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CANADA'S SMALLEST PROVINCE: A HISTORY OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Edited by F.W.P. Bolger
Reviewed by Catherine R. Cox.
Volume 20 Number 2
This is a reprint of a book originally published in 1973 by the Prince Edward Island 1973 Centennial Commission. The editor of this history of Prince Edward Island was Francis W.P. Bolger, chairman, department of history at the University of Prince Ed ward Island. He was also the author of seven of the thirteen chapters. The other chapters were written by Nicholas de Jong, Douglas B. Boylan, W.S. MacNutt, Frederick L. Driscoll, Mary K. Cullen, Russell Clark and Lorne C. Callbeck. As in any jointly authored work of this sort, the quality of writing, focus and points of view vary from chapter to chapter. Some, like the introductory one by Nicholas de Jong and Douglas Boylan, are social history, while others, like the ones by Francis Bolger on the era from 1767 to 1861, are political histories with a lot of emphasis on land disputes and absentee ownerships. "The Transportation Issue, 1873-1973" by Mary K. Cullen is a good overview of the history of ferries connecting PEI to the mainland and the controversy over causeway and tunnel, now referred to as "the fixed link," up to 1973. The book contains an index and bibliographical references, but for the student researcher the index is quite unhelpful, having no reference to "fixed link" or even to "causeway," "tunnel" or "ferries." Prince Edward Island's entry into Confederation with the rest of Canada is thoroughly covered and indexed, as are other historical topics. The illustrations are black-and-white photos of political figures and some archival photos of activities like fox farming and potato digging in the 1930s. This book is an interesting reprint. It is unfortunate that it wasn't a new edition with some editorial changes and a new chapter to cover the events, especially concerning the fixed link, from 1973 to 1990. Recommended. Catherine R. Cox, Moncton High School, Moncton, N.B. |
1971-1979 | 1980-1985 | 1986-1990 | 1991-1995
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