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Why So Few Canadians Live On Prince Edward Island
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Mar 31, 2025
Prince Edward Island is Canada's smallest province by both size and population. It's so small, in fact, that less than 1/10th of 1% of all Canadians live there. So this then begs the question: how did Prince Edward Island become a full Canadian province in the first place and why do so few Canadians not live there today?
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Prince Edward Island is Canada's smallest province by both size and population
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In fact, it's considerably smaller than Vancouver Island on the west coast
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which is part of British Columbia. So how did Prince Edward Island become a full province
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if it's so small? And why don't more Canadians live there? But before we can answer either of these questions
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we have to talk about the province as it exists today. Prince Edward Island holds a unique geographic position within Canada
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It's fully situated within the Gulf of St. Lawrence and is the only full province that's
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not connected to the mainland by land. This means that, up until fairly recently
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the only way to access the island was by boat. Of course, there's a bridge now
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but we'll get to that later. And because it's an island, this means it has a very long coastline
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In fact, its coastline stretches over 1,100 kilometers and is the most distinctive and
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important geographic feature in the province. That's because it's this exact coastline that makes Prince Edward Island a pretty comfortable
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place to live relative to its provincial neighbors. You see, the Gulf of St. Lawrence is unusually warm
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That's not to say you can go take a dip in it and be fine. It is still very cold to human touch
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But relative to the North Atlantic, which runs up against Newfoundland and Labrador
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Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, it's much warmer. In fact, according to the National Oceanic and
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Atmospheric Administration of the United States, the southern part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence is
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on average, about 5 degrees warmer than the Bay of Fundy, which is just on the other side of the
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Isthmus of Chignecto. And this has had a huge impact on the climate of Prince Edward Island
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Because it's surrounded by the warm waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the island experiences a
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maritime climate that's far more moderate and milder than the mainland. Summers on Prince Edward
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Island are warm, but not too hot, with temperatures averaging around 20 degrees Celsius in July
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while winters can be cold, with temperatures often dropping below freezing in January and February
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That's not to say it's perfect. Prince Edward Island gets exposed to traditional maritime
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weather patterns as well, including strong winds, heavy precipitation, and the occasional Atlantic
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storm, but on average, it's much more comfortable than either New Brunswick or Nova Scotia
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All that said, the island is, of course, much smaller than either of its maritime siblings
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It's crescent-shaped with an area of about 5,660 square kilometers, and its highest point
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rises only to 142 meters above sea level, reflecting its low-lying terrain
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Speaking of the terrain, the soil on Prince Edward Island is famous for its rich red color
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due to the high levels of iron oxide. This fertile soil has made agriculture
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especially the cultivation of potatoes, one of the province's major economic activities
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In fact, Prince Edward Island produces about a quarter of Canada's potatoes
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despite consisting of way less than 1% of all of Canada's land
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This flat and gently rolling topography, combined with this fertile soil, allowed farming to flourish over time
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enabling Prince Edward Island to become one of the most important provinces in Canada
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in terms of food security. And despite being relatively flat with no mountains
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the usual generator of rivers and water, the island is not really lacking for fresh water
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due to extensive groundwater reserves That not to say it limitless but once again the island physical geography is not a limiting factor as it not only able to supply ample water for its
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population, but also for its extensive agricultural needs. All of this builds to the question we're
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trying to answer in this video. If Prince Edward Island has a more comfortable climate, ample
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freshwater, and was historically a prime agricultural region, then why don't more people live there
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today. To answer that, we have to first talk about how it became a province in the first place
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Prince Edward Island's path to becoming a Canadian province, rather than part of either
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New Brunswick or Nova Scotia, is a unique tale of isolation, economic struggles, and political
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maneuvering. Unlike Vancouver Island, which ultimately became part of British Columbia, Prince Edward Island retained its distinct identity and emerged as a separate province
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within Canada, which is a little weird when you consider that Prince Edward Island is less than
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20% of Vancouver's island area size and population. Of course, as with the United States, how the east
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coast of Canada developed was markedly different from how its west coast developed. Prince Edward
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Island's separation from the mainland, located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, made it physically and
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politically distinct from other British colonies in North America. In fact, when Britain gained
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control of the island following the French and Indian War in 1763, it renamed it St. John's
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Island and had it managed by the colony of Nova Scotia. But this did not sit well with the
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islanders at the time, who lobbied extensively to become an independent colony of Britain
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As such, in 1769, St. John's Island, the colony, was born, which would be its official name until
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1798 when Great Britain changed its name to Prince Edward Island because there were simply
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too many St. John's named places already. For much of the 1800s, Prince Edward Island was largely
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self-governed, with a population that maintained a strong sense of independence. While other
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colonies such as those in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick had stronger economic and social ties
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to the mainland, Prince Edward Island's isolation contributed to its desire to manage its own
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affairs, despite consistent economic hardships. The island's economy was heavily dependent on
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agriculture and shipbuilding, both of which were vulnerable to global economic issues in the
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1800s. While there were calls during this time for Prince Edward Island to forge closer ties
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with the mainland to help stave off these economic issues, the island's colonists feared that if they
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did that, they would ultimately lose control over their land and self-governance. This fear of being
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overshadowed played a key role in the island's reluctance to embrace any form of political union
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with its neighbors. In fact, Prince Edward Island did not initially join the Canadian Confederation
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in 1867 because of this exact fear. When Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia formed the
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Dominion of Canada, Prince Edward Island's leaders instead remained skeptical of the benefits
