Souris, Prince Edward Island
Encyclopedia


Souris is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 port town in northeastern Kings County
Kings County, Prince Edward Island
Kings County is located in eastern Prince Edward Island, Canada.It is the province's smallest, most rural and least-populated county. Kings County is also least dependent upon the agriculture industry compared with the other two counties, while being more heavily dependent on the fishery and...

, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...

. It is located in an area famous for its beaches and potatoes, containing the majority of Prince Edward Island's potato manufacturers.

History

Souris was founded by Acadians in 1727 as a fishing settlement. These early settlers experienced several plagues of field mice
Field mouse
Field mouse may refer to:*in Europe, Asia and north Africa, one of several species of mice in genus Apodemus*in North America, a small vole such as the Meadow Vole*in South America, one of several species of mice in genus Akodon...

 in the surrounding area during the 1720s-1760s (the name is French for "mouse").

Since the 1960s, Souris has hosted an interprovincial ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...

 terminal for the service to Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

's Magdalen Islands
Magdalen Islands
The Magdalen Islands form a small archipelago in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with a land area of . Though closer to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, the islands form part of the Canadian province of Quebec....

. The MV Madeleine is operated by the Coopérative de transport maritime et aérien
Coopérative de transport maritime et aérien
The Coopérative de Transport Maritime et Aérien is a Canadian transportation company operating in Quebec and Prince Edward Island.Labelling itself Groupe CTMA, the company operates the seasonal ferry service from Cap-aux-Meules, Quebec in the Magdalen Islands to Souris, Prince Edward Island using...

 (CTMA).

The town has many well-preserved historical buildings, including the Matthew and MacLean Building, Souris Customs House and Post Office, McQuaid Building, along with others.

Economy

The economy of the area is dominated by the seasonal industries of fishing, agriculture and tourism. There are also several industrial businesses and a good retail sector. The town is home to banks, pharmacies, cafés, restaurants, gas stations, a grocery store and other independent businesses.

Education

Souris is home to three schools, serving grades K-12. Souris Consolidated School currently serves grades 1-7, and Souris Regional High School
Souris Regional High School
Souris Regional High School, is a Canadian secondary school in Souris for students from the north eastern part of Kings County, including the town of Souris....

serves grade 8-12. Ecole La Belle Cloche is Souris' only Francophone school and teaches students from grades K-12.

Currently, the Kindergarten/Nursery is run in what was formerly Rollo Bay Consolidated School, less than five minutes west of Souris. Ecole La Belle Cloche is currently situated in what was formerly Fortune Consolidated School, ten minutes west of Souris.

Sports

Souris has venues for soccer, baseball, basketball, rugby, hockey, football, ringette and other similar sports. There are also several parks in Souris.

External links

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