Skmaqn—Port-la-Joye—Fort Amherst National Historic Site

Across the water from Charlottetown, a grassy headland at Rocky Point holds the layers of three peoples' stories. Skmaqn–Port-la-Joye–Fort Amherst National Historic Site, in Prince Edward Island, is the place where the French first settled the island in 1720, where the British built a fort in 1758 and where the Mi’kmaq had gathered long before either. Parks Canada cares for the site, and its triple name acknowledges all three histories.

The Mi’kmaw name Skmaqn is generally translated as the waiting place. The headland overlooks the narrow entrance to the harbour, where the waters of three rivers meet, and it was a natural meeting ground and a lookout point for canoes entering the harbour. For the Mi’kmaq, whose homeland, Mi’kma’ki, includes the island, it was a place of gathering, travel and trade for many generations. The name honours this deeper history, which stretches back thousands of years.

In 1720, French settlers, soldiers and officials established Port-la-Joye, the first colony on what was then known as Île Saint-Jean. The settlement was small, with a few dozen families, a chapel and a garrison, but it became the administrative centre of the island and a base for Acadian farmers who spread along the rivers. In 1758, after the British captured the fortress of Louisbourg, they took the island too, and many Acadians were deported from here, a tragic episode in the Acadian story. The British built Fort Amherst on the same ground, with earthworks overlooking the harbour, and it was occupied for only a short time before being abandoned.

Today the earthworks and ditches are visible as grass-covered banks, and interpretive panels explain what once stood on the site. Trails wind through the property, with views across the harbour to the skyline of Charlottetown, and the landscape of meadow, forest and shoreline is a pleasure to walk. A visitor centre is open in the summer, and staff are on hand to answer questions. The site is open year-round, and there is no entrance fee, though donations are welcomed.

Visitors will find the site about ten minutes' drive from downtown Charlottetown, across the Hillsborough Bridge, and is best visited on a clear day, when the views are widest. History readers, walkers and those interested in the Acadian and Mi’kmaw past will find it rewarding.