Prince Edward Island

About PEI

As a compact urban core in a cradle of rural lands and the sea, PEI offers both convenience and serenity. You can feel as connected, or disconnected to the rest of the world as you wish.

Enjoying all the things that Prince Edward Island offers is as easy as stepping outside the door. From exploring the diverse landscapes to visiting the home Lucy Maud Montgomery made famous in telling the stories of Anne of Green Gables there is no shortage of interesting things to do.

Prince Edward Island is not just about lobster and potatoes; our business environment provides many opportunities for investment and success. Expanding or relocating in Prince Edward Island can be done quickly and we can have you up and running much more rapidly than most North American jurisdictions. Access to decision and policy makers is not possible in larger centres and because of our small size, our partnerships with postsecondary institutions allow businesses to customize programs to meet their skills training needs.

All levels of government work together seamlessly, making immigration and investment a viable option.

Leard more about PEI below

• Geography

  Prince Edward Island is located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence west of Cape Breton Island, north of the Nova Scotia peninsula, and east of New Brunswick. Its southern shore bounds the Northumberland Strait. The island has two urban areas. The largest surrounds Charlottetown Harbour, situated centrally on the island's southern shore, and consists of the capital city Charlottetown, and suburban towns Cornwall and Stratford and a developing urban fringe. A much smaller urban area surrounds Summerside Harbour, situated on the southern shore 40 km (25 mi) west of Charlottetown Harbour, and consists primarily of the city of Summerside. As with all natural harbours on the island, Charlottetown and Summerside harbours are created by rias.

• Education

  University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) Atlantic Veterinary College - Holland College
  Community college - Atlantic Police Academy - Marine Training Centre
  Culinary Institute of Canada - College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada
  Summerside - Bagpipe - Scottish - Irish - Hhighland dance

  Prince Edward Island is home to one university, the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), located in Charlottetown. UPEI is also home to the Atlantic Veterinary College, which offers the region's only veterinary medicine program.

  Holland College is the provincial community college, with campuses across the province, including specialised facilities such as the Atlantic Police Academy, Marine Training Centre, and the Culinary Institute of Canada.

  Prince Edward Island's public school system has two Anglophone school districts, Eastern and Western, as well as a Francophone district, the Commission scolaire de langue française. The Anglophone districts have a total of 10 secondary schools and 54 intermediate and elementary schools while the Francophone district has 6 schools covering all grades. *UPDATE THIS*

  Prince Edward Island, along with most rural regions in North America, is experiencing an accelerated rate of youth emigration. The provincial government has projected that public school enrollment will decline by 40% during the 2010s.

• Climate

  In November and December temperatures are normally from 5°C to −5°C. From December to April P.E.I. has many storms and blizzards. Once the ice has melted, the temperatures rise until spring begins, in late April or early May. In May most of the precipitation is a continuous drizzle. The summer is mild and humid in July and August with temperatures 15° to 20°C, and sometimes reaching 30°C.

• Economy

  Many of the province's coastal communities rely upon shellfish harvesting, particularly lobster fishing as well as oyster fishing and mussel farming.

  The provincial government provides consumer protection in the form of regulation for certain items, ranging from apartment rent increases to petroleum products including gas, diesel, propane and heating oil. These are all regulated through the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC).IRAC is authorised to limit the number of companies who are permitted to sell petroleum products.