re a strange and beautiful sight, rich in history and artistry. Construction of these houses began in 1980, using recycled bottles from restaurants, dance halls, and friends and family of Édouard T. Arsenault, who was inspired to begin the project by a postcard his daughter had sent from British Columbia featuring a photograph of a glass castle.[2] Between 1980 and 1984, Arsenault constructed three buildings using over 25,000 bottles.[2]
Today, it’s a popular tourist sight. The colourful glass houses are gorgeous in daylight and make for some truly amazing photos.
Ripley’s Museum | Weird
The Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium in Cavendish, PEI is one of only three Ripley’s sites in Canada. True to its name, it’s filled with all kinds of oddities from all around the world — shrunken heads, a life-size replica of the tallest man known to live, a Transformer made of car parts, and a miniscule painting of Anne of Green Gables on a single grain of rice. There’s tons to see and lots of interactive elements, and it’s a fascinating place to visit no matter how old or young you are.
Singing Sands | Weird and Wonderful
In Basin Head, PEI, there is a stretch of shoreline where the white sands sing. Well, maybe sing isn’t the best word — they squeak. It can be hard to hear when you first step on the beach, especially if you go during peak season when the area is crowded, but if you take a walk to get away from the noise of kids playing in the water and you pause to stamp and drag your feet through the sand, you’ll hear very distinct squeaking from the sand. The sound is caused by “the high amount of silica and quartz in the sand.”[3]
If you visit this beach, you’ll also be treated to a beautiful ocean, red sandstone cliffs, the boardwalk with its giftshops and places to eat, and “the run”, where people jump off a walking bridge into the water.[3] This all makes it a great place to relax among gorgeous scenery, run wild, or maybe a do bit of both.
Butterfly House | Wonderful
This little greenhouse-like structure is home to dozens of butterflies and is part of the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company. Not only is it breathtaking to be surrounded by so many colours and varieties of butterflies, but the room is laid out with little tables, which have plates of sliced fruit that visitors can use to try attracting some butterflies to themselves. Even better, the entry fee is donated to rainforest preservation, so while you may have gone in for some cool photos, your visit will also be helping make the world a little bit better.
References:
1. Jamie Thomas. “Attractions — Cultural Centre.” Lennox Island. Retrieved December 3, 2019 (http://lennoxisland.com/attractions/cultural-centre/).
2. The Bottle Houses. “Our Story.” Retrieved December 3, 2019 (https://bottlehouses.com/our-story).
3. Basin Head PEI. “Basin Head Beach.” Retrieved December 3, 2019 (https://www.basinhead.com/singing-sands.html).
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Originally published to Vocal in 2019.
