Country Canada Founded 1732 Time zone Atlantic (AST) (UTC−4) Area 3.04 km² Population 2,127 (2011) Local time Friday 6:35 PM | Incorporated April 26, 1917 Postal code C0A 1R0 Elevation 28 m Area code 902 | |
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Weather -3°C, Wind NW at 13 km/h, 77% Humidity | ||
Montague (2011 CA pop. 6,011) is a Canadian town and the largest population centre in Kings County, Prince Edward Island.
Contents
- Map of Montague PE Canada
- General information
- History
- Recent events
- Government
- Culture
- Education
- Sports
- Attractions
- Economy
- Neighbourhoods
- Notable people born in Montague
- References
Map of Montague, PE, Canada
The town straddles the Montague River which is the dividing line between the townships of Lot 52 and Lot 59. The town functions as a regional service centre for a rural population of 20,000. The town supports two large supermarkets, three hardware stores, a number of independent businesses, and several fast food restaurants, banks, and car dealerships.
Montague is the third largest non-suburban municipality in the province, and is the only town east of Stratford to show notable growth recently.
General information
The town is home to the Kings County Memorial Hospital, provincial government offices, and the Montague Curling Club, along with an elementary, intermediate and regional high school. The past years have seen a number of older homes and commercial buildings replaced with new, suburban style development along Main Street, particularly in the north end. A large scale redevelopment of the town's waterfront has taken place in recent years.
Located 44 km east of Charlottetown and 15 km southwest of Georgetown, the town's precise location is 46°10′N, 62°39′W.
History
Jean-Pierre Roma, a French merchant settled in 1732 a site a few miles East of present-day Montague that he called Trois Rivieres, now The Three Rivers. It is now a designated historic site, which brings to life his story and how he established there an international trading post. Its interpretive centre is open from the last week of June to the last week of September each year. Unfortunately for him and his business, the French on Ile St. Jean were to be defeated by the English in 1745.
At the time of Samuel Holland's survey in the 1760s, Georgetown was designated as the shire town of Kings County. The Montague River was the southernmost of three rivers draining the area. Eventually Lower Montague, Montague Road and Montague Bridge were named after the river. The river itself traces its name to either George Brudenell, 4th Earl of Cardigan (later George Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu), John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, or Montague Wilmot, Governor of Nova Scotia (which then included St. John's Island - present-day Prince Edward Island) at the time of Holland's survey. The Garden of the Gulf Museum (c. 1887 to 1888) is on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
Recent events
Montague is notable as the first community to combine a Wendy's restaurant and a Tim Hortons franchise under one roof. In 1992, the owner of both franchises in Prince Edward Island, Daniel P. Murphy, opened a new outlet for both brands in the same building in the town. He invited Ron Joyce and Wendy's chairman Dave Thomas to the grand opening, where the two executives met for the first time and established an immediate rapport. Murphy's success with the combined operation led to an agreement resulting in a merger of Wendy's and Tim Hortons (TDL Group) in 1995.
Montague has had several modest property developments in recent decades, consisting of several subdivisions, as well as new big box retail and institutional buildings.
The bridge carrying Route 4 across the Montague River was replaced in December 2007.
The Cavendish Farms Wellness Centre, opened in 2009 on the southern edge of the town beside the existing Atlantic Fitness Centre East complex. This facility includes an Olympic sized hockey arena, town offices, meeting rooms, two indoor walking tracks and the town library.
In early 2010, the provincial Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development relocated from Charlottetown to a new building in downtown Montague.
The new Montague Regional High School opened for the 2010-2011 school year at the southern edge of the town on Valleyfield Road.
In 2011, the intersection of the Wood Islands Rd (Route 4) and the Valleyfield Rd (Route 326) was replaced by Kings County's first roundabout.
The town has seen a recent boost in 2014, with the opening of the 30-room Riverhouse Inn hotel, and the relocation of Aspin Kemp & Associates' world headquarters to Montague, along with the relocation of a construction facility for the marine supply company to nearby Poole's Corner.
The town has also received $320,000 of federal and provincial funding for cultural development, which will be used in the construction of a waterfront art gallery, park construction, and the installation of several historic murals throughout the town.
Government
The town is governed by a mayor along with 5 councillors. The Kings District of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) serve the town from their headquarters just north of the town, with one officer exclusively serving the town.
Culture
The Town of Montague celebrates its birthday the first week after Canada day every year with an annual tradition called Montague Days, with activities including midway, buskers, soap box derby, Miss Montague contest, a pet parade,a parade (missed in 2007 due to construction of the bridge) and a fireworks display on the Montague Waterfront to wrap up the weekend long festival. The Montague Waterfront also plays host to musical acts and various other activities all weekend long. The gazebo at the waterfront was constructed by local master craftsman, Shane Phillip MacDonald. He described it as his magnum opus. Birthday cake is given out on the Sunday of the festival to visitors to the waterfront. The poet Hugh MacDonald lives in Montague.
Education
The town is home to three English Language School Board schools:
Holland College is also located in the Down East Mall, in a new wing named the "Montague Centre."
Sports
Montague is home to several sports / recreation programs and teams. It has running tracks, recreational trails, parks, and playing fields for soccer, rugby, football, field hockey, softball and baseball. The town also has a swimming pool / fitness centre along with basketball courts and nearby tennis courts. The Eastern Eagles Soccer Complex, on the southern edge of the town, is home to the regional soccer teams, the Eastern Eagles. In 2009, the Cavendish Farms Wellness Centre opened, giving a new home to the Montague Norsemen hockey teams and replacing the aging Iceland Arena. It also gave the town Junior B and Senior hockey teams, the Montague Maniacs and Montague Marines. The town is also home to the Montague Curling Club, which takes in curlers from all of Kings County. Montague Regional High School and Montague Intermediate School are also home to many male and female sports teams.
Attractions
Montague's main attraction is the town itself, aptly named "Montague the Beautiful" for its tree-lined streets, tranquil river and stately buildings. Other draws include the Garden of the Gulf Museum (the oldest museum in the province), the Canada Tree, the Montague Curling Club, Cavendish Farms Wellness Centre, Montague Regional High School, the Down East Mall, Gillis' Drive-In Restaurant (in Brudenell) and more. Montague is also a starting point of the Confederation Trail, linking many towns across P.E.I. Before the trail starts is the former train station, renovated into a café, gift shop and information centre, looking out over the river.
Economy
Like much of the province, the area's three main industries are fishing, farming and tourism. Montague is home to many independent businesses, along with several chains primarily in the North End. Several large employers include the new Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development, the Provincial Addictions Centre, Vital Statistics, On-Line Support, Shoppers Drug Mart, Mariner Seafoods, Cavendish Farms potato processing plant in Pooles Corner, Atlantic Superstore, and Sobeys. The town itself has no designated industrial areas, however neighbouring communities, notably Pooles Corner, have several industrial businesses.
Canadian Tire has bought a large piece of land in the North End next to the Atlantic Superstore, and is planning on building their third store on Prince Edward Island within the next few years. Application was made to the council for a building permit in January 2009, was approved on 12 February 2010, and included a 24,000 square foot floor space that would allow room for three automotive bays and a small market store. The construction was valued at $2.5 million, and was expected to employ about 20 full- and part-time workers.
The town has a public wharf located in Lower Montague on the South shore of the Montague River at Wightmans Point Road.
The region's weekly newspaper, the Eastern Graphic, is based in Montague. The province's main daily newspaper, The Guardian, has an office in the town.
Neighbourhoods
"Greater Montague," which includes outlying areas outside the actual town, has a population of over 6,000. It comprises several neighbourhoods, including: