Montague, Prince Edward Island
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Montague is a community within the Town of Three Rivers in Kings County,
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...
, Canada. Previously incorporated as a town, it amalgamated with the Town of Georgetown, the rural municipalities of
Brudenell Brudenell is a community in the township of Brudenell, Lyndoch and Raglan, Ontario, Brudenell, Lyndoch and Raglan in Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. History The history of Brudenell is most often presented as a "boom and bust" narrative in which ...
, Cardigan,
Lorne Valley Lorne Valley was a municipality that held community status in Prince Edward Island, Canada. It was incorporated in 1978. On September 28, 2018, it was combined with six other municipalities to create the town of Three Rivers. See also *List ...
, Lower Montague, and Valleyfield, and portions of three adjacent unincorporated areas in 2018. Montague is the largest population centre in the county and straddles the Montague River which is the dividing line between the townships of Lot 52 and Lot 59. The community functions as a regional service centre for the eastern end of the province, supporting two supermarkets, three hardware stores, a number of independent businesses, and several fast food restaurants, banks, and car dealerships.


General information

Montague 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 community's waterfront has taken place in recent years. The community is located 44 km east of
Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in ...
and 15 km southwest of Georgetown.


History

Jean-Pierre Roma, an Acadian French merchant settled in 1732 a site a few miles East of present-day Montague that he called Trois Rivieres, now
The Three Rivers Three Rivers may refer to: Related to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States *The confluence of the Allegheny River and Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania **A nickname for the Pittsburgh area and a phrase used c ...
. 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 Army on Ile St. Jean were to be defeated by the British in 1745, in an act of ethnic cleansing the Acadian population was deported and lost all their earthly goods. At the time of Samuel Holland's survey in the 1760s, Georgetown was designated as the
shire town A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
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 George Montagu, Duke of Montagu KG, PC, FRS (26 July 1712 – 23 May 1790)G. E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors. The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ir ...
(later
George Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu George Montagu, Duke of Montagu KG, PC, FRS (26 July 1712 – 23 May 1790)G. E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors. The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ir ...
),
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, PC, FRS (13 November 1718 – 30 April 1792) was a British statesman who succeeded his grandfather Edward Montagu, 3rd Earl of Sandwich as the Earl of Sandwich in 1729, at the age of ten. During his life ...
, or
Montague Wilmot Montague Wilmot (died May 23, 1766) was an 18th-century British colonial Governor of Nova Scotia. Early life Little is known of Wilmot's origins, such as his exact place of birth, although he was born in England. His father was a physician to the ...
,
Governor of Nova Scotia The following is a list of the governors and lieutenant governors of Nova Scotia. Though the present day office of the lieutenant governor in Nova Scotia came into being only upon the province's entry into Canadian Confederation in 1867, the po ...
(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 Tim Hortons Inc., commonly nicknamed Tim's, or Timmie's is a Canadian multinational coffeehouse and restaurant chain. Based in Toronto, Tim Hortons serves coffee, doughnuts, and other fast-food items. It is Canada's largest quick-service rest ...
franchise under one roof. In 1992, the owner of both franchises in
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...
, Daniel P. Murphy, opened a new outlet for both brands in the same building in the community. He invited
Ron Joyce Ronald Vaughan Joyce, (October 19, 1930 – January 31, 2019) was a Canadian entrepreneur and billionaire. He co-founded the Tim Hortons doughnut chain as Tim Horton's partner and first franchisee in 1964. After the death of Tim Horton, Ron Joyc ...
and Wendy's chairman
Dave Thomas Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * Dave (film), ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * Dave (musical), ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital ...
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 community beside the existing Atlantic Fitness Centre East complex. This facility includes an Olympic sized hockey arena, municipal offices, meeting rooms, two indoor walking tracks and the local library. In early 2010, the provincial Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development relocated from Charlottetown to a new building in downtown Montague. Montague Regional High School opened for the 2010–2011 school year at the southern edge of the community 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. In 2014, the 30-room Riverhouse Inn hotel opened, and Aspin Kemp & Associates' world headquarters relocated to Montague, along with the relocation of a construction facility for the marine supply company to nearby Poole's Corner. The same year, Montague also received $320,000 of federal and provincial funding for cultural development, which was used in the construction of a waterfront art gallery, park construction, and the installation of several historic murals throughout the community. In July 2016, the Montague local council elicited controversy when it voted 2-4 against a request to fly the
pride flag A pride flag is any flag that represents a segment or part of the LGBT community. ''Pride'' in this case refers to the notion of gay pride. The terms ''LGBT flag'' and ''queer flag'' are often used interchangeably. The rainbow flag is the most ...
during
pride month LGBT Pride Month is a month, typically in June, dedicated to celebration and commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) pride. Pride Month began after the Stonewall riots, a series of gay liberation protests in 1969, and ha ...
. On September 28, 2018, the Town of Montague amalgamated with the Town of Georgetown, five nearby rural municipalities – Brudenell, Cardigan, Lorne Valley, Lower Montague, and Valleyfield & ndash; and portions of three adjacent unincorporated areas.


