Entry Island, Quebec - further off the beaten track

Before going to Entry Island, I thought that the Magdelene Islands were remote. Entry Island is 20 9 miles off the coast of the Magdelene Islands, which are in turn many miles away from Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. You might be a little vague on Canadian geography (as am I), so allow me to explain more clearly: this place is really far away from wherever you are. (unless, dear reader, you are an Islander yourself).

The residents are even more isolated because they are anglophone in a very francophone region. The nearest English-speaking community is Nova Scotia.

The island has approximately 24 inhabitants during the winter a few hundred inhabitants (the number seems to vary depending on whom you ask), with the number swelling to 3 or 4 times as many growing during the lobstering season. There is a school, a charming church, and a small historical museum which outlines family gossip throughout the decades (to me it looks like the island's collective attic) full of photos and general paraphenalia of island life, illustrating family lore throughout the decades.

There are no real bars, but there is a guy who sells beer out of his back door, and you can sit on his patio to drink it. Even the snack bar at the port has the feel of being invited for a drink on a friend's porch, and the only lodging on the island welcomes visitors with open arms (I didn't have a chance to stay overnight). Despite this, most islanders don't really seem to like outsiders much, maybe because their isolation is voluntary (or because most of their visitors are francophone?). Or could it be because visitors come for the day, trample fields on the way to Bill Hill, scare the cows milk-less and generally terrorize the spirit of the place?

The biggest attraction on Entry Island is, well, the aptly named "Big Hill". You can walk the well-trodden path to the top and enjoy and picnic or fly a kite, or just watch the cows and clouds go by and think about just how far away you are from your worldly cares. And if worldly cares and shopping malls mean more to you then fresh breezes and the simple life, then steer clear of Entry Island - it shouldn't be difficult considering its location.

Editor's Note (1): Ree traveled to Entry Island in July, 2005. The island is still there!

Editor's Note (2): Thanks to all the residents who have offered an overwhelming amount of feedback and hilarious point-by-point rebuttals. We hope that the newly (and conspicuously) edited version provides a more balanced look at what some of our readers call home. Don't forget that this is a «blog d'opinion», quoi.

Posted by Ree in Quebec on 24/Apr/2006

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