Summerside's War Effort During WWII

Where in the world is Summerside? It is a small city in Prince County in Canada's smallest province, Prince Edward Island. The province is divided into three counties - Prince, Queens, and Kings, symbolized as the small trees on the provincial crest. They stand beneath the large tree signifying Great Britain, even in the 1940s, referred to as the "Old Country." The majority of Islanders were of Scottish, English and Irish descent and some of the oldest residents still had memories of their motherland. Perhaps because of this, Prince Edward Islanders demonstrated strong patriotism not only in enlistments, but also in their work on the home front.

Where in the world is Prince Edward Island? We display for your interest a 1940 world map.

Summerside was the commercial centre for the surrounding agricultural area. The 1941 census indicated that 5,034 people were living in the second largest community on the Island. Throughout the website, you will note many references to the "Island" or to "Islanders". The town and the Island was a vibrant place to live, as indicated in the attached article written by a newspaperman in 1940. For a sense of the layout of the town, you may view the circa 1945 map.