Episode Guest
Ethain Arsenault, Visitor Experience Team Lead
Skmagn-Port-la-Joye-Fort Amherst National Historic Site – Parks Canada
Park Stats
- Where site is located – Rocky Point, PEI
- Site was established – 1958
- Size of the site – 224 acres
- Field Notes
- Established in 1720 by the French
- Site of major deportation of French & Acadians when the British took over the island
- Served as the seat of government for the island until 1768
- 6km (3.7 miles) trail system
- “Skmaqn” (“waiting place” in the Mi’kmaq language) was added to the official name of the site in 2018 to reflect the role of the Mi’kmaq people in the history of this site.
Speed Round
What is your earliest park memory?
This may be cheating, but I’m a second generation parkie, so my parents were Parks Canada folk in Jasper. And I have baby pictures of me in a backpack up on top of mountains and things like that. So I guess it wasn’t me in a park, but I grew up seeing images of me on tops of mountains and around glaciers and that kind of a thing.
What made you love the parks?
When I was a little bit older than that my parents took us from PEI and we went back on a nice trip through the Rocky Mountain National Parks here in Canada. We went through Banff and Jasper and seeing mountains and glaciers and big pine forests and things like that for the first time that was it for me.
What is your favorite thing about Skmaqn-Port-la-Joye-Fort Amherst National Historic Site?
For me, it’s a site that’s not only really important historically, but it has a personal connection. Michel Haché dit Gallant, one of the first Acadian settlers who lived there is one of my ancestors. So when I walk on the site, I get to see some, a place where my family used to be.
What is your favorite thing to do at Skmaqn-Port-la-Joye-Fort Amherst National Historic Site?
There’s a few things, but I think my favorite thing to do is to watch a nice sunset right down by the water, right down by the lighthouse.
What park have you yet to visit but is on your bucket list and why?
Ooh, all the way up in the Yukon. I would love to go to Nahanni National Park. I love to hike and that looks like an amazing place.
What are three must-haves you pack for a park visit?
- Good camera
- Notebook
- Best pair of boots
What is your favorite campfire activity?
I like to cook a nice trout or a mackerel or some other fish that I can catch on a cast iron pan over an open fire.
Tent, camper, or cabin?
Tent, all day long.
Hiking with or without trekking poles?
I’m a recent convert to trekking poles. I wasn’t a believer and I used them in the Grand Canyon, and now I understand.
And what is your favorite trail snack?
Oh, that’s a tough question. Favorite trail snack? I like to pack homemade hummus when I hike.
What is the favorite animal sighting that you’ve had?
I started my Parks Canada career in Jasper National Park. And one time I was driving on one of the secondary roads by myself and a big black wolf crossed a couple hundred yards in front of my car and stopped in the middle of the road and stared at me. And that was my most incredible wildlife experience
What is your favorite sound in the parks?
At Skmaqn, I think my favorite sound is when the trembling Aspen leaves come out for the first time in the spring and they start to flutter in the wind.
What is the greatest gift the parks give to us?
Simplicity
Episode Transcript
Missy Rentz:
Let’s journey to a park whose natives referred to it as a waiting place and ultimately served as the protective fort for the island. It was the home to the Mi’kmaq, French, Acadian, and British over its long and rich history. Join me as we explore Skamaqn-Port-la-Joye-Fort Amherst National Historic Site. I’m your host, Missy Rents, and this is the Parks podcast. I’m excited to welcome Ethain Arsenault, who is the Visitor Experience Team lead Skmaqn-Port-la-Joye-Fort Amherst National Historic Site at Parks Canada. Ethain, welcome to the Parks podcast.
Ethain Arsenault:
Thank you very much for having me, Missy. It’s a pleasure to be here.
Missy Rentz:
I start each episode talking about stats of parks and historic sites, so I’m gonna start that with this location. Skmaqn-Port-la-Joye-Fort Amherst is located on Rocky Point, prince Edward Island. The site was established in 1958. It’s 224 acres and some really interesting facts. Skmaqn-Port-la-Joye-Fort Amherst was established in 1720 by the French. It’s the site of major deportation of the French and Acadians. When the British took over the island, the area served as the seat of government for the island until 1768. It’s. It got a six kilometer or a 3.7 mile trail system and Skmaqn, which means”waiting place” in the Mi’kmaq language, was added to the official name of the site in 2018 to reflect the role of the Mi’kmaq people in the history of the site, which I think is so important. And I think one thing the whole park system does on Prince Edward Island is embrace. The many different cultures and it’s a wonderful place to visit.
