Irish Settlers Memorial Charlottetown PEI

When we visited PEI in February 2010, we had a chance to do lots of walking and quite by accident stumbled onto the Irish Settlers Memorial.

The memorial reads as follows:

“The Irish Settlers Memorial honours over ten thousand early immigrants to this island. The granite Celtic cross symbolizes both Ireland and Christianity. The circular terrace embraces thirty-two flagstones. Distinctive relics imported from each of the counties where the settlers had originated. The Memorial faces the harbour at Three Tides, where the Immigrants entered upon their new lives.

The Celtic Heritage Assoc. for P.E.I. –  Canada Day 2001.”

Barry's family came to the Island about 1800 from Ireland, so it was a great to find this monument. Life for Irish immigrants couldn't have been easy - and from the family research I have done, they left their families and encountered many challenges trying to begin a new life in Canada, including fighting stereotypes about the Irish. I hope the descendants of those families are not only tolerant of new Canadians, but accepting as well - remembering the struggle of those who came to PEI to make a better life.

Barry at Three Tides Harbour