Institute of Island Studies hosts public lecture about tourism on PEI

The Institute of Island Studies at UPEI will host a public lecture titled “Enshrined: Island Tourism and the Confederation Story” on November 15 at 7 pm in the Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building.

Part of the Institute’s Island Lecture Series, the talk will be presented by Dr. Edward MacDonald, professor of history at UPEI. MacDonald will draw upon research that he and co-author, Dr. Alan MacEachern, undertook for their recently published book, The Summer Trade: A History of Tourism on Prince Edward Island.

“For over a century, the three staple constants in Prince Edward Island tourism have been our pastoral landscape, Anne of Green Gables, and the Island’s claim as the ‘Birthplace of Confederation’,” says MacDonald. “But becoming the ‘Cradle of Confederation’ was not as easy as it sounds, and the story of how Island tourism promoters recognized the tourism potential of that claim, then gradually convinced Canadians that it was both true and important presents a fascinating case study of ‘site sacralization’ and branding in Canada’s Garden Province.”

MacDonald is a professor in the UPEI Department of History and Classics, where he teaches Canadian and Prince Edward Island history. He has authored, co-authored, edited, or compiled 10 books and over 50 articles exploring various aspects of the social, cultural, and environmental history of his native province. He is a frequent lecturer on various Island history topics.

All are welcome to attend the lecture.