Bridging a Gap in Canadian Tourism

The beaches, golf courses, hiking trails and literary history in Canada’s least populated province, Prince Edward Island, will be more accessible starting June 1.

That’s when the Confederation Bridge, spanning the nine-mile-wide strait between Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick, and the island town of Borden, opens to the public, cutting the crossing time to about 12 minutes by car. Now only ferries make the trip, taking about 45 minutes in good weather and up to four hours when impeded by ice.

The span, up to 200 feet high, is described as the Western Hemisphere’s largest, continuous multiple-span bridge--that is, without causeways or tunnels or interruptions such as islands. About 137,000 people live on the 175-mile-long rural island. The most well-known tourist spot is Green Gables House, the setting for the 1908 children’s book “Anne of Green Gables”; author Lucy Maud Montgomery was born on the island.

“Bridgefest 97,” May 30 to June 1, will celebrate the opening. It includes a foot race and a walk across the bridge, concerts and a food and crafts fair. For information, call Tourism PEI at (800) 463-4734.