Alberton, Prince Edward Island
Encyclopedia
Alberton is a Canadian
town located in the western part of Prince County
, Prince Edward Island
. It is situated in the township of Lot 5
.
Alberton is a service center for local fishing and farming communities, and is adjacent to the community and harbour of Northport
.
recorded making landfall at nearby Cape Kildare during his journey of discovery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and St. Lawrence River. Acadians settled on the island in small numbers through the 17th and 18th centuries but only moved in greater numbers to the western part of Ile-Saint-Jean and specifically north of present-day Alberton to the Tignish area following their explusion
by British military forces in the late 1750s.
Following British victory over France, the island's sovereignty passed to Britain
in 1763. In 1765, Captain Samuel Holland
surveyed the island and the British government instituted a feudal system of land ownership. The township of Lot 5, which contains present-day Alberton, was granted to Edward Lewis
, a British Member of Parliament
in the 1767 land lottery.
Alberton later began to be settled in the 1780s after Lewis made plans for a small trading town called "Lewis Town", It was established in June 1788 and was first populated by local Acadians who had escaped expulsion three decades before British settlements. Scottish
and Devonshire settlers were brought in by Lewis to settle his township.
A local shipbuilding
industry and lumber trade brought prosperity to the town throughout the 1800s, although this went into decline as more forested areas were lost to agriculture, on account of the excellent soils in the area.
The community underwent several name and location changes; it had originally been located at the mouth of the harbor (now the location of Northport
) and is now located approximately 2 kilometers west of the harbor. The shipbuilding, lumber and shipping industries had resulted in a sustainable community which was a major trade center in western Prince County. In 1862, it was named in honor of Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales
, who later became King Edward VII and who had visited Prince Edward Island in 1860. The community was named Alberton on June 27, 1862.
was constructed, making the port at Alberton (Northport) its western terminus. It connected Alberton with communities to the east such as O'Leary
, Summerside
, Charlottetown, Georgetown
and Souris
.
The western terminus was subsequently extended further from Alberton to Tignish in a sharp diversion just east of the Alberton passenger station, where a wye
was constructed and a small railway yard, leading to the spur to Northport. Alberton went into its own terminus during this period, with various mills, manufacturing businesses, stores and services. The community became a village in 1878, and became home to a court house and justice center for western Prince County that year.
Alberton became the center of the worldwide silver fox
industry when Charles Dalton
and Robert Oulton began farming the fur-bearing animals near the town in 1894, bringing tremendous prosperity to town residents and business owners. Despite a fire that devastated part of the town the following year, Alberton quickly reflected its growing economic importance of the village. The railway constructed a new passenger station for Alberton in the early 1900s entirely out of stone, one of only two such stations on the island (the other being in Kensington
).
The fox farming industry brought increased growth in the population and tax base for the community, which resulted in an upgrade from village status, becoming an incorporated town in May 1913. Silver fox farming remained profitable through the 1940s. Many distinctive houses in the community are a reminder of the fortunes that were made during this period.
The Western Hospital was constructed in 1945 and was the first hospital built west of Summerside. The public library opened in 1951, followed by the federal government building in 1962 and the Jacques Cartier Arena and a community museum in 1964. The Maplewood Manor nursing home opened in 1967.
, and is situated along the north shore of the island, fronting the open Gulf of St. Lawrence. It has a land area of approximately 5 square kilometres (1.9 sq mi).
(Köppen
Dfb).
Fishing
The fishing industry in the adjacent community of Northport is a significant economic activity, with landings by fishing boats totalling 3 million kilograms of species such as American lobster
, mussel
s, snow crab, soft shell clams, cod
, herring
, American plaice
, mackerel
, sea scallop, yellowtail, eel
, winter flounder
, smelt, rock crab, tomcod, silversides
, porbeagle
, and blue shark
.
Source: 1996, DFO
Agriculture
The agriculture industry in areas surrounding Alberton is dominated by potato
farmers growing table stock for use in french fries, potato chips or cooking, although a significant number of seed growers are in the area as well.
(gr. 10-12, 748 students), both being located in nearby communities.
Desantis Learning Inc. at the West Prince Industrial Centre is listed as a provincial training institution. The Western Development Corporation offers
entrepreneurial courses, management trainee courses, and numerous adult basic education programs.
scenic route. The town is several kilometers northeast of Route 2, the main provincial east-west secondary highway. Alberton Harbor in Northport is administered by the small craft harbors division of the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Alberton has a Community Access Program
(CAP) Site, located in the town hall. Residents can earn available time on the computer and access the internet. Computer facilities are also available at the Opportunity Center and at the library.