Ethain Arsenault:
That’s definitely something we have been working hard on over the last few decades is including Epekwitnewaq Mi’kmaq, so Mi’kmaq from PEI into Parks Canada, places. Of course they’ve always been here. But we have been working more and more closely with them in the presentation and administration of Parks Canada, places here on PEI. Excellent pronunciation of Skmaqn-Port-la-Joye-Fort Amherst By the way, Missy, very well
Missy Rentz:
you. Thank you. I have been practicing it. It’s not easy. Okay, let, there’s a lot to talk about. This site has a lot of history. Why is it important that it is a historic site and part of the Parks Canada system?
Ethain Arsenault:
Yeah, so it is a site that has many stories and we already alluded to a few of them. So as you said in your preamble this was the original administrative capital of what’s now Prince Rhode Island under the English and French regimes. So in 1721 the French established Port-la-Joye here in Prince Edward Island. And it was home to the French administrative capital, but also to quite a population of Acadian settlers here as well. And when these two French speaking peoples were in the area they entered into an alliance with PEI Mi’kmaq with Epekwitnewaq Mi’kmaq and every year at Skmaqn-Port-la-Joye-Fort Amherst, they would come together and. Have ceremonies and exchange gifts and have feasts and renew their alliance. It was also, as you said, the first capital of the British St. John’s Island originally, but Prince Edward Island and remained that for about 10 years.
Missy Rentz:
Was it friendly?
Ethain Arsenault:
Was the interaction between all these people’s friendly? I would not say so. No. No, unfortunately. It seems that the interactions between Mi’kmaq and French were, for the most part friendly. There was a formal alliance between those peoples, and certainly between the Acadians and the Mi’kmaq as well. But when, of course, in these days the English and the French were competing for control over North America and when the fortress of Lewisburg fell in 1758, the English came to Port-la-Joye and took it over by military force and ended up deporting the French inhabitants.
Missy Rentz:
When I ask that,’cause when, certainly when I read the panels and all of the information when I was there and as you’re talking and it’s oh, they get together with a feast and all that stuff and I think there’s this tone of like acceptance or willingness to collaborate and co-exist. But it’s sticky and nasty and can be tough to blend cultures, which I guess in the end, it wasn’t blending. It was, the English and the French were really more forceful.
Ethain Arsenault:
It’s certainly a complex story and as you say, it was certainly not always peaceful. So at the time in 1758 when the English took over Port-la-Joye and it became Fort Amherst, there was somewhat, over 4,000 Acadians living on the island at that time. And so when the English took over and decided they would deport the French speaking people, mostly Acadians. Some 3000 were assembled at Paleo and put on ships and sent for the most part back to towards France. And we have a monument on the site now that speaks to that event because unfortunately something like half of those people did not make the journey. It is quite a somber place, and it is actually the site of an event that we’re gonna be having there in a couple of months. Happens every year on December 13th, which is Le jour du souvenir acadien, the Acadian Remembrance Day that commemorates that event. But at the same time, there’s always this balance of stories because when the deportation was happening we had the English deporting folks, but at the same time the Mi’kmaq allies of the French were helping to hide some Acadian families in the woods. And some managed to escape in that way.
Missy Rentz:
In my notes I talked about how it was in 2018 that you added, the history of the Mi’kmaq. So why, what are you doing now to help tell that story and showcase that history?
Ethain Arsenault:
Yeah, that’s a really good question. So we do a lot of different things. We work closely with Epekwitnewaq Mi’kmaq and we actually co-manage not just our historic site, but the whole field unit, but we co-manage our national historic site. With PEI, Mi’kmaq. And we have things like all of our panels that we put up, interpretive panels way finding are now in three languages. So we have Mi’kmaq, French, and English. We have produced a video that you can see if you come and visit our site, go to the visitor center called”Woven Stories” and hear the story of the four cultures that have lived on the site. And hear snippets of each of the languages inside of that video. And of course, we have certain demonstrations and interpretive activities on throughout the summer.
Missy Rentz:
Yeah, I think when I was there I missed it by one day, but there was an evening event that was, I was really. Excited about, and I just missed my schedule. I love that you showcase a lot of that culture. Then when the French arrived, I think I read there were three boats, like some 300 people came. Why did they wanna come and was it like they had scoped it out or what was the appeal of coming to the island?
