Georgetown, Prince Edward Island
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| Georgetown | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Prince Edward Island |
| County | Kings County |
| Parish | St. George's Parish |
| Founded | 1732 |
| Incorporated | 1912 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Town Council |
| - Mayor | Peter Llewellyn |
| - Deputy Mayor | Louis Lavandier |
| - Councillors | Faye McQuillan Peggy King Craig Murphy Barry O'Brien Wade Williams |
| Area | |
| - Land | 1.65 km² (0.6 sq mi) |
| Population (2006) From StatsCan |
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| - Total | 721 |
| - Density | 384.7/km² (996.4/sq mi) |
| Time zone | AST (UTC-4) |
| - Summer (DST) | ADT (UTC-3) |
| Canadian Postal code | C0A 1L0 |
| Area code(s) | 902 |
| NTS Map | 011L02 |
| GNBC Code | BABDH |
Georgetown is a town, located at the mouth of the Brudenell River at Cardigan Bay. It is the county seat of Kings County, Prince Edward Island, Canada. As of 2006, the population was 721.
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[edit] History
Georgetown is a collection of venerable and beautiful old buildings as well as more recent structures, all laid out in a broad street system.
The Town of Georgetown is the Capital of Kings County and is centrally situated on the coastline of the Kings county. The location was originally designed to serve as the capital centre for the region. This was a natural consequence of the water-based transportation and industry of previous centuries. Yet Georgetown was not always as it is seen today.
Before European settlement, the area was inhabited by the Mik'Maq peoples. They called themselves "Epegoitnag" and for them, Georgetown was a pine forest wilderness with an abundance of wild game, as well as fruit, berries and wild nuts for the gathering. They called their land SAMKOOK: 'the land of the SANDY SHORE' and the river systems were their highways and their source of a variety of fish.
[edit] Former Names
- Three Rivers
- Trois Rivieres
[edit] Early Economy
Through the late 19th century, Georgetown was an important shipbuilding centre and port. In the early 1870s the Prince Edward Island Railway was built, linking the Georgetown to Charlottetown and Summerside by way of Mount Stewart Junction. Georgetown, having the Island's only deepwater port, and largely ice-free until late in the winter (this being before the Canso Causeway altered sea ice patterns in the Northumberland Strait), saw dedicated steamship service to the mainland port of Pictou, Nova Scotia with its vital railway connections to the rest of Canada.
In the 20th century, Georgetown's industrial base diversified to include the Island's only shipyard, East Isle Shipyard, which is now owned by J.D. Irving Limited, as well as the Island's largest saw mill (also owned by JDI). A major seasonal employer is a a seafood plant, operated by Seafood 2000 and originally constructed by National Sea Products Limited.
[edit] Features
Georgetown is adjacent to Brudenell River Provincial Park which hosts a campground and tourist accommodations. Two of the province's top golf courses are located at the Brudenell River Resort at the same location.
Georgetown, being the shiretown for Kings County, hosts the county's only provincial court house. The Kings County Playhouse is an important seasonal draw for tourists with evening and matinee performances by local actors and musicians.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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