Welcome Back, Canada
By The Store Team
On July 18th, Prince Edward Island officially reopened to vaccinated Canadian travellers through the PEI Pass system. After sixteen months of restricted travel — sixteen months of an Island that felt emptier than any of us had ever known — we're open again.
You can feel the difference already. The harbour is busy. The restaurants along the shore have lineups again. The beaches at Cavendish and Brackley have blankets and umbrellas spread across them the way they're supposed to in July. The Confederation Bridge is carrying traffic in both directions, and it's not just Islanders heading to Costco in Moncton anymore.
Tourism is PEI's lifeblood. Everyone knows that, but the pandemic made it visceral. When the visitors stopped coming, you could see it everywhere — in the empty parking lots, the quiet shops, the seasonal businesses that didn't know if they'd survive. The Atlantic Bubble last summer — July to November 2020 — gave us a taste of normalcy, and the Maritimes showed up for each other in a big way. But it wasn't the same. This feels closer to the real thing.
At the store, we're seeing the seasonal bump we've missed. Cottagers are coming back across the bridge and stocking up — paint for the deck, a new screen door, propane fittings for the BBQ, all the deferred maintenance from a year away. Outdoor living projects that got put on hold are back in motion. The phone is ringing more. The parking lot is fuller. It feels good.
PEI took a careful approach to the pandemic, and it worked. We were the last province in Canada to record a COVID-19 death — that didn't happen until January 14, 2022. That's not luck. That's the result of Islanders following the rules, looking out for each other, and accepting real sacrifices to keep each other safe. We gave up a lot to protect this small community, and we should be proud of that.
So to the visitors crossing the bridge, flying into Charlottetown, pulling your camper into the campground — welcome back. We missed you. The Island missed you. Stop in and see us if you need anything. We're here, we're stocked, and we're glad the place is full again.