Ethain Arsenault:
Yeah, it’s a good question. So people came Port-la-Joye under the French regime for different reasons. So around this time, of course, the fortress of Lewisburg,Louisbourg and what’s now Cape Breton was the major French administrative and military site in Atlanta, Canada. And I don’t know if you or your listeners have ever been to Lewisburg but it’s a beautiful site, but fairly stark, a lot of barren rock in that environment. And if you have to feed a big population in the garrison, it’s a hard place to firm. So a place that you could easily sail to that had an excellent harbor with excellent farmland was very attractive for the French administration. So people came and saw a business opportunity, and when the French administration came over and set up a capital, it became an attractive place for other people to follow. So many of the Acadians that would’ve came through Paul EOIs and settled there or moved farther on up. What they called that if Yel Gen West or the Hillsborough River today and settled on its shores they were fleeing the British in what’s now Nova Scotia. So they were looking for better environments to raise their families.
Missy Rentz:
Okay. Okay. And then it wasn’t long before the British arrived and they took over with the mass deportations of the French and Acadians. And it was under the British control where it became a fort which you definitely see the remains of that on the site now.
Ethain Arsenault:
That’s correct. So if you come to the site and you walk onto the grounds, you will see the grassy earthworks of the old British Ford and you can walk right into them and have beautiful views over the Charlottetown Harbor. But you could also if you are a military buff, see why you might want a fort there at the site where this excellent harbor comes down into a narrows.
Missy Rentz:
And so were they was it a, an area that was under attack? There needed to be the fort there during that time.
Ethain Arsenault:
The fort was established both under the French and the English because they were used to having tensions between English and French. The area had been traded several times before 1758 between the English and the French was given back through treaties and that kind of a thing. But the other thing that they were worried about were privateers. From places like New England. And it turned out that was a well-founded fear as they showed up one time. And s Skima and EOIs Fort Amherst became the site of the only battle fought on Prince Edward Island.
Missy Rentz:
Okay. Private tier, just private people who wanted to take over. Is that the right interpretation of that phrase?
Ethain Arsenault:
So these were folks who would’ve been employed to some degree by the British, or at least encouraged by the British, and would’ve come up to wreak havoc among the smaller French speaking settlements in this area of the world. And so a few ships came into the harbor and managed to drive out the defenders. Who fled up river reassembled themselves, met up with some Acadian Mi’kmaq allies, and then fought their way back down the river and recaptured the fort.
Missy Rentz:
Okay there was the fort and what is their, you mentioned a little bit about the Earth, earth and works, but what can people see there now that, that resembles the fort?
Ethain Arsenault:
Yeah, so what you see now is the earth and work. So you’ll see kind of grass covered walls. You’ll see some kind of divots in the ground where buildings would’ve stood inside of the walls and. If you walk down the hill from the fort towards the coastline, there’s the site of one of the first Acadian houses, and you can still see where that was 300 years ago. The person who lived there was named Michel Ashe Z, and he became one of. The biggest ancestors of French speaking people on Prince Edward Island. So much so that people with his last name Gallant Now, or GAAN in French that’s the second most common surname on Prince Edward Island.
Missy Rentz:
Oh, that’s funny. I like that. And so that’s, when people come to visit, they can check that out. But let’s talk a little bit about planning a trip. Most of my listeners are from the United States and so it’s a little bit different to come to a Canadian park. How would you suggest that someone begin to plan their visit?
Ethain Arsenault:
That’s a great question. Getting to PEI, of course you can take the bridge, you can take the ferry, you can fly here. If you happen to own a boat, that would be a cool way to come here. And when you get to Prince Edward Island, you will wish you had a boat because we are both very close and very far away from Charlottetown. And when you come to the site, you’ll know what I mean. We are just across the harbor from Charlottetown. You can see it very clearly, but you have to drive all the way around the bay to get to us. So it’s about a 35 minute drive from the capital of Prince Island in Charlottetown.
Missy Rentz:
Yes. And to get there being the Amer US citizen that, that did it. You just have to check both of the customs and Immigration, immigration websites just to make sure you have everything that you need. I know we talked about this on the Prince Edward Island episode, but it. Changes periodically, so I don’t wanna talk exactly what you need, it’s passport and I brought my dog so I needed extra things. So I, I do encourage if it is a US citizen that’s going to make sure you’re checking that and can easily get across the border.
Ethain Arsenault:
Yes, that’s correct. It’s always a good good idea to plan in advance for those things when you’re crossing borders.
Missy Rentz:
Exactly. Now when you get there, what are your seasons?
