Prince Edward Island - Part 3
Meanwhile, we wandered around the very beautiful western part of PEI, up to the north west tip where the Wind Energy Institute of Canada is located. There are huge wind farms with so many windmills of various shapes and sizes that you lose count. Fascinating.
We saw wind turbines in various places during the trip, especially in the Maritimes and the tiny bit of the GaspĂ© peninsula which we travelled along. Like solar energy, it’s as renewable and long-lived as we’re likely to see in human lifetimes. There are controversies about noise, effects on birds, and other matters, though. The other great energy source which remains largely untapped is tidal energy, being studied at FORCE, the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy. Unfortunately, weather and timing didn’t allow us to explore that energy source. Guess we’ll have to go back another time to learn about that!! ;-)
Meanwhile, we wandered around the very beautiful western part of PEI, up to the north west tip where the Wind Energy Institute of Canada is located. There are huge wind farms with so many windmills of various shapes and sizes that you lose count. Fascinating.
We saw wind turbines in various places during the trip, especially in the Maritimes and the tiny bit of the GaspĂ© peninsula which we travelled along. Like solar energy, it’s as renewable and long-lived as we’re likely to see in human lifetimes. There are controversies about noise, effects on birds, and other matters, though. The other great energy source which remains largely untapped is tidal energy, being studied at FORCE, the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy. Unfortunately, weather and timing didn’t allow us to explore that energy source. Guess we’ll have to go back another time to learn about that!! ;-)
As you probably know, PEI is now reached via a long bridge from New Brunswick -- back when Shamir last visited, you could only get there by ferry or plane! The engineering behind the bridge is an astonishing and frankly quite beautiful achievement. The result is an extremely efficient way to get back and forth from the mainland to PEI.
We hear Newfoundland keeps toying with a similar concept, but a lot more road work would be needed on the Quebec side of the north shore of the St. Lawrence before that were even vaguely feasible.
We decided that we had to check out the one tourist destination on the Island which draws perhaps the largest crowds from furthest away -- Japan. That would, of course, be Green Gables, the home of Lucy Maud Montgomery's beloved Anne of Green Gables. It's fascinating that many Japanese have really taken to this story. The visit proved enjoyable despite the many tourists, as was the lovely Cavendish Beach nearby ... though rain fell heavily on Cavendish and its famous red cliffs as we were leaving.
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| Gotta love the curious little guy at the door! |
One way or another, PEI is well worth visiting, for its genteel, idyllic farm scenery, picturesque landscapes throughout, and remarkably active arts and music scenes.
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| A COWS salute to the people's performer, Stompin' Tom Connors, who passed away earlier in 2013 ... and whose beloved song Bud the Spud keeps PEI in our hearts and minds. |
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