From
Shore to Ship
During the mid 1800's, a
shipbuilding boom along
the Hillsborough River produced
almost 600 vessels, and
consumed much of the watershed's
Acadian Forest.
Fishy
Facts
Hard
Herring
The gaspereau,
a member of
the herring
family, is
sometimes
called a sawbelly
because of
the scales
that form
a sharp edge
along the
mid-line of
its belly.
the
Hillsborough
River
Deep
in the heart of pastoral Prince Edward
Island, the fresh-flowing headwaters
of the Hillsborough River merge with
the salty tides of the Atlantic Ocean,
creating a rich maritime ecosystem and
fostering a thriving oyster fishery.
At just 45 kilometres in length, the
Hillsborough begins modestly in the
rolling hills above Mount Stewart, widening
to an estuary that leads quietly into
Charlottetown Harbour. In Canada's smallest
province, it is a major inland waterway,
stopping just short of dividing the
island in half. It is also a river with
a dramatic cultural history and a pivotal
political past. Along its banks, aboriginal
Mi'Kmaq have harvested shellfish and
game, Acadian settlers have farmed fertile
saltmarshes, British immigrants have
established enduring communities, and
shipbuilders have launched spectacular
sailing vessels. In 1864, in the harbour
city of Charlottetown, visionary Fathers
of Confederation laid the foundations
of the nation of Canada. Now recognized
as a Canadian Heritage River, the Hillsborough
continues to flow serenely through the
rural landscape of a gentle, peaceful
land.
History
Bites 
Fishy
Facts