The island’s Acadian communities are located across the province and every single one is very lively and innovative. Since the 1990s they have ensured the transmission of the French language and culture thanks in part to an ever-growing school system. The Acadian and Francophone community has also availed itself of many organizations to ensure its development on all fronts. PEI’s Acadian community opens its arms to all: youth, women, entrepreneurs, artists, newcomers are all invited to help the province grow.
The island’s first inhabitants were the Mi’kmaq. They named it Epekwitk, which means “lying in water.” The first European colonists mistook the word for “Abegweit” and adopted the name. When Jacques Cartier discovered the island in 1534, he baptized it “Île St-Jean.” In 1758, when the British took possession of the territory, they simply translated the name to St. John’s Island. It was in 1799 that it was renamed Prince Edward Island in honour of Queen Victoria’s father.