initially consisted of three buildings, the main building being 90 X 60ft, and the two buying houses, 90 x 32ft and was run by Neil MacKay, with Andrew Lewis as secretary. The machinery was initially run by steam and fifteen to twenty people were employed in the early years of the factory. (47)

It was reported in November of that same year that 130 tons of potato starch had been sent from the factory at St. Peters Bay. (48) Aside from a few orders that went to Quebec, most of the starch was sent to England. The railway provided a convenient means of transport for the starch that was exported. One of the reasons that the starch industry began to boom at this time, as recorded in an article in the Examiner in 1885 was that: '

When the majority of starch factories on the Island were started, the United States imposed a duty of 1 cent and 20 per cent ad valorem. Under this tariff the Island factories could easily compete in the United States markets, and make the business a paying speculation. (49)

Some of these markets included Wabasso, Dominion Textiles, Canada Cotton, and on a smaller scale, the local confectioners and bakers.

The starch factory in St. Peters was one of fourteen on the Island. Most of the farmers in the area sold their potatoes to the starch factory, some of whom had to wait in long lineups all day to unload their potatoes. Roddie Pratt recalled that:

There were would be cartloads of potatoes from every farmer from miles around lined up on the road waiting for a chance to get in on the scales. Roy MacLean was the general manager of it then and the PEI Starch Company owned it. It was quite a factory; its too bad they didn’t keep it open. It was about the only economic Industrial boost that this area had. (50)

According to Stewart MacEwen, “Whatever potatoes you could not fit into your basement, you took to the factory.” (51) In addition to the economic aspect of the factory, residents such as Glendon MacKinnon recall other aspects of the starch factory’s presence within the community:

The factory was next to the Pine Brook School that I attended.* Every day at noon the whistle would blow at the factory, which we

could hear at the school. We would all take ojj‘ for lunch whether we were strapped to the desk or not. (52)

* The Pine Brook School was St. Peters South School.

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