Holman’s Island, former resort property being preserved
Colin MacLean
/ Published on June 15, 2015
© Public Archives and Records Office
The lavish
Island Park Hotel on Holman Island opened on June 12 ,1873, closed October 1878
with a reputation for hoards of mosquitos, burned down December 1904.
Nature
Conservancy of Canada continuing
Campaign
to buy 90-acre island in Bedeque Bay
Holman’s Island, site
of the first hotel resort on P.E.I., is on its way to being protected for
future generations.
The Nature Conservancy
of Canada (NCC) is starting a campaign to raise money to buy the 90-acre
island, which sits about one and half kilometres off Summerside’s port in
Bedeque Bay.
The island has a
colourful history as one of Canada’s first major resort. It has changed hands
several times over the years but has been owned by the Clark family for the
last 60.
In a statement, Rodney
Clark and Sue (Clark) Kelly, said they felt it was time to let go of the island
and selling to the NCC allowed them to do that while ensuring the land’s
protection.
The total conservation
project, which includes administrative expenses, the purchase price and various
other costs, comes in at about $530,000.
Most of that money is
already in the bag, but the NCC still has to raise about $130,000, which it is
hoping to do through local private donations. The deal is expected to be
finalized by the end of September.
Julie Vasseur, a
co-ordinator with the NCC, said her organization is interested in Holman’s
Island for a number of reasons, but the foremost would be its ecological
importance to the area as a multi-species bird nesting area and as a remnant of
the area’s old Acadian forests.
“We’re pretty excited
about it honestly, because it’s got such a fascinating history from a cultural
perspective and because of its ecological importance,” she said.
The lavish Island Park Hotel built
on the island by James L. Holman was a destination for wealthy United Empire
Loyalists. Opened on June 12 ,1873, it
had upward of 100 rooms, a barbershop, bowling alley, banquet halls, bars and
immaculately maintained trails and grounds. A ferry, called The Frank, took
people over from Summerside. It also had mosquitoes and lots of them. Most of
the articles written about the resort during its years of operation mention
hordes of bloodthirsty mosquitoes descending on the guests from the salt
marshes on the island. This didn’t stop Holman from trying to make a go of the
business. He next tried appealing to the upper echelons of Island society as
well. Trains would run up from Charlottetown and for $2.25 customers got their
train ticket, diner and entertainment. Diners, according to a bill of fare from
July, 1874, included: mock turtle or oyster soup, boiled salmon or fried trout,
beef, lamb, chicken and caper sauce. There was also cold dishes, like ham,
tongue and corned beef, and various kinds of pastries like floating island and
lemon and custard pies. Despite Holman’s efforts, the business was a failure.
Not enough guests came. In October of 1878 the hotel closed and Holman died six
days later. The property burned down in early December of 1904.
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