Charlottetown

Capital and main port of Prince Edward Island, Canada, situated on the south side of the island on Hillsborough Bay; population (2001 est) 32,200. Charlottetown was incorporated as a city in 1995 and serves as the administrative headquarters of Queens County. It trades in textiles, fish, timber, vegetables, and dairy produce; the main activities are food-processing, provincial administration, and tourism.

Charlottetown was founded by French settlers in the 1720s and incorporated in 1875. The Charlottetown Conference of the Maritime Provinces, held here in 1864, eventually led to the unification of Canada. It is the home of the University of Prince Edward Island (1969), which was formed from a merger between Prince of Wales College and St Dunstan's University; it also includes the Atlantic Veterinary College.

Places of interest include Province House, the location of the provincial government. It was designed by local architect Isaac Smith and built in 1847. Another landmark is Government House, built from 1833, which was the former seat of the colonial governors before the start of the provincial government. Government House is situated in Victoria Park, which with the Confederation Landing area form two major waterfront parks in Charlottetown. There are two cathedrals, St Peter's (Anglican) and St Dunstan's (Roman Catholic). The Confederation Centre of the Arts is a theatre and arts complex which houses the annual Charlottetown Festival. There are annual performances of musicals based on the books of island author Lucy Maud Montgomery.