Summerside Harbour Boardwalk

Summerside, the second-largest city on Prince Edward Island, faces the water of Bedeque Bay on the island's south shore, and its waterfront walk is the easiest way to see what the town is about. The Summerside Harbour Boardwalk runs along the edge of the harbour, a paved path with benches and views over boats, wharves and the long line of the shore, and it forms part of the waterfront development known as Spinnakers' Landing, with shops, eateries and a lighthouse-style tower that stands out against the sky.

The town grew in the 19th century as a shipbuilding and trading port on the bay. Wooden ships were built along the shore, loaded with farm produce, timber and fish, and sent across the Atlantic, and the harbour was busy with schooners and steamers. Later, in the early 20th century, Summerside became famous for a very different industry, silver fox farming. Foxes with unusually dark pelts were bred on the island, and their furs fetched enormous prices in Europe, which made several local families extremely wealthy and left the town with grand Victorian and Edwardian houses on its streets. That silver fox boom is the silver of local history. Today, a number of these houses are inns and heritage buildings, and the streets near the water repay a wander.

The boardwalk is a leisurely walk rather than a hike. It suits families, couples and anyone who wants to watch the harbour, with fishing boats and working vessels coming and going and gulls overhead. The region's Mi'kmaq, Acadian and British communities have all had a part in the area, and Mi'kmaq people have lived along these shores for thousands of years. Interpretive panels and public art along the way add some of that history. In summer, concerts, markets and festivals use the waterfront, and a walk at sunset gives soft light over the bay.

Visiting the boardwalk is free, and the path is open to the public at all hours. It is level and wide, which makes it accessible for most visitors, and benches are placed at intervals. Nearby you will find cafés, ice cream stands and restaurants serving island seafood. Parking is generally easy.

Early evening is a good time, when the day-trippers have gone and the harbour turns golden. It is a short walk from the downtown streets of Summerside.