Ethain Arsenault:
Yeah, so we operate a visitor center and programming and that kind of a thing for two months of the year at Skmaqn. In July and August we will have our visitor center open. We have some displays and information inside. You can come and watch our. 16 minute video woven stories. And you can come talk to us friendly park staff but the site is accessible year round to go see the fort and to hike the trails and see the nice views of Charlottetown. Check out some of the wildlife. You can do that any old time.
Missy Rentz:
And how would you advise people spend their time researching before coming? Because it is I I’m torn on historical places sometimes I think it’s valuable in a. Important to do it in advance so you can understand the story. Sometimes I think it’s fun just to show up. I feel like this is a site where you guys do a really good job with your outdoor displays, but what are your thoughts on that? Is this a do your research before you get there?
Ethain Arsenault:
Yeah, so you’re right. We do have a series of interpretation panels outside that you would see no matter if we’re open or not. And they do a good job of kinda laying over the overarching story of the site. But I believe that this is a site that the more research you do, the more you’ll get out of it because it is quite a detailed and nuanced and multifaceted story. And so when you go and stand on the walls of the fort it’s nice to understand. What’s there and what was there before the force?
Missy Rentz:
Yeah, actually you’ve shared a couple of things already in this episode that I’m like, oh, I didn’t know that. Now I’m gotta come back and check it out. What can people do when they visit?
Ethain Arsenault:
So beyond coming to the visitor center, of course, and speaking to us and seeing the video we have, as you said, 6.4 kilometers. Sorry for the American listeners. I’m not very good at the conversion to Miles but it’s a lovely place to come and walk and there’s several sections to our trails. So if you wanna walk, go for a nice walk in the woods or if you want to see some really stunning coastal views see some views of. The kind of cityscape of Charlottetown. You can see all that from there. Or a local favorite thing to do is to come down to the site when a cruise ship is coming into Harbor because they pass right in front of the sites and it is quite a site to behold.
Missy Rentz:
Oh, I bet. And okay, there’s. Two lighthouses on the trail is that,
Ethain Arsenault:
So for the maritime navigational aficionados we have two range lights on site and they differ a little bit. They look a lot like lighthouses. They are basically lighthouses, but they are navigational aids for boats looking for the channel to enter and exit the harbor.
Missy Rentz:
So they’re functioning
Ethain Arsenault:
They’re functioning and you can walk right up to them and see them. And right next door to the site there is the blockhouse lighthouse,
Missy Rentz:
They’re beautiful.
Ethain Arsenault:
to as well. Absolutely.
Missy Rentz:
they’re really beautiful places and there’s, I’m sure strategically like benches to sit near them so you can take in the views and the lighthouse.
Ethain Arsenault:
of course. If you come to PEI in a stormy day, it’s quite a romantic spot to sit and watch the waves at the shore.
Missy Rentz:
I bet. And the clouds, it was very moody the day I was there, so the clouds were intense. I, other things we talked about a little bit about the hiking. I think it’s a, probably a good birdwatching spot.
Ethain Arsenault:
Excellent bird watching spot. This year I noticed we had an awful lot of bald eagles hanging out around the site, so hopefully if you come, you get to see some of those. I’ve seen osprey diving on fish out in the water, out in the harbor. Lots of shorebirds, of course. Lots of activity when you’re along the coast.
Missy Rentz:
Yeah, and it’s not a place you’re gonna spend days. So when it comes to lodging, there’s several historic sites and then of course the National Park, prince Edward Island National Park. But from a lodging perspective, are there options close by or how do you plan that?
Ethain Arsenault:
The lovely thing about Prince Edward Island is that you’re never far from anything. And if you come here, there’s lots of different options. There’s hotels, motels, inns, camping, you name it, it’s pretty close to us. You should be able to find something within a 20 or 25 minute drive without any kind of difficulty, okay?
Missy Rentz:
And the other thing I think is unique about this historic site, sometimes you get’em, I don’t know about in Canada, but sometimes you get’em where you don’t allow dogs, but you. Can take your dogs on the trails in
Ethain Arsenault:
Dogs are very welcome at our site and I would say that’s one of the more popular things to do is to come walk your dogs on our lovely trails.’cause you’ll be in good company.
Missy Rentz:
yes you will. You’ll see a lot of locals walking their dogs on the trails early in the morning out there. What other information should people know when planning a trip to visit you?
