Province House National Historic Site of Canada

The birthplace of Confederation and the seat of Prince Edward Island's provincial legislature since 1847, Province House National Historic Site stands as a landmark in Charlottetown. Visitors can learn about the history of the site and the current Legislative Assembly through guided tours, displays and an audio-visual presentation. The Prince Edward Island Legislature first met in private homes and taverns and, as a door keeper to the legislature remarked, this made for 'a damn queer Parliament'. In 1837 the lieutenant governor, Sir John Harvey, made plain to the legislature his alarm at the colony having no building for the safe custody of its public record. No one could disagree, and there was warm support for a vote of £5,000 to provide a legislative building to house the two branches of the legislature, as well as colonial offices.