Recreation
The town has an active Recreation Department, which publishes an "Activity Flyer" of programs each spring and fall. A wide variety of activities are offered for all ages, including aerobics
and training, art classes, craft fairs, bowling league
s and club, boxing club, "boxercise", darts
, card
s, karaoke
, bingo
, basketball
, badminton
, volleyball
, walking club, gymnastics
, preschool activities group, swimming (at Mill River Aquaplex), ice skating
, figure skating
, minor hockey
, recreational hockey, boys and girls softball
and soccer. The department coordinates with many community
organizations to deliver the programs.
The town is in close proximity to three provincial parks: Mill River Provincial Park
, Bloomfield Provincial Park
, and Jacques Cartier Provincial Park
. It is also located on the Confederation Trail
for walking, running and bicycling in the summer.
The area offers opportunities for recreational fishing at Gallant's Pond, Arsenault's Pond, Blanchard's Pond, Gordon's Pond, Warren's Pond, Black
Pond, Leard's Pond, MacAusland's Pond, Livingstone's Pond, Mill River Bridge,
Cain's Brook, Miminegash River, Little Tignish River, the Old Dam Site on the
Mill River, the Trout River, and the Little and Big Pierre Jacques Rivers. Atlantic Salmon can also be fished (using a fly) in Leard's Pond and Trout River after the middle of June.
Historic Sites
The Alberton Court House was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1981. It has housed the Alberton Museum since 1980 and contains various displays from its collection pertaining to the area.
The town park contains a monument to the pioneers of silver fox farming, Robert Oulton and Charles Dalton.
The Joe O'Brien Museum is just outside of the town of Alberton. O'Brien, born and raised in Alberton, went on to become one of harness racings most well-known figures. Standardbred Canada honoured his achievements by naming their annual awards after him.
Facilities
Facilities include:
Events
Churches
Alberton has seven churches:
The West Prince Graphic is a weekly newspaper serving the western part of Prince County and is published locally.
A bi-weekly advertising newspaper called the Penny Saver is published and distributed to all the residents of Western PEI.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
town located in the western part of Prince County
Prince County, Prince Edward Island
Prince County, is located in western Prince Edward Island, Canada. The county's defining geographic feature is Malpeque Bay, a sub-basin of the Gulf of St...
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
. It is situated in the township of Lot 5
Lot 5, Prince Edward Island
Lot 5 is a township in Prince County, Prince Edward Island, Canada. It is part of Egmont Parish....
.
Alberton is a service center for local fishing and farming communities, and is adjacent to the community and harbour of Northport
Northport, Prince Edward Island
Northport is a settlement in Prince Edward Island....
.
History
The town was long settled by the Mi'kmaq Nation. Europeans first ventured near Alberton in 1534 when French explorer Jacques CartierJacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier was a French explorer of Breton origin who claimed what is now Canada for France. He was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named "The Country of Canadas", after the Iroquois names for the two big...
recorded making landfall at nearby Cape Kildare during his journey of discovery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and St. Lawrence River. Acadians settled on the island in small numbers through the 17th and 18th centuries but only moved in greater numbers to the western part of Ile-Saint-Jean and specifically north of present-day Alberton to the Tignish area following their explusion
Great Upheaval
The Expulsion of the Acadians was the forced removal by the British of the Acadian people from present day Canadian Maritime provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island...
by British military forces in the late 1750s.
Following British victory over France, the island's sovereignty passed to Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
in 1763. In 1765, Captain Samuel Holland
Samuel Holland
Samuel Johannes Holland was a Royal Engineer and first Surveyor General of British North America.-Life in the Netherlands:...
surveyed the island and the British government instituted a feudal system of land ownership. The township of Lot 5, which contains present-day Alberton, was granted to Edward Lewis
Edward Lewis (Radnor MP)
Edward Lewis was a British politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Radnor, 1761–1768, 1769–1774 and 1775–1790....
, a British Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in the 1767 land lottery.
Alberton later began to be settled in the 1780s after Lewis made plans for a small trading town called "Lewis Town", It was established in June 1788 and was first populated by local Acadians who had escaped expulsion three decades before British settlements. Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
and Devonshire settlers were brought in by Lewis to settle his township.
A local shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
industry and lumber trade brought prosperity to the town throughout the 1800s, although this went into decline as more forested areas were lost to agriculture, on account of the excellent soils in the area.
