Prince Edward Island Museum & Heritage Foundation
2 Kent Street C1A 1M6 Charlottetown, PE, Canada

Looking for some reading while you digest your Thanksgiving meal? Look no further! We've got all the latest news in our PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation newsletter!: https://mailchi.mp//pei-museum-heritage-foundation-novembe

The spark of a train engine set Summerside ablaze #OTD in 1906. Starting in a P.E.I. Railway freight shed, the fire burned diagonally across town towards the courthouse. The inferno scorched a path two city blocks wide. Citizens and firemen jumped into action, forming bucket brigades and spraying the fire with a horse-drawn fire engine. People were rescued from their homes, with some carried out in their own beds. In the end, one-hundred-fifty-five buildings were leveled, m...any of which were residential. Due to the heroic actions of citizens and firemen not a single life was lost! Image one credit: Macnaught history centre and archives MMHCA013.3 (Peter Pope coll.) Image two credit: Macnaught history centre and archives MHCA018.145 (SAHS coll.)

Tonight is the night! Enjoy an Eerie Evening at Beaconsfield Historic House from 5pm-7pm as part of Discover Charlottetown's Scarecrow Festival. The house is decked in mourning, so come learn about the dark side of Victorian era Charlottetown...if you dare

Summer is over, and Halloween is now just around the corner - what better way to mark the spookiest season of the year than with a ghost tour of Beaconsfield Historic House? This October, come and explore the dark side of Beaconsfield. Find out what phantoms and spectres lurk in the house's shadowy corners, and discover the macabre and spiritual side of Victorian life (and death) on Prince Edward Island. Tours are being offered on Friday and Saturday this weekend and next we...ekend, as part of Charlottetown's Scarecrow Festival! Tours run every half-hour from 5pm until 9 pm. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for students and seniors, and $5 for Foundation members. A special rate of $20 for a family of four is also offered. Parental guidance for children under 12 is recommended. https://www.discovercharlottetown.com//erie-evening-at-be/

Do you know the tragic (and spooky) story of the Fairy Queen? Let us tell you a tale of seas, ships and the supernatural.... The Fairy Queen was a steam ship that carried passengers and mail between Charlottetown and Pictou County, Nova Scotiaand on this very day in 1853, it sank, taking seven lives with it to the bottom of the Northumberland Strait. Four of those ill-fated passengers were congregants of the Kirk of St. James, here in Charlottetown. But the story doesn’t end there. In fact, it’s just getting startedand just getting spooky! We’ll let our good friend Dr. Ed MacDonald, Professor of History at UPEI, take it from here:

Did you know that you don’t need our physical Education Kits to teach your students about Island history? For today’s #EducationCorner, we’re showing you our virtual options! Go check out our website to learn more! https://sites.google.com//gr-1-3-individual-lesson-plans-c We have slideshows (with embedded notes for the teacher), worksheets, and more that you can download for your class!

Did you know Samuel Holland completed his survey of PEI on this day in 1765? Travelling by dog sledge and canoe, Holland divided nearly all of the Island into 67 parcels of land, called lots. Then, two years later, almost all of those lots were handed out to members of Britain’s military and political elite at a land lottery in England. Holland’s survey and the resulting land lottery were both done without consulting, or even acknowledging, the Island’s Mi’kmaq and Acadia...n communities. What’s more, the land lottery led to a century of tension (and occasional violence) between landlords and tenants. Tenants were frustrated that they could not buy the land they lived on and instead had to pay rent forever. It didn’t help things that many landlords did not even live on PEI - Holland himself continued to collect income from the land granted to him in Lot 28, even after leaving the Island in 1769. Another lasting legacy of Holland’s survey is many Island place names; to this day, we still use names first outlined by Holland’s 1765 survey, such as Prince, Queens and Kings Counties, and even Charlottetown. Image of Holland’s map credit ofLibrary and Archives Canada Item ID Number 3705866.

On #WorldTeachersDay we not only celebrate the teachers who have helped shape our lives, but also acknowledge their fight for better working conditions and fair wages. In 1880, 138 teachers from across P.E.I. met at Prince Street School (pictured,1913) in downtown Charlottetown. They formed what is now the Prince Edward Island Teachers' Federation. Over the years the group has worked to improve conditions for teachers, and the education system in general. For example in 1929 teachers went on strike. They on average made less than $9,000 a year (in today’s currency), so who could blame them. Today, take a moment to think of the teachers who have made a difference in your life. After all, you were able to read this.

Know someone that goes above and beyond to preserve, research, or write about local heritage? Why not nominate them for a Heritage Award?! Every year the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation recognizes the contributions of Islanders to local heritage through categories such as architecture, architectural preservation, writing, genealogy, and natural history. Visit our website for more information on Heritage Award categories and eligibility. The deadline for nominations is November 30th. https://www.peimuseum.ca/about-us/pei-museum-heritage-awards

It’s time for #ArtifactoftheWeek! Now, how much controversy could a little hip-shakin’ and F-word saying bring? Well on P.E.I. in 1987, a lot. Premiering at the Charlottetown Festival Are You Lonesome Tonight chronicled the rise and fall of Elvis Presley. The use of the F-word 17 times, coupled with The King’s trademark pelvic thrusts, caused then chairman of the board and future premier, Catherine Callbeck to resign. The content prompted petitions and letters to the editor. Despite the controversy, "Are You Lonesome Tonight" broke every box-office record for a new production in The Charlottetown Festival’s history. I guess you could say Islanders had a-hunka-hunka burnin’ love for this musical.

Today, October 1st, is Treaty Day marking 260 years since the Peace and Friendship Treaties between Indigenous Mi’kmaq and British settlers. These were the first formal agreements between the Mi’kmaq and European settlers as previous relations between the Mi’kmaq and French had been based on mutual respect and military alliance. The signing of these Treaties were done with the intention of ending hostilities between Mi’kmaq and British forces, with guarantee that the Britis...h would not interference with Mi’kmaq hunting, fishing and harvesting throughout their traditional land. The focus of these Treaties was on peace and the continuing success of both British and Mi’kmaq nations. Knowing this regional history is more important than ever. While established in the past, these Treaties continue to impact Indigenous and settler communities today. Similar Peace and Friendship Treaties were signed between British authorities and Indigenous communities across Canada. This image is of a Peace and Friendship Treaty between Sir William Johnson, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Northern Department of North America and four chiefs representing the Hurons of Detroit signed at Niagara in 1764. Image credit: Library and Archives Canada MG19-F31, R7968-0-X-E. Volume/box number: 1, 2.

Happy #InternationalPodcastDay!! Did you know that WE have a podcast? Check it out here: https://pod.link/1527570851

#EducationCorner is back! This grade 2 lesson shows students how plastic has changed our world and the unintended consequences that came with plastic - like the effects on our oceans and sea animals. Since it’s been a while since our first #EducationCorner (time flies!), here’s the link to our all our Education Kits: https://sites.google.com/view/peiheritageeducationkits/home. You can find this lesson on there, too!