A news item here in Prince Edward Island recently caught our attention. One of the local communities received funding for a new breakwater. The cost of the project includes the cost of bringing rock from New Brunswick, our neighbouring province across the Confederation Bridge. For my husband and I, from Newfoundland, known as The Rock,
Shoreline in Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland
it is an amusing, though understandable cost. Prince Edward Island has very few rocks.
When we moved to our new island home, we put a clothesline in our backyard. We dug a hole, set concrete for the pole and needed one small rock to put beside the pole when we put it in place. Simple, right? Not at all. Finding a rock on this island is not easy; it took four years.
The beaches here do not have beach rocks so typical of Newfoundland and the soil is void of rocks. Foundations dug in our neighbourhood reveal tons of red earth, without a rock in sight. What looks like rock along many beaches is sandstone that breaks up easily.
Sandstone shore of Prince Edward Island
Millions of years of pressure will be required to produce rocks from this sand.
Island sandstone
Sandstone dropped from a foot above the walkway
We always smile to hear people speak of buying rocks for decoration in their gardens. Trucks deliver small boulders to homes here. In Newfoundland, they are trucked away. When we dug the hole for our clothesline pole in Newfoundland, it took a crowbar to pry a boulder from the spot. One difference between The Rock and our Garden Island is a matter of geology.
Though we chuckle at the need to truck rock into this province, the red soil, rich and rock-less, yields lots of great potatoes. However, our lifetime experience with rock has made for a curious adjustment to our current home.
19 comments:
Interesting, sea defence rocks have to have a high specific gravity or the sea just chucks them about. Here in the Uk we get some sea defence rock from Scotland and the rest from Norway.
How interesting! I had no idea that you had to truck rocks into your island. Now there is a job for some enterprising young man. :-)
The sandstone is beautiful.....as is your home's scenery.
Thank you so much for sharing these photos with us.
Lovely.....
Hugs,
J.
Another interesting fact about PEI that I did not know!
We are close to bedrock here. I pretty well have to add some topsoil in some spots.
The sandstone looks so pretty. Very interesting fact about Prince Edward Island.
Wishing you a great week!
Close to bedrock? Is there "Gold in them thar hills?"
:)
Jackie
There are lots of rocks in nearby provinces here.
Lots of our young people leave and move to western Canada to work in the oil fields. Since the oil industry is in decline, we do have some young people around now.
The islands are different but beautiful in their own ways.
This place is a wonder in many ways.
In Newfoundland, it takes a lots of hard work to make soil for planting.
The red stone is beautiful!
The earth's many geological components is a wonder.
That is so interesting. One area with no rock and one that has to add dirt. I'm learning a lot about your area. Thanks for sharing.
Such an incredible planet with so much to offer!
Eastern Canada is a great place, Barbara.
How very educational, Marie. Who would guess that with such close proximity there could be such a vast difference! Rocks or potatoes. Take your pick?!?! :)
We were lucky enough to live on both islands.
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