The community underwent several name and location changes; it had originally been located at the mouth of the harbor (now the location of Northport
Northport, Prince Edward Island
Northport is a settlement in Prince Edward Island....
) and is now located approximately 2 kilometers west of the harbor. The shipbuilding, lumber and shipping industries had resulted in a sustainable community which was a major trade center in western Prince County. In 1862, it was named in honor of Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, who later became King Edward VII and who had visited Prince Edward Island in 1860. The community was named Alberton on June 27, 1862.
Railways and other constructions
In 1872, the Prince Edward Island RailwayPrince Edward Island Railway
The Prince Edward Island Railway was a historic Canadian railway.-Construction:Located wholly within the province of Prince Edward Island, construction of the PEIR started in 1871, financed by the United Kingdom...
was constructed, making the port at Alberton (Northport) its western terminus. It connected Alberton with communities to the east such as O'Leary
O'Leary, Prince Edward Island
-References:*...
, Summerside
Summerside, Prince Edward Island
Summerside is a Canadian city in Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is the second largest city in the province and the principal municipality for the western part of the island.- History :...
, Charlottetown, Georgetown
Georgetown, Prince Edward Island
Georgetown is a Canadian town and the county seat of Kings County, Prince Edward Island. As of 2011, the population was 693.-Geography:Georgetown, Capital of Kings County, sits on an 8 kilometre long peninsula formed by the Cardigan and Brudenell Rivers, Along with Georgetown Harbour...
and Souris
Souris, Prince Edward Island
Souris is a Canadian port town in northeastern Kings County, Prince Edward Island. It is located in an area famous for its beaches and potatoes, containing the majority of Prince Edward Island's potato manufacturers.-History:...
.
The western terminus was subsequently extended further from Alberton to Tignish in a sharp diversion just east of the Alberton passenger station, where a wye
Wye (railroad)
A wye or triangular junction, in rail terminology, is a triangular shaped arrangement of rail tracks with a switch or set of points at each corner. In mainline railroads, this can be used at a rail junction, where three rail lines join, in order to allow trains to pass from any line to any other...
was constructed and a small railway yard, leading to the spur to Northport. Alberton went into its own terminus during this period, with various mills, manufacturing businesses, stores and services. The community became a village in 1878, and became home to a court house and justice center for western Prince County that year.
Alberton became the center of the worldwide silver fox
Silver fox (animal)
The Silver Fox is a melanistic form of red fox. Silver foxes display a great deal of pelt variation: some are completely black, save for the white tail tip, while others are bluish-grey, and others may have a cinereous colour on the sides...
industry when Charles Dalton
Charles Dalton
Sir Charles Dalton was a Prince Edward Island businessman, politician and philanthropist.Charles Dalton was born at Tignish, Prince Edward Island, the son of Patrick Dalton and Margaret McCarthy. He first worked as a farmer and then a druggist...
and Robert Oulton began farming the fur-bearing animals near the town in 1894, bringing tremendous prosperity to town residents and business owners. Despite a fire that devastated part of the town the following year, Alberton quickly reflected its growing economic importance of the village. The railway constructed a new passenger station for Alberton in the early 1900s entirely out of stone, one of only two such stations on the island (the other being in Kensington
Kensington, Prince Edward Island
Kensington is a town located 15 kilometres northeast of Summerside in Prince County, Prince Edward Island, Canada; As of 2001, the population was 1,385....
).
The fox farming industry brought increased growth in the population and tax base for the community, which resulted in an upgrade from village status, becoming an incorporated town in May 1913. Silver fox farming remained profitable through the 1940s. Many distinctive houses in the community are a reminder of the fortunes that were made during this period.
The Western Hospital was constructed in 1945 and was the first hospital built west of Summerside. The public library opened in 1951, followed by the federal government building in 1962 and the Jacques Cartier Arena and a community museum in 1964. The Maplewood Manor nursing home opened in 1967.
Geography
Alberton is roughly equidistant between Tignish and O'LearyO'Leary, Prince Edward Island
-References:*...
, and is situated along the north shore of the island, fronting the open Gulf of St. Lawrence. It has a land area of approximately 5 square kilometres (1.9 sq mi).
- 136 km : Confederation BridgeConfederation BridgeThe Confederation Bridge is a bridge spanning the Abegweit Passage of Northumberland Strait, linking Prince Edward Island with mainland New Brunswick, Canada. It was commonly referred to as the "Fixed Link" by residents of Prince Edward Island prior to its official naming. Construction took place...
