Port-la-Joye–Fort Amherst, Archaeological site and national historic site near Rocky Point, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Port-la-Joye–Fort Amherst is a national historic site and archaeological site on the southern shore of Charlottetown Harbour, in Afton, Prince Edward Island. The grounds preserve grass-covered earthworks and low ridges that trace the outlines of a French settlement and a later British fort.
French colonists established Port-la-Joye in 1720 as the first lasting European settlement on Prince Edward Island. British forces took control of the site in 1758 and built Fort Amherst, which marked the beginning of British rule over the island.
The site was a meeting point between French colonial officials and the Mi'kmaq community, who gathered here each year for ceremonies and shared meals. Panels along the trails explain how these regular meetings shaped the relationship between the two groups over time.
The site sits on a peninsula along the harbour and is best explored on foot along marked trails with interpretive panels. Arriving earlier in the day or on a weekday tends to give you more space to move around at your own pace.
Excavations at the site uncovered house foundations belonging to Michel Haché and Anne Cormier, who were among the first Acadian families to settle on the island. These foundations are among the few physical traces left by those earliest settler families anywhere on Prince Edward Island.
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