Three people walking past see the sheriff come out onto the balcony with a small group. “What’s this, than,” is their reaction. They stop and look up. Puzzled.

Sheriff Watson looks at his watch again. Noon. He glances at the group flanking him on the balcony. A man lifts his eyebrows as if to say it’s time.

The sound of cannon fire blasts out over the city. In the distance musket shots are heard coming from the Battery. That evening people would speak about how the sudden noise had caused them to jump as they were out walking around town.

Sheriff Watson raises the paper up in front of him. It is July 1st, 1873. He and his small group and the three strangers below are taking part in history. Making history!

Taking a deep breath he starts to read loudly.

“Whereas. By an act of parliament…”

The Golden Age

Islanders were not pleased to join Confederation. Their hand had been forced. For ten years they opposed the pleas of the Canadas and even the Imperial Government in London to become part of the dominion.

The true ambiance of the day has been lost to history. As years passed, certain details would be omitted, embellished or even inserted into the official history of that day to make it sound as if Islanders were jubilant about joining Confederation. Today, Canadian Government webpages say that even though Islanders resisted Confederation so much they still celebrated the day. And that that “group” at the Colonial Building sang the national anthem, God Save the Queen. Perhaps Sheriff Watson and his friends did sing it--awkwardly. Perhaps the three people below joined in. Or perhaps that laughed at the absurdness of the scene and walked away. Most likely, that never happened at all. It was a small ingredient added to build-up Canadian nationalism.

1851 was a big year for the Island. That was the year that Charlottetown was handed the power of Responsible Government from London. The gentlemen in charge of Prince Edward Island were essentially free to carry out its own affairs. And they did this quite well.

There can be no doubt that the era of the 1800s was the Island’s golden age. The colony traded timber, fish and agricultural goods to New England, Britian and the West Indies among others places. The real success behind the Islands well-being was its ship-building industry. In an empire that was built and sustained by the size of its navy and merchant fleet, Prince Edward Island was the largest shipbuilding centre outside Great Britain on a per capita basis.