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believing they had little to gain from entering into a political union that would be dominated
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by larger and more populated provinces. The islanders feared that their small population
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would be marginalized and their unique interests overlooked. Additionally, Prince Edward Island had
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its own land ownership issues. As much of the island's land was still owned by absentee landlords
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a legacy from British colonial times, which complicated its political relationships with
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its neighbors By the early 1870s however Prince Edward Island found itself facing serious financial difficulties The island had invested heavily in building a railway system to stimulate economic growth but the cost of construction had driven the colony into debt
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At the same time, its economic isolation, caused by its continued separation from the mainland
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was becoming increasingly problematic. Trade and transportation between Prince Edward Island and the other provinces
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were expensive and difficult, and there were concerns about the island's future viability as an independent colony
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Facing mounting debt and economic instability, the island's leaders reconsidered their stance on joining the Canadian Confederation
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The Canadian government, eager to secure Prince Edward Island's inclusion, offered significant financial incentives to the island in exchange for joining Canada
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As part of its confederation, the Canadian federal government would take over all of the island's railway debt
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providing much-needed economic relief. and Canada would buy out the island's absentee landlords
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resolving one of Prince Edward Island's longstanding political issues. Oh, and of course, one of the most important promises Canada offered Prince Edward Island
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was that it would be given full provincial status, the same status as its much larger neighbors, despite its relatively small size
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In 1873, Prince Edward Island officially joined Canada as its seventh province
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But 1873 was a long, long time ago, And since then, the island has grown with Canada, becoming ever more connected to it by way of rail and road bridges
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And this is on top of an island that is otherwise pretty pleasant to live in in terms of Canadian climates
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So why don't more Canadians live there today? Prince Edward Island is Canada's smallest province by far in terms of total population
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Standing at only 178,000 people, the next largest would be Newfoundland and Labrador with about 510,000 people
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This is despite the fact that Newfoundland and Labrador is colder, more rugged, and farther away than Prince Edward Island
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But Prince Edward Island had a few things going against it that really inhibited growth in ways that even Newfoundland and Labrador did not
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And yes, none of it, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories all have smaller populations than Prince Edward Island
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but those are still designated as territories of Canada and not full provinces
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Of course, one of the prime reasons for Prince Edward Island's small population is its isolation
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Located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Prince Edward Island is separated from the mainland by the Northumberland Strait
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Until the relatively recent construction of the Confederation Bridge in 1997, access to the island was limited to ferries, ships, and planes
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This physical separation made large-scale migration and economic integration with Mainland Canada challenging
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And while Prince Edward Island has always been culturally connected to the rest of the Maritimes
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its island status meant that transportation, trade, and communications were slower and more expensive compared to the mainland
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But then again, Vancouver Island in the far west and Newfoundland in the far east are both far more isolated and have significantly larger populations
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So it can't just be the lack of a bridge, right? Well, in addition to its isolation, Prince Edward Island's economy has historically been
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based on agriculture, mainly potatoes, along with small-scale industries like shipbuilding and fishing
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While these industries were vital to the island economy they didn provide the large employment opportunities needed to support rapid population growth In contrast provinces like Ontario and British Columbia benefited from the rise of manufacturing
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resource extraction, and urban development, which drew large numbers of immigrants and
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domestic migrants seeking employment. And of course, the reason why Prince Edward Island didn't diverse its economic base was
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because it lacked significant natural resources with which it could extract. Other provinces, such as Alberta with its oil industry
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or British Columbia with its forests and minerals, saw major industries develop, drawing both workers and investment
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Because it was both an island that was hard to reach and lacked any of its own natural resources
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this limited industrial development preventing large urban centers from growing. Now, all that said, this isn't necessarily a bad thing
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The island's relatively small population has fostered a strong sense of community
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Islanders often describe Prince Edward Island as a place where everyone knows everyone
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And this close social fabric has contributed to a sense of belonging that's, quite frankly
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harder to achieve in more populated areas. This has allowed Prince Edward Island to preserve its identity
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even as it navigates the pressures of modernization and globalization. Despite everything I just said, Prince Edward Island has been growing considerably in recent years
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Since Canada's last official census was taken in 2021, the island has grown by nearly 15% in just three years, from 154,000 people to 178,000 people
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That's an incredible growth rate. More people have moved to Prince Edward Island in the last
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three years than they did between 1996 and 2021. So clearly, more Canadians are discovering what
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the islanders have known all along. Prince Edward Island has an attractive landscape
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relatively affordable housing, and strong community. The growing tourism industry, helped along by the island's connection to the Anne of Green Gables literary series
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and its natural beauty, has also brought attention to the province and created new economic opportunities
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Today, Prince Edward Island is still quite small, even if it's growing rapidly
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With a population of just 178,000 people, it's by far the smallest of Canada's maritimes
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New Brunswick has about 854,000 people, and Nova Scotia has 1.1 million
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and its population would be led by its capital, Charlottetown, with about 39,000 people
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This would be followed by Summerside with 15,000 people, Stratford with 9,700, and Cornwall with 5,300 people
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All other towns have fewer than 5,000 people living in them. Prince Edward Island is growing at a phenomenal rate
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This is partly driven by the incredibly high cost of housing and living in Canada's major cities
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like Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. In fact, as of April of this year
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home prices on the island were down nearly 9% on average. But despite this growth
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Prince Edward Island has a long way to go before it can catch up to any of its provincial siblings
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Did you love this episode all about Prince Edward Island? Then be sure to check out some of these amazing maps of Canada
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over on my map store. Every map you buy helps support this channel
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