Montague (Prince Edward Island)

Montague is a community of 2000 people (2016) in the town of Three Rivers in Kings County, Prince Edward Island. Montague is the largest population centre in the county and straddles the Montague River. It functions as a regional service centre for the eastern end of the province.

Understand
Montague was amalgamated with the town of Georgetown, the rural municipalities of Brudenell, Cardigan, Lorne Valley, Lower Montague, and Valleyfield, and portions of three adjacent unincorporated areas in 2018.

Like much of the province, the area's three main industries are fishing, farming and tourism. Montague is home to many independent businesses, along with several chains primarily in the North End.

Montague has a public wharf in Lower Montague on the south shore of the Montague River at Wightmans Point Road.

History
Jean-Pierre Roma, an Acadian French merchant, settled in 1732 on a site a few miles east of present-day Montague that he called Trois Rivieres, now the Three Rivers. It is now a designated historic site, which explains how he established there an international trading post. The French Army on Ile St. Jean were defeated by the British in 1745, and the Acadian population was deported and lost all their possessions.

At the time of Samuel Holland's survey in the 1760s, Georgetown was designated as the shire town of Kings County. The Montague River was the southernmost of three rivers draining the area. The river traces its name to either George Brudenell, 4th Earl of Cardigan (later George Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu), John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, or Montague Wilmot, Governor of Nova Scotia (which then included present-day Prince Edward Island) at the time of Holland's survey.

Get in and around
The community is 44 km east of Charlottetown and 15 km southwest of Georgetown. There is no public transit to or in the town. It is small enough to walk around.

See

 * Montague's main attraction is the community itself, aptly named "Montague the Beautiful" for its tree-lined streets, tranquil river and stately buildings. Other draws include the Canada Tree, the Montague Curling Club, Cavendish Farms Wellness Centre, Montague Regional High School, the Down East Mall, Station Street Adventure Company, and Gillis' Drive-In Restaurant (in Brudenell). The former train station has been renovated into a café, gift shop and information centre, looking out over the river.

Do
Montague celebrates its birthday the first week of July every year with an annual tradition called Montague Days, with activities including midway, buskers, soap box derby, Miss Montague contest, a pet parade, a parade, and a fireworks display on the Montague Waterfront to wrap up the weekend long festival. The Montague Waterfront also plays host to musical acts and various other activities all weekend long.

Montague is a starting point of the Confederation Trail, a rail-to-trail linking many communities across PEI.