Prince Edward County (PEC) is a county in southern Ontario, Canada. Its coastline on Lake Ontario’s northeastern shore is known for Sandbanks Provincial Park, sand beaches, and limestone cliffs. The Regent Theatre, a restored Edwardian Opera House, sits at the heart of the town of Picton on the Bay of Quinte. Nearby Macaulay Heritage Park highlights local history through its 19th-century buildings. In 2016, Prince Edward County had a census population of 24,735. Prince Edward County is a city, single-tier municipality and a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario.
History
Settled by indigenous peoples, the county has significant archeological sites. These include the LeVescounte Mounds of the Point Peninsula complex people, built about 2000 years ago.
The county was created by Upper Canada's founding lieutenant-governor John Graves Simcoe on July 16, 1792. It was named after Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent (the fourth son of King George III and father of Queen Victoria) who was commander-in-chief of British North America.
Shortly after the American Revolution, the Crown made land grants to some of the earliest United Empire Loyalists to encourage their settlements in Ontario and provide compensation for property lost in the Thirteen Colonies. The county was originally composed of three townships named in honour of three of George III's daughters.
For many years Prince Edward County has been closely associated with the wholly mainland Hastings County. Its longtime militia unit has been The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment (locally known as the Hasty Ps), whose most famous member was Farley Mowat. This noted author wrote two books about his experiences with the Hasty Ps during the Second World War's Italian Campaign: The Regiment and a subsequent account, And No Birds Sang.
On January 1, 1998, the Town of Picton, the villages of Bloomfield and Wellington, and the townships of Ameliasburgh, Athol, Hallowell, Hillier, North Marysburgh, Sophiasburgh, and South Marysburgh amalgamated to form a new city with the official legal name of Prince Edward County. Each of the former municipalities is now a ward.
Former municipalities
The following are former municipalities:
Ameliasburgh, named after Princess Amelia, youngest daughter of George III
Athol
Bloomfield
Hallowell, named after Captain Benjamin Hallowell (1723–1799)), eminent Loyalist, formerly of Boston. He was the father-in-law of Chief Justice John Elmsley. Hillier, organized in 1823, and named after Major George Hillier, military secretary to Sir Peregrine Maitland. North Marysburgh, surveyed in 1785 and settled by Loyalist veterans, some of Hessian birth. Named for Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh, one of George III's daughters. Sophiasburgh, named for Princess Sophia, one of George III's daughters. Surveyed in 1785 and 1787, settled by Loyalists from Nova Scotia and the Mainland. South Marysburgh, also named for Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh, one of George III's daughters. Picton, named for Sir Thomas Picton Wellington, named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Geography
Prince Edward County is located in Southern Ontario on a large irregular headland or littoral at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, just west of the head of the St. Lawrence River. This headland (officially named Prince Edward County in 1792) is surrounded on the north and east by the Bay of Quinte. As the Murray Canal now connects the bay to Lake Ontario across the only land connection, the county is technically an island. Murray Canal is crossed by 2 swing bridges, the single lane county road 64 bridge and the two lane country road 33 bridge. Bay of Quinte is crossed by two, 2-lane bridges of about 850m length – one carrying Provincial Highway 62 near Belleville and the other about 24 km east carrying Provincial Highway 49 near Deseronto.
Climate
The county's relatively mild humid continental climate (Dfb) due to the influence of Lake Ontario has led to the establishment of about 50 vineyards and close to 30 wineries; as a result, Prince Edward County is one of Ontario's designated viticultural areas. The lake effect from Lake Ontario results in heavier snowfall than in neighbouring counties. July is the hottest month and January is the coldest month.
Landscape
Prince Edward County is a community encompassing approximately , with over of shoreline (including inland lakes and bordered by Lake Ontario) with beaches and limestone rich soil.