(to New BrunswickNew BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
) - 93 km : CharlottetownCharlottetownCharlottetown is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885...
- 66 km : SummersideSummerside, Prince Edward IslandSummerside is a Canadian city in Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is the second largest city in the province and the principal municipality for the western part of the island.- History :...
- 197 km : Wood Islands ferry (to Nova ScotiaNova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
)
Climate
Alberton experiences a humid continental climateHumid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dfb).
Economy
The majority of the Alberton work force is employed in the service sector, serving a surrounding population of 5,000 residents in western Prince County.Fishing
The fishing industry in the adjacent community of Northport is a significant economic activity, with landings by fishing boats totalling 3 million kilograms of species such as American lobster
American lobster
The American lobster, Homarus americanus, is a species of lobster found on the Atlantic coast of North America, chiefly from Labrador to New Jersey. Within North America, it is also known as the northern lobster or Maine lobster. It can reach a body length of , and a mass of over , making it the...
, mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
s, snow crab, soft shell clams, cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
, herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
, American plaice
American plaice
The American plaice or sole, Hippoglossoides platessoides, is a flatfish that belongs, along with other right-eyed flounders, to the Pleuronectidae family. American plaice are an Atlantic species. Their range is from southern Labrador to Rhode Island. They spawn in the Gulf of Maine, with peak...
, mackerel
Mackerel
Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They may be found in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel , enter bays and can be...
, sea scallop, yellowtail, eel
Eel
Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
, winter flounder
Winter flounder
The winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus, is a right-eyed flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is native to coastal waters of the western north Atlantic coast, from Labrador, Canada to Georgia, United States...
, smelt, rock crab, tomcod, silversides
Silverside (fish)
The Old World silversides are a family, Atherinidae, of fish in the order Atheriniformes. They occur worldwide in tropical and temperate waters...
, porbeagle
Porbeagle
The porbeagle is a species of mackerel shark in the family Lamnidae, distributed widely in the cold and temperate marine waters of the North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere. In the North Pacific, its ecological equivalent is the closely related salmon shark...
, and blue shark
Blue shark
The blue shark is a species of requiem shark, family Carcharhinidae, that inhabits deep waters in the world's temperate and tropical oceans. Preferring cooler waters, blue sharks migrate long distances, for example from New England to South America. Although generally lethargic, they can move very...
.
Source: 1996, DFO
Agriculture
The agriculture industry in areas surrounding Alberton is dominated by potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
farmers growing table stock for use in french fries, potato chips or cooking, although a significant number of seed growers are in the area as well.
Education
The town has private day care and publicly-funded kindergarten facilities, as well as Alberton Elementary School (gr.1-6, 234 students). Students are also transported by bus to the more centrally-located M.E. Callaghan School (gr. 7-9, 378 students) and Westisle Composite High SchoolWestisle Composite High School
Westisle Composite High School is a Canadian secondary school in Prince County, Prince Edward Island.Established in 1979, Westisle provides education for 10th to 12th grade students in the western part of the county. The school is administratively part of the Western School Board, and has an...
(gr. 10-12, 748 students), both being located in nearby communities.
Desantis Learning Inc. at the West Prince Industrial Centre is listed as a provincial training institution. The Western Development Corporation offers
entrepreneurial courses, management trainee courses, and numerous adult basic education programs.
Transportation
Alberton is located on Route 12, which is part of the Lady Slipper DriveLady Slipper Drive
The Lady Slipper Drive is a former scenic drive located in Prince County, Prince Edward Island, beginning and ending at Summerside.The Lady Slipper Drive comprised numerous routes along coastal sections of Prince County and measured approximately 300 km in length...
scenic route. The town is several kilometers northeast of Route 2, the main provincial east-west secondary highway. Alberton Harbor in Northport is administered by the small craft harbors division of the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Health care
Alberton is home to the Western Hospital which serves the area with 25 acute care beds and 2 palliative care beds. There is a pharmacy, and a 24-hour medical clinic located at the hospital. In addition, there is Maplewood Manor which is a long-term care facility, and the new Rev W.J. Phillips Residence which offers 25 units of enriched residential care.Amenities
Internet AccessAlberton has a Community Access Program
Community Access Program
The Community Access Program is an initiative of the Government of Canada which aims to provide Canadians with affordable public access to the Internet and the skills they need to use it effectively. The program is administered by Industry Canada as part of their youth initiative.-History of...
(CAP) Site, located in the town hall. Residents can earn available time on the computer and access the internet. Computer facilities are also available at the Opportunity Center and at the library.
