Tignish Shore, Prince Edward Island — The Atlantic Provinces (North America)
Tignish
Photographed by Jay Noble, August 16, 2026
1. Tignish Marker
Fishing is the backbone of the Village of Tignish and surrounding areas and dates back to 1845 when Frank Arsenault and Thomas J. Caie began trading with the locals. They were followed by W.B. Dead and Captain Hubbard in 1850. By 1852, Tignish was exporting more fish products than any other port on P.E.I.
In 1956, John Myrick and Isaac Hall continued to keep Tignish's fishing community alive by opening J.H. Myrick & Co., which comprised of a general store and other local businesses. The Myricks controlled a significant portion of the local economy for almost 100 years.
The Lowell's Prince Edward Island Directory, published in 1871, refers to Tignish as "the most important fishing station on the Island". The Clow Commission on P.E.I. Fisheries (1884-1888) notes that Hall and Myrick is "the largest shipper on P.E.I." and that it "was doing business on P.E.I. for more than 30 years".
The Daily Examiner, dated April 24, 1899, lists 13 fishing establishments between Tignish and North Cape, 21 between North Cape and Miminegash, and 11 between Tignish and Cascumpec. Of the 45, at least 6 were
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Why Tignish? The western part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, particularly the fishing grounds between Kildare Capes and North Cape, are feeding grounds for many species of fish, including: (1) ground fish - northern cod, hake, haddock, pollock, halibut, and flounder; (2) pelagic fish - American eel, herring, gaspereau, mackerel, Atlantic salmon, trout, smelts, lobster, shrimp, crabs and barnacles.
The Lobster fishery had its start in the 1870s. The invention of the tin can in 1814 made it possible to process and ship lobster meat. With more than 8,000 Islanders involved in the lobster fishery by the 1880s, the federal government of 1889 implemented regulations in an attempt to protect lobster stocks. Some of these were: fixed and shorter fishing seasons, minimum sizes, throwing spawn lobster back, licensing fisherman, fines for poaching, etc. The lobster industry has and continues to be the main fisher on P.E.I.
It was only in the 1960s that P.E.I. became involved in the snow crab fishery (a deep-sea shellfish) as well as in the bluefin tuna fishery. The bluefin tuna, dubbed "the king of all fish" by Ernest Hemingway, is highly desirable in Japanese cuisine. The fishery boomed in the 1970s.
Tignish Fishermen's Co-op Royal Star Foods
Prior to the formation of the co-op, fishermen fished for a privately owned fishing enterprise, did not own their boat or gear and were paid a share of the catch. The fishermen rarely saw cash as the company advanced credit in the form of currency refundable only at their store.
The Tignish Fishermen's Union was formed and, in 1925, with the help of a local businessman, raised the financing necessary to own and operate a factory. On September 12, 1925, Station No. 1 Fishermen's Union of Prince Edward Island was incorporated under the laws of the province.
This is the first incorporated fishermen's union in Canada. The union went into the business of processing lobster and other fish. In 1995, construction of the current facility began and the marketing company, Royal Star Foods Ltd., was formed as a subsidiary of Tignish Fisheries Co-operative Association Ltd.
L e Village de Tignish ainsi que les communautés environnantes ont essentiellement été fondés sur la pêche; l'industrie de la pêche date de 1845 lorsque Frank Arsenault et Thomas J. Caie ont commencé l'échange de poisson avec les gens locaux. Ils furent suivis par W.B. Dean et le Capitaine Hubbard en 1850. Arrivé à 1852, Tignish exportait déjà plus de produits de poisson que n'importe quel autre port de pêche de l'Île.
En 1856, John Myrick et Isaac Hall ont continué à assurer la survie de la communauté de pêche de Tignish en ouvrant J.H. Myrick & Co., qui comprenait un magasin général et autres commerces locaux. Les Myrick ont contrôlé une portion significative de l'économie locale pendant près d'un siècle.
Le Lowell's Prince Edward Island Directory, publié en 1871, indique que Tignish est « le port de pêche le plus important à l'Île ». La Clow Commission on the P.E.I. Fisheries (1884-1888) signale que l'entreprise de Hall et Myrick est « le plus grand exportateur de l'Î.-P.-É. » puis qu'elle « faisait affaire à l'Île depuis plus de 30 ans ».
Le Daily Examiner du 24 avril 1899 dresse une liste de 13 établissements de pêche entre Tignish et North Cape, 21 entre North Cape et Miminegash, puis 11 entre Tignish et Cascumpec. De ces 45, au moins 6 étaient gérées par les Myrick.
Pourquoi Tignish? La partie ouest du Golf de St-Laurent, et surtout les zones de pêche entre Kildare Capes et North Cape, sont des aires d'alimentation pour de nombreuses espèces de poisson, y compris : (1) les poissons de fond – la morue du nord, le merlu, l'aiglefin, la goberge, le flétan et le flet; (2) les poissons pélagiques – l'anguille américaine, le hareng, le gaspereau, le maquereau, le saumon de l'Atlantique, la truite, l'éperlan, la capucette et le thon rouge; et (3) les crustacés – le homard, la crevette, le crabe et la balane.
La pêche au homard a débuté vers les 1870. L'invention de la boîte de conserve en 1814 a rendu possible la conservation et l'exportation de la viande de homard. Puisque plus de 8 000 insulaires travaillaient dans l'industrie de la pêche dans les années 1880, le gouvernement fédéral a imposé des règlements en 1889 en vue de protéger la ressource de homard. Parmi ceux-ci, on comptait des saisons de pêche fixes et de plus courtes durées, des tailles minimales, la remise à l'eau des femelles portant des œufs, les licences de pêches, les amendes pour le braconnage, etc. L'industrie du homard était et continue toujours d'être la pêche principale à l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard.
Ce ne fut que dans les années 1960 que l'Île a commencé à participer à la pêche au crabe des neiges (un crustacé pris en haute mer) et à la pêche au thon rouge. Le thon rouge, surnommé « le roi de tous les poissons » par Ernest Hemingway, est en forte demande dans la cuisine japonaise. Cette pêche fut en plein essor dans les années 1970.
Erected 2012 by Tignish Initiatives Corporation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1845.
Location. 46° 56.777′ N, 63° 59.676′ W. Marker is in Tignish Shore, Prince Edward Island. It is on Harbour Road, on the right when traveling north. At Fisherman's Haven Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 107 Harbour Road, Tignish Shore PE C0B 2B0, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Maritimes and in Atlantic Canada. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony and also the Viceroyalty of New France.
Other nearby markers. At least 2 other markers are within 8 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Myrick Shore (here, next to this marker); Yankee Gale (approx. 6.7 kilometers away).
Credits. This page was last revised on August 27, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 18, 2026, by Jay Noble of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. This page has been viewed 11 times since then. Photo 1. submitted on August 18, 2026, by Jay Noble of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
