Chapter 2 SOUTHPORT THEN AND NOW

“Southport Wharf” by James Harris, 1923. This watercolour is a gift of the Robert Harris Trust and is part of the Permanent Collection of Confederation Centre Art Gallery and Museum.

As indicated by the foregoing, it has been Southport’s fate to be always viewed in relation to Charlottetown. The James Harris portrait “Southport Wharf” records the view of the city from our side of the Hillsborough River. Our settlement’s earliest English name, “The Ferry,” came because it was the embarkation point to and from the capital. In “Southport” the English who settled here chose a name from their homeland, but again the reference is to its position in relation to Charlottetown. And while it is amusing to be told by theHaszard’s Gazette journalist that some Charlot- tetonians were “jealous” and “fearful” at the mid-19th century growth of Southport, we suspect that it was but a friendly compliment clothed in jest.

To adopt the same orientation, let us note that our district begins just a mile east of Charlottetown across the causeway bridge. Our main highway is the Stratford Road, which meets the Trans Canada Highway (TCH) at

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