"Prince Edward Island, also referred to as PEI, is an island province situated off the east coast of Canada. It is Canada's smallest province having a winter population of only 140,000 people and being of a size that you can drive tip to tip in a day. It is characterized by an English-style countryside of rolling, grassy lands, is predominately rural in nature, and well-known for friendly, somewhat laid-back residents.
Although PEI is recognized for its quieter lifestyle, and indeed that is part of its charm, PEI is still not without interesting activities for full-year and summer residents and for the abundance of tourists who visit the island. The island's population in summer swells from the 140,000 winter residents to approximately a million people on the island at any one time.
Most come for the beaches, as PEI has some of the warmest summer water temperatures north of Florida, as well as lobster suppers, deep-sea fishing, amazing concerts and festivals, good people and good times. PEI, dubbed ""the gentle island"" fills the needs of those who experience the city hustle all year and want a quieter but active vacation.
Of course PEI being an island, and being blessed with those inlets, rivers and bays that make possible the Malpeque oyster as well as the scenic location, also create a larger than expected amount of waterfront land. Many take advantage of this, building summer homes and cottages, and come to island as regular summer residents. PEI can offer much the same scenery, shopping, activities and charm as Martha's Vineyard, while costs to purchase land on PEI remain a fraction of the costs associated with many other waterfront resort areas.
PEI's economy is driven by tourism, agriculture and particularly potatoes, as well as assorted manufacturing and processing, and a growing IT and aerospace industry. While predominately rural, there are areas on the island for industry including Slemon Park, a former military base in Summerside, and industrial parks in Charlottetown and Borden. PEI is connected to the mainland by the 13 km Confederation Bridge as well as having regular air service into Charlottetown Airport by Air Canada, Westjet and a growing number of other carriers.
PEI is a developing province and now is a good time to get in on the ground floor. Opportunities are plentiful, the people are friendly and there is safety and security to raise a family. This is a place where neighbours know each other and care!