Demographics


Government

As of September 28, 2018, Montague is governed by the Town of Three Rivers. The Kings District of the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
(RCMP) serve the community from their headquarters just north of Montague, with one officer exclusively serving the community.


Culture

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 carpenter, Shane Phillip MacDonald. He described it as his magnum opus.


Education

Montague is home to three English Language School Board schools: *Montague Consolidated School *Montague Intermediate School *
Montague Regional High School Montague Regional High School (MRHS), is a Canadian secondary school in Montague, Prince Edward Island for students from the southern part of Kings County and the south eastern part of Queens County, including the towns of Montague and Georget ...
The provincial community college,
Holland College Holland College is the provincial community college for the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island (PEI). It is named after the British Army engineer and surveyor Captain Samuel Holland. History It was formed by the Government of Prince ...
, has a location in the Down East Mall, in a wing named the "Montague Centre."


Sports

Montague is home to several sports teams and recreation programs. It has running tracks, recreational trails, parks, and playing fields for soccer, rugby, football, field hockey, softball and baseball. The community also has a swimming pool and fitness centre along with basketball courts and nearby tennis courts. The Eastern Eagles Soccer Complex, on the southern edge of the community, is home to the regional soccer teams, the Eastern Eagles. The Eastern Eagles host a soccer tournament for other teams on Prince Edward Island and those from out of province every summer. 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 Montague junior B and senior hockey teams, the Montague Maniacs and Montague Marines. The community 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.


Climate

Montague has a
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(
Dfb DFB may refer to: * Deerfield Beach, Florida, a city * Decafluorobutane, a fluorocarbon gas * Dem Franchize Boyz, former hip hop group, Atlanta, Georgia * Dfb, Köppen climate classification for Humid continental climate * Distributed-feedback ...
) with short, warm summers with cool nights and long, cold, and wet winters.


Attractions

Montague's main attraction is the community 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 A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate both ...
(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, Station Street Adventure Company, and Gillis' Drive-In Restaurant (in
Brudenell Brudenell is a community in the township of Brudenell, Lyndoch and Raglan, Ontario, Brudenell, Lyndoch and Raglan in Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. History The history of Brudenell is most often presented as a "boom and bust" narrative in which ...
). Montague is also a starting point of the
Confederation Trail Confederation Trail is the name for a 470 kilometre recreational rail trail system in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. It was developed in the 1990s, following the December 31, 1989, abandonment of all railway lines in the province b ...
, linking many communities across P.E.I. The former train station has been 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 Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. (named Pharmaprix in Quebec) is a Canadian retail pharmacy chain based in Toronto, Ontario. It has more than 1,300 stores in nine provinces and two territories. The company was founded by pharmacist Murray Koffler in 1962 ...
, Mariner Seafoods, Cavendish Farms potato processing plant in Pooles Corner,
Atlantic Superstore Atlantic Superstore is a Canadian supermarket chain. The chain operates 54 stores in the Maritimes of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. It is owned by George Weston Limited through Loblaw Companies Limited, and operates und ...
, and
Sobeys Sobeys Inc. is the second largest supermarket chain in Canada, with over 1,500 stores operating across Canada under a variety of banners. Headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, it operates stores in all ten provinces and accumulated sales o ...
. The community itself has no designated industrial areas, however neighbouring communities, notably Pooles Corner, have several industrial businesses. Montague 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.


Neighbourhoods

"Greater Montague," which includes outlying areas outside the actual community, has a population of over 6,000. It comprises several neighbourhoods, including: *
Brudenell Brudenell is a community in the township of Brudenell, Lyndoch and Raglan, Ontario, Brudenell, Lyndoch and Raglan in Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. History The history of Brudenell is most often presented as a "boom and bust" narrative in which ...
*Downtown Montague * Lower Montague *North End * Pooles Corner *South End * Valleyfield *
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...


Notable people

*
William Bennett Campbell William Bennett Campbell, (August 27, 1943 – September 11, 2008) was a politician and the 24th premier of Prince Edward Island. Born in Montague, Prince Edward Island, Campbell was a teacher by profession before entering politics in 197 ...
, 24th Premier of PEI *
Hugh MacDonald Hugh John Macdonald (born 31 January 1940 in Newbury, Berkshire) is an English musicologist chiefly known for his work within the music of the 19th century, especially in France. He has been general editor of the ''Hector Berlioz: New Edition of ...
, poet * Brooke Miller, singer, songwriter and musician


References


Further reading

* Finley Martin, ''A View From the Bridge: Montague, P.E.I.'', Town of Montague, 1984.


External links

* {{Authority control Former towns in Prince Edward Island Populated coastal places in Canada Populated places established in 1732 Populated places disestablished in 2018 2018 disestablishments in Canada