How a 100-year-old legacy is revitalizing a P.E.I. community

There is renewed excitement in the community of Cape Traverse, P.E.I. thanks to an event that happened more than 100 years ago.

That's when last ice boat which carried mail, supplies and passengers from the mainland crossed the Northumberland Strait to Cape Traverse.

"Cape Traverse was the hub of P.E.I. Everything that came or left P.E.I. mostly came in through Cape Traverse, especially in the winter time," said Andrew MacKay, whose home has a view of the Cape Traverse beach where the boats once came in.

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"You just look across there and you can almost see or feel the history. It's really cool that so many people endured those hardships, making that trek across the strait."

You just look across there and you can almost see or feel the history.- Andrew MacKay

But the exact month of the ice boats' last crossing was uncertain, until a local resident went to the provincial archives last March and discovered it was in April, 1917.

"When we found out the exact date, we thought, 'jeepers, we need to do something here to commemorate this,'" said MacKay, who quickly formed a committee with a few neighbours.

"Basically our plan was to have a tea party, with some old-fashioned games for the kids to play," he said.

The first ever Ice Boat Festival was born.

Residents brought food and memorabilia related to the ice boats that had been handed down through generations.

The day ended with a fireworks display at Cape Traverse.

"It was very short notice but I'm amazed at what we were able to accomplish in a short time," said resident Lori Eggert.

"I think that's a tribute to the passion that all of the people in the group had for the history."

The community wants to make the Ice Boat Festival an annual event. But it's not stopping there.

It would like to see Canada Post honour the ice boats, perhaps with a commemorative stamp or coin.

It hopes to someday replace the wharf.

New monument

And next spring, there are plans to unveil a new monument dedicated to the ice boats, replacing an old replica removed several years ago after the wind and weather took its toll.

It's all part of how the residents are taking pride in their community.

"Any time that I mention that I'm from Cape Traverse and people don't know where that is, I try to educate them," said Eggert, whose long-lost relatives, the Muttarts, used to work on the ice boats.

"I think it's really interesting because that was the only way that the Royal Mail, as it was called at the time, came back and forth from the mainland."

Eggert has heard stories about how strongly the ice boat crews felt about the responsibility of carrying the mail.

"Even when they were stranded out on the ice for days, they refused to burn the mail to keep themselves warm," she said.

Eggert also feels a connection to the only ice boat worker who died during the 90-year history of the crossings.

"In the final few months, one man slipped out of the leather strap and slipped under the ice before anyone realized it was too late," Eggert said.

One boat worker died

His name was Lemuel Dawson, and he is buried in the cemetery of the Free Church of Scotland, across the road from her house.

"I think about him every day now," Eggert said. "It's so sad, a touching bit of the history."

Cape Traverse may never become the hub it was in the 1800s, when there were stores, a hotel and a post office.

But MacKay said the number of young families in the community bodes well for the future

"Right on that Wharf Road, there's probably 15 to 20 children on that road now, so it's almost back to what it was years ago," he said.

"We do have some passionate people in the area. We formed this committee just to commemorate the 100th year, and now we want to stay together and continue working on some additional projects."

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