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Friday 24 September 2021

Close to home

Twenty kilometres from Summerside, the small community of Wellington is an integral part of Evangeline, the French region of Prince Edward Island. My husband and I enjoy riding to Wellington on our bikes. On the last full day of summer, we explored part of Wellington, near the Confederation Trail, which we hadn’t done before. It was a sunny day, without a breeze.


Mi’kmaq people, the first people of the island, were familiar with the valley of the Ellis River for many centuries before the Europeans arrived. They travelled through the valley on their way from the Northumberland Strait in the south to Malpeque Bay on the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the north. Europeans arrived in the area in 1833 and over time, the Mi’kmaq migration ceased. Like so much of Canadian history, the ancestral people of the land were relegated to small parcels of their own land.


Meanwhile the newcomers established themselves in the area and eventually the name Wellington came into common use. By 1836, they had dammed the Ellis River and later, a mill was established there. Today, a mill stone is on display at a park in the area, a runner stone from the old mill. 





A fish ladder on the river isn’t busy with fish this time of year but the sound of the running water fills the senses. 





A bridge over the ladder provides a close up of the ladder below and the sky reflected on the water.



Nearby, tennis courts make up part of the recreation facilities in the area and are quiet like the playground that time of day.





Across a road, a caboose from the old railway which ceased operations decades ago, is well maintained. 





With it is a speeder used by railway work crews as they repaired and maintained the rail line.





The Ellis River is picture perfect as we relax and enjoy the area. Autumn is working its magic here.





We crossed the bridge at the back of the park and discovered trails which parallel the river. We will be back for a picnic and to explore those trails.






28 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

I always feel nostalgic when I see an old railway caboose. And on the prairies, we called speeders "jiggers" instead. When we kids were busy playing outside and heard the jigger come back at the end of the afternoon, we knew it was time to go home for supper. They were our wrist watches then, LOL!

Rose said...

What a great place to explore more. I would love to see more.

eileeninmd said...

Hello,

You have a found great place to picnic, hike and bike. I like the caboose, the fish ladder bridge and reflections, lovely captures. Take care, enjoy your day. Have a happy weekend!

Anvilcloud said...

Looks so pleasant with the dam, fish ladder, caboose and trails.

Linda said...

I feel it coming. And for the first time in my life I will have seasons....real seasons. Perhaps not as extreme as PEI but seasons nonetheless. I plan on experiencing and enjoying them. I've watched you do it for a number of years now. I can't wait.

Ruth Hiebert said...

Those reflections are stunning.

Bill said...

Beautiful and peaceful area. My favorite photos are the last two, fine looking bridge and nice reflections. Have a great weekend!

Pam said...

Beautiful place. The water looks so pretty. I need to garb my camera and get out a bit.

Elephant's Child said...

It looks truly beautiful - though I feel for the first people relegated to pockets of their lovely land.
Fish ladders always blow me away...

Debbie said...

oooooh i love the caboose, i am such a lover of trains!! this looks like a great place to explore, the pictures are so pretty!!

what a lovely bridge, the reflections are so pretty!!

DJan said...

It seems to be full summer, until I see the color change in the leaves. Lovely, and very much appreciated by me, one of your biggest fans. :-)

William Kendall said...

Old cabooses make a photogenic sight.

Helen said...

Such a lovely park for old and young.

At Home In New Zealand said...

What a beautiful and interesting spot to visit - and more to explore! Sounds wonderful :)

Joanne Noragon said...

Great photography.

Red said...

Awesome photos of a great fall day.

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

What a lovely day you had! I love the fish ladder, trails parallel to the water, and red caboose. I always think those need to be turned into something charming like a coffee shop. They are so cute!

The Padre said...

My Gosh , What A Lovely Bike Ride - Showcased Many Highlights - Well Done

Cheers

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

I enjoy finding these little bits of railway history on my travels. The large number of railway enthusiasts ensures that they are always in immaculate condition. Just slight signs of Autumn here too.

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

Great sunny daylight for lovely photos. The river adds charm to the area.

photowannabe said...

I so enjoy seeing all the wonderful places you go on your bikes.
What a fantastic way to spend the last day of summer.
Beautiful photos of the area.
Enjoy your weekend.
Sue

peppylady (Dora) said...

Sound like wonderful place to ride our bike to.
Coffee is on and stay safe

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Looks like you had a fine day out, Marie.

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

Marie,
It is truly a beautiful area and thank your for sharing its history.

HWIT BLOGG said...

Lovely, lovely pictures from a beautiful place...
Have a great sunday!
Titti

Barwitzki said...

Nice bike tour that you had. Mills used to be omnipresent, here in our country there were also many water mills.
The fish ladder is exciting ... have you ever seen fish. I once saw salmon jumping up the stairs. This is very impressive ... and rarely seen for sure.
Thank you for the nice pictures. Enjoy the autumn. Many greetings from Viola.

baili said...

spectacular images dear Marie !

the water is always refreshing thing to be close indeed ,thank you for the such beautifully captured photos the =y made me feel there almost :)

John's Island said...

Great photos, as always. I think you know I love ships, but not sure you know I also love trains. So, my favorites in this post are the ones with the CN caboose and the speeder. It's so neat that they kept a speeder for the display. When they decided to close the rail line across PEI I wish I could have been there. It would have been a dream to take the speeder from one end of the island to the other with my camera snapping photos all the way. :-)