ESSAY ON ISLAND HERITAGE Prince Edward Island - to be sure one could find no better or more unique concise definition af the adjectives beautiful, picturesque and mag¬ nificent. In fact, the words themselves are but pale descriptions of the total positive qualities of this fair isle. It is no wonder that visitors who are and have been world travellers compare this magic isle to the pastural areas of the old countries of and . When one considers this comparison he finds the chief reason why our ancestors, those hard crofters and peasants of and , made this island, on its beautiful red sandstone base, their home. Hence we have the reason why this island province is about 98 percent Celtic in its popu¬ lation composition. In fact it has been said that this province is not a heterogeneous popu¬ lation like the rest of but a homogenous population; in other words, Prince Edward Island is a nation. It could also be stated that this Island Nation may be one of the only areas of the world which has a 98% Celtic population. Independence, hard work, reliability, persev¬ erance, toughness and a stubborness to the point of never yielding are characteristics traditionally associated with the Celtic people of France and ; and these characteristics are clearly pronounced in the Island's population. Perhaps the two most unique characteristics of the Celtic people and Islanders has been their love of freedom and the consistent will not to be dominated by outside forces. One has just to remember the love of freedom and resistance to domination given in the Scottish Highlands, the roughlands of and Brittany , in Ireland and the Cornish and Devon areas of England . This rude independent spirit can be seen in Islanders today and in the past. Prince Edward Island did not easily 9/ quickly give up their independence to join Con¬ federation with the rest of Canada . In fact, it took Islanders six years longer to join Confederation and only then because of severe financial difficulties