Victoria_Park_Re port Final.pdf - City of Charlottetown

VICTORIA PARK COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN
Final Report • June 2013
Park Chronology & Archeological Assessment
The history of Prince Edward Island dates back to the earliest settlement by the
ancestors of the Mi’kmaq, who called the Island Epāgwĭt meaning “lying on the water”.
The first European contact with the Island may have occurred in the 12th and 13th
centuries with possible visits by Norse explorers. European explorer John Cabot left the
first clearly documented visit and named the island Saint John, although no claim was
made by the English at that time. Subsequently, the French laid claim to it in 1534, after
the voyages of Jacques Cartier.
The first known map of the Island was drawn by Samuel de Champlain in 1632, in
spite of the fact that Champlain did not actually visit himself, and likely derived his
information from European fisherman. Nicholas Denys described the Island in his
Description and Natural History of Acadia (1672). In spite of attempts by both Denys
and subsequently by Sieur Francoise Doublet to settle the Island, the first permanent
settlements did not occur until nearly 70 years later.
By the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, Acadia (much of modern mainland Nova Scotia, New
Brunswick and part of Maine), as well as Newfoundland was ceded to the British. As
a consequence, many Acadians relocated to Saint John (present-day Prince Edward
Island), which remained under French rule. In 1719, the Island was granted to Compte
de Saint Pierre, and the first permanent buildings were erected at Port-la-Joye (now
Charlottetown). Port-la-Joye was named the capital of the colony, although the
commercial capital would be situated at Havre Saint Pierre. By 1728, the census of Portla-Joye
listed 22 houses with a modest population of 105 people. Two years later, the
population was only marginally larger, at 114 people.
In 1730, the grant to Comte de Saint Pierre was revoked and the Island returned to the
King of France. This led to larger numbers of French and Acadian settlers arriving on
the island. Saint Pierre remained the most densely settled European area of the island
and roads were built between Three Rivers and Port-la-Joye on the south shore to
Saint Pierre on the north shore. However, during this period, Port-la-Joye’s population
continued to decrease, leading to the King of France directing the majority of his
resources into Saint Pierre.
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