All aboard!
Thousands celebrate Canada 150 in Summerside aboard tall ships
Four impressive vessels shadowed the scenic Summerside waterfront in honour of Canada turning 150.
The Picton Castle, a former British sea trawler built in 1928, is no stranger to the grasp of the great weather systems after sailing the world six times.
Liz Boulanger, from Saint John, N.B., is the second engineer on the Picton Castle. She’s seen everything from the dazzle of the Milky Way envelope the inky sea and black sky, to the curl of waves several feet high into wild and distant waters during her 10-month seafaring adventure.
“Last night we were sailing across the Gulf of Maine on our way to Summerside, and in the backdrop we could see the Milky Way,” she recalled. “There was a bioluminescence in the sea, so the stars were in the sky and [reflected] in the water, and we were leaving sparkles in our wake.” The three-masted vessel based in Lunenburg, N.S., is best known for its sail training adventures around the world. “We have 12 professional crew and 40 trainees from around the world, plus one cat,” smiled Boulanger.
The cat, Fiji, named after the small Pacific Island where it was found, has sailed around the world longer than most of the crew.
“When I first joined the crew I got horribly sea sick, and I would just lie in my bunk for days and Fiji would come and lay beside me,” said Boulanger. “The cat just knows when people need comfort and will make her rounds and be there for them.” Thousands clambered aboard the Picton Castle on Saturday to experience, if only for a moment, life at sea while foaming waves tumbled in the wind and creaked underneath the 179-foot vessel.
Allison Steele, the ships purser, says it’s great to see the community come together in Summerside on Canada Day, as well as be docked on home waters.
“We’re very happy with our small ports, and we love coming home because our reception is always so warm.” She added, “Canada Day brings the community together.”
The tall ships were the highlight of the Summerside waterfront event, which also included stage performers, food vendors, bouncy castles, face painting, and evening fireworks.
“Last night we were sailing across the Gulf of Maine on our way to Summerside, and in the backdrop we could see the Milky Way.” Liz Boulanger