CARDIGAN — With a backdrop of blue water, power boats and sail, a national monument to commemorate shipbuilding in Prince Edward was unveiled here today.
With fiddle music drifting in the breeze and flags flapping in the wind, the festive event at the marina in Cardigan marked the shipbuilding recognition in a village that hewed out its first schooner in 1788.
“It’s like the ebb and flow of the tides,’’ said Sen. Mike Duffy during the event. “Shipbuilding flourished and faded those many years ago in this region and now tourism will flourish as (baby) boomers seek out historic tourism and come to see your fabulous museum here to quench that appetite.”
The weather was made to order for the outdoor event hosted by Parks Canada, which unveiled a Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque commemorating the national significance of shipbuilding in Prince Edward Island. The distinction was sought by the Cardigan and Area Heritage Association to recognize not only the 400 plus vessels built in the Cardigan Bay region, but the duration that shipbuilding thrived here.
In the 1800s, the livelihood of a great number of Island residents was closely tied to the shipbuilding industry and allowed many Island communities to grow and prosper. The shipbuilding industry became the principal economic activity of Prince Edward Island from 1820 to 1880 with 22 shipyards and more than 900 vessels built during the peak decade of the 1860s.
Dr. Leonard Cusack, the Island rep on the national board, said the plaque is expected to be installed on a stone cairn sometime in the fall, following bridge work being completed in Cardigan.
“We want to ensure this is in a very visible and public place for all to enjoy,” he said from the podium on the wharf.
Dr. Edward MacDonald, a UPEI professor of history who was born and raised in the region, said Cardigan Bay shipyards built more than 400 vessels and skilled tradesmen were still working on the last vessel in 1920.
“There was a reluctance to even join in Confederation because shipbuilding was so profitable that the Island thought it could go it alone,’’ he told the crowd. “However, within another decade the industry almost collapsed overnight in most parts of the province.”
Nora MacDonald, chair of the Cardigan Heritage group, said the last vessel constructed here in 1920 was the Anna MacDonald. She said families like the Owens and MacDonalds pioneered shipbuilding in the village.
“We are delighted to have this recognition bestowed on the village and it ties in so well with our own marina museum here,’’ she said noting the tireless work of former board member Louis Callaghan.
The inscription on the plaque was read to the crowd in both official languages by students Aletha VandenBroek and Kristin MacIntyre.