Recreation
The town has an active Recreation Department, which publishes an "Activity Flyer" of programs each spring and fall. A wide variety of activities are offered for all ages, including aerobics
Aerobics
Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness...
and training, art classes, craft fairs, bowling league
Bowling league
A bowling league is a group event where several teams bowl against each other. Most bowling leagues consist of four team players that meet up once a week and usually at the same time and day. Teams of three or five players are also common. Leagues can be set up as male-only, female-only, or mixed....
s and club, boxing club, "boxercise", darts
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
, card
Card game
A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games...
s, karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
, bingo
Bingo (US)
Bingo is a game of chance played with randomly drawn numbers which players match against numbers that have been pre-printed on 5x5 matrices. The matrices may be printed on paper, card stock or electronically represented and are referred to as cards. Many versions conclude the game when the first...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, walking club, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, preschool activities group, swimming (at Mill River Aquaplex), ice skating
Ice skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
, figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
, minor hockey
Minor hockey
Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from class to class...
, recreational hockey, boys and girls softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
and soccer. The department coordinates with many community
organizations to deliver the programs.
The town is in close proximity to three provincial parks: Mill River Provincial Park
Mill River Provincial Park
Mill River Provincial Park is a provincial park in Prince Edward Island, Canada....
, Bloomfield Provincial Park
Bloomfield Provincial Park
Bloomfield Provincial Park is a provincial park in Prince Edward Island, Canada....
, and Jacques Cartier Provincial Park
Jacques Cartier Provincial Park
Jacques Cartier Provincial Park is a provincial park in Prince Edward Island, Canada....
. It is also located on the Confederation Trail
Confederation Trail
Confederation Trail is the name for a 470 kilometre recreational rail trail system in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island.It was developed in the 1990s, following the December 31, 1989 abandonment of all railway lines in the province by Canadian National Railway .-Description and...
for walking, running and bicycling in the summer.
The area offers opportunities for recreational fishing at Gallant's Pond, Arsenault's Pond, Blanchard's Pond, Gordon's Pond, Warren's Pond, Black
Pond, Leard's Pond, MacAusland's Pond, Livingstone's Pond, Mill River Bridge,
Cain's Brook, Miminegash River, Little Tignish River, the Old Dam Site on the
Mill River, the Trout River, and the Little and Big Pierre Jacques Rivers. Atlantic Salmon can also be fished (using a fly) in Leard's Pond and Trout River after the middle of June.
Historic Sites
The Alberton Court House was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1981. It has housed the Alberton Museum since 1980 and contains various displays from its collection pertaining to the area.
The town park contains a monument to the pioneers of silver fox farming, Robert Oulton and Charles Dalton.
The Joe O'Brien Museum is just outside of the town of Alberton. O'Brien, born and raised in Alberton, went on to become one of harness racings most well-known figures. Standardbred Canada honoured his achievements by naming their annual awards after him.
Facilities
Facilities include:
- Alberton Community Centre (bowling lanes, bingo, dances, wedding receptions)
- Alberton Elementary School
- Alberton Library
- Iron Haven Gym
- Jacques Cartier Memorial Arena
- Maplewood Manor
- Northport Community Hall
- Old Stone Station Park
- Prince County Exhibition Grounds
- Town Community Room
- Veterans Memorial Park
- West Prince Boxing Club
- Western Community Curling Club
- soccer field
- two baseball diamonds
- Wharf
Events
- The Prince County Exhibition is held every August and features livestock shows, exhibits, meals, racing, youth talent, strongman competition, and a midwayMidway (fair)A midway at a fair is the location where amusement rides, entertainment and fast food booths are concentrated....
.
- The Alberton Winter Carnival is held every February.
- Other events include the Alberton Day Festival, Canada DayCanada DayCanada Day , formerly Dominion Day , is the national day of Canada, a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act , which united three British colonies into a single country, called Canada, within the British Empire...
and Trail Day.
Churches
Alberton has seven churches:
- Alberton Baptist Church
- Alberton Presbyterian Church
- Apostolic Pentecostal
- Gordon Memorial United Church Of Canada
- Kingdom Hall Of Jehovah’s Witness
- Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church
- St. Peter’s Anglican Church
Media
The Journal-Pioneer, a daily newspaper published in Summerside, maintains its office for western Prince County in Alberton.The West Prince Graphic is a weekly newspaper serving the western part of Prince County and is published locally.
A bi-weekly advertising newspaper called the Penny Saver is published and distributed to all the residents of Western PEI.