Prince Edward Island (PEI) is the smallest of Canada's provinces and has a population of about 135,294. PEI is nestled in the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the east coast of Canada. Measuring just 224 kms by 40 kms (only 3 kms at the narrowest point!) and totaling 567,000 hectares (1,400,000 acres). To the mainland Canada, the province New Brunswick, PEI is connected with the 12.9km long "Confederation Bridge".
The capital is Charlottetown and well known to Canadian as the "Birthplace of Confederation" for its role in hosting the 1864 Charlottetown Conference. "And it may be said that here, on little Prince Edward Island was that union formed which has produced one of the greatest nations on the face of God's earth." -- Thomas Heath Haviland, Father of Confederation, circa 1864.

Climate

Spring is comfortable. Late May and early June are alive with colour and temperatures usually range from 8 to 22 degrees C (46 to 71 degrees F). Summer is hot, but rarely humid. We wear short sleeves. Daytime temperatures are usually in the 20s (70s) and can go as high as 32 degrees C (90 degrees F). Autumn is clear and bright. September afternoons can be quite warm, evenings cool. Temperatures range from 8 to 22 degrees C (46 to 71 degrees F). Winter is crisp and clean. Temperatures usually range from -3 to -11 degrees C (26 to 11 degrees F).

Average Snowfall, Rainfall and Temperature

Month	Avg. Snowfall		Avg. Rainfall		Avg. Temperature
	cm	in	mm	in	C	F
JANUARY	67.4	26.9	33.1	1.3	-7.2	19.0
FEBRUARY	56.0	22.4	27.0	1.1	-7.5	18.5
MARCH	48.1	19.2	32.8	1.3	-3.0	26.6
APRIL	28.1	11.2	58.6	2.3	2.7	36.9
MAY	3.5	1.4	89.8	3.6	9.2	48.6
JUNE	0	0	87.5	3.5	14.8	58.6
JULY	0	0	78.5	3.1	18.8	65.8
AUGUST	0	0	90.1	3.6	18.4	65.1
SEPTEMBER	0	0	91.1	3.6	14.0	57.2
OCTOBER	2.8	1.1	109.0	4.4	8.6	47.5
NOVEMBER	18.4	7.4	96.2	3.8	3.1	37.6
DECEMBER	60.5	24.2	59.8	2.4	-3.6	25.5

Employment

Employees in Prince Edward Island are extremely loyal. Almost half (43 percent) of all employees have been with the same employer for more than six years, and 28 percent have stayed for 11 years or more.
PEI is on par with the national average at 8.8 days lost per worker per year due to absenteeism.
And working is something these people enjoy. Average hours worked per annum in PEI is 2,064 higher than any other Atlantic Canadian province and two full weeks per year more than the average Ontario worker!
THE CANADA-PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND Labour Market Development Agreement sets out a new partnership for the design and management of labour market development programs and services for the unemployed in the province of Prince Edward Island.
Under the Agreement, signed in Montreal, Quebec, on April 26, 1997 the governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island will work together to design and tailor labour market employment programs to meet the specific needs of communities, employers and the unemployed on the Island, and to complement provincial programming in this sector.

Economy

While the Canadian economy experienced an improved level of growth in 2004, the Prince Edward Island economy slowed down somewhat. Statistics Canada estimates that the Canadian economy expanded by 2.8 per cent in constant dollars following 2.0 per cent growth in 2003. The Island economy grew by 1.7 per cent in 2004, slightly down from the 1.9 per cent growth a year earlier. Economic performance in 2004 was accompanied by positive employment growth, gains in labour income and strong residential construction activity. Weak retail sales, a decline in export activity and lower tourist numbers were moderating factors. The value of Prince Edward Island’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at market prices for 2004 is estimated to be $4,000 million.
Statistics Canada’s estimates of GDP by industry indicate that in 2004 the leading growth sectors in the province were: health care and social assistance (up by 5.9 per cent), finance, insurance and real estate services (up by 3.8 per cent), wholesale trade (up by 2.1 per cent) and manufacturing (up by 1.9 per cent).
The general rise in the All-Items Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Prince Edward Island was 2.1 per cent in 2004. Leading factors contributing to this rise were higher prices for energy (up by 8.7 per cent) and tobacco and alcohol (up by 8.2 per cent). In Canada prices increased by 1.9 per cent in 2004.
Employment on Prince Edward Island expanded by 0.9 per cent in 2004 to average 66,700 per month, an all-time high, while total labour income increased by 4.8 per cent. The unemployment rate averaged 11.3 per cent in, up from 11.0 per cent in 2003.
Manufacturing shipments on Prince Edward Island reached an all-time high of $1,414.3 million in 2004, an increase of 4.3 per cent. This compares to 2.2 per cent growth in 2003. According to Statistics Canada, the value of P.E.I.’s exports of goods increased slightly: from $640.5 million in 2003 to $643.9 million in 2004, an increase of 0.59 per cent.

Living in PEI

Living in PEI is less expensive than in most places in the country. Particularly when you begin to compare housing costs: recent studies indicate an executive detached two-storey home in Charlottetown costs less than half the amount for the same home in Toronto.
Economic and social development within the province and Atlantic Canada is world class. In a recent Informetrica study comparing the Atlantic provinces against the United Nations Human Development Index, PEI tied for first in the region and placed second, compared to the G7 nations, only slightly behind Canada.

Education

Children who reach the age of six years old on or before November of the year attending school are eligible. Students between the ages of seven and 16 must attend school. Students attend elementary school for Grades 1 through 6. Junior high schools educate students in Grades 7 through 9 while Island high schools offer education for students from Grades 10 through twelve. Almost all school-aged children in the province attend one of the 65 English language or five French language public schools. Approximately one per cent of children in the province attend one of the four privately operated schools. Parents also have the option of home schooling their children.
Prince Edward Island's public schools are operated by three elected school boards and are funded by the provincial government. As specified in the School Act [PDF File],school boards provide for instruction, management of personnel, facilities and the transportation of students. There are in excess of 3,365 computers in Island schools for 24,146 students. The student to computer ratio is approximately 7:1.
Elementary school students study Math, Language Arts, Health, Social Studies, Family Living, Library, Music, Physical Education, and Core French. Most schools have their own web sites. Junior high students study the same subjects along with adding more speciality subjects such as industrial arts, home economics (such as cooking and sewing). At the high school level, students enjoy the option of selecting from a wide range of courses of additional courses such art, computer science, business, career exploration, social studies (geography, history, economics, law, political studies).
There are approximately 30 students in a typical school class. Students eat their lunch in their classroom or in the school cafeteria. There are many school events including sporting activities, along with band trips, trips to the Confederation Centre to see plays, music festivals to compete against other schools, field trips during the summer to local attractions and exchange trips with some other schools.
Students are not required to wear uniforms to school although most schools have a dress code concerning what can be worn. Students can also participate in intramural sports with other students as well as participate in school teams. Students are not required to write entrance exams to enter high school.