Ethain Arsenault:
So when you come to our site if you’re looking for a lot of organized activities and that kind of a thing you may want to look at our website and see what’s going on. We do offer some activities, but they’re on a day-to-day basis. But you should know that it’s a nice spot to come and check out views. Go for a nice walk, and it’s a good place to have a more kinda laid back and contemplative experience rather than something that’s really hands on.
Missy Rentz:
I agree. I think it was really especially if you take the time to read the signs and the displays which are so uniquely, I’m gonna put a picture up on the website.’cause I just think it’s so unique how you all told the story. It’s, it’s really fascinating to read that and then to walk through the site and imagine what it was like during the different eras.
Ethain Arsenault:
Yeah, absolutely. It’s a, it’s an interesting place to think about, challenging histories, but also where now we can all come together and tell those stories and hear those stories and try and heal what was in the past.
Missy Rentz:
Yeah, beautifully said. Ethain. To end each episode, I do a speed round of questions. Just answer with what comes to mind. What is your earliest park memory?
Ethain Arsenault:
This may be cheating, but I’m a second generation parkie, so my parents were Parks Canada folk in Jasper. And I have baby pictures of me in a backpack up on top of mountains and things like that. So I guess it wasn’t me in a park, but I grew up seeing images of me on tops of mountains and around glaciers and that kind of a thing.
Missy Rentz:
What made you love the parks?
Ethain Arsenault:
When I was a little bit older than that my parents took us from PEI and we went back on a nice trip through the Rocky Mountain National Parks here in Canada. We went through Banff and Jasper and seeing mountains and glaciers and big pine forests and things like that for the first time that was it for me.
Missy Rentz:
What is your favorite thing about Skmaqn-Port-la-Joye- Fort Amherst National Historic site.
Ethain Arsenault:
For me, it’s a site that’s not only really important historically, but it has a personal connection. Michel Haché dit Gallant, one of the first Acadian settlers who lived there is one of my ancestors. So when I walk on the site, I get to see some, a place where my family used to be.
Missy Rentz:
And what is your favorite thing to do at Skmaqn-Port-la-Joye- Fort Amherst?
Ethain Arsenault:
There’s a few things, but I think my favorite thing to do is to watch a nice sunset right down by the water, right down by the lighthouse.
Missy Rentz:
What park have you yet to visit, but it’s on your bucket list and why?
Ethain Arsenault:
Ooh, all the way up in the Yukon. I would love to go to Ani National Park. I love to hike and that looks like an amazing place.
Missy Rentz:
What are three must haves? You park, you pack for a park visit.
Ethain Arsenault:
Ooh that’s a good question. I. Three must haves. I always have a good camera with me. I always take a notebook with me and I always bring the best pair of boots I can find.
Missy Rentz:
What is your favorite campfire activity?
Ethain Arsenault:
I like to cook a nice trout or a mackerel or some other fish that I can catch on a cast iron pan over an open fire.
Missy Rentz:
Tent, camper or cabin.
Ethain Arsenault:
Tent all day long.
Missy Rentz:
Are you hiking with or without trekking poles?
Ethain Arsenault:
Yeah. I’m a recent convert to trekking poles. I wasn’t a believer and I used them in the Grand Canyon, and now I understand.
Missy Rentz:
What is your favorite trail snack?
Ethain Arsenault:
Oh, that’s a tough question. Favorite trail snack? I like to pack homemade hummus when I hike. Yep.
Missy Rentz:
What is your favorite animal sighting?
Ethain Arsenault:
I started my Parks Canada career in Jasper National Park. And one time I was driving on one of the secondary roads by myself and a big black wolf crossed a couple hundred yards in front of my car and stopped in the middle of the road and stared at me. And that was my most incredible wildlife experience
Missy Rentz:
What is your favorite sound in the park?
Ethain Arsenault:
down at Skmaqn. And I think my favorite sound is when the trembling Aspen leaves come out for the first time in the spring and they start to flutter in the wind.
Missy Rentz:
And what is the greatest gift that the parks give to us?
Ethain Arsenault:
Simplicity.
Missy Rentz:
Ethain, thank you so much for taking time to teach us about Skmaqn-Port-la-Joye- Fort Amherst, and sharing just your passion for the parks.
Ethain Arsenault:
Thank you so much, Missy. This was very fun. Anytime I hope everyone comes and visits us.
Missy Rentz:
That’s it for today’s episode. Until next time, we’ll see you in the parks.
Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please be sure to like and share on your favorite podcast platform. Music for the parks podcast is performed and produced by Porter Hardy. For more information, please follow us on Instagram at the parks podcast. Or visit our website@theparkspodcast.com.