Tour My Town Audio Tours

08/02/2026

West Point's Wild West Outlaw: George "Flat Nose" Curry

When most people think of Prince Edward Island, they picture red cliffs, lighthouses, and quiet fishing villages—not notorious Wild West outlaws.

Yet one of the American West's most feared criminals was born right here on the Island.

George Sutherland Currie was born in the tiny community of West Point, Prince Edward Island, in 1871. While little is known about his early years on the Island, his family eventually moved west, where George would trade the peaceful shores of PEI for the lawless frontier of the American West.

There, he became known as George "Flat Nose" Curry, a nickname earned after his nose was broken in a fight.

Curry quickly developed a reputation as one of the toughest and most dangerous members of Butch Cassidy's infamous Wild Bunch. The gang became legendary for robbing banks, trains, and payroll shipments across Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and other western states during the closing years of the nineteenth century.

While Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid became famous through books and Hollywood movies, many historians considered Curry to be one of the gang's most feared gunmen. He was known for his willingness to use violence when necessary and was linked to several deadly confrontations with law enforcement.

Like many outlaws of the era, however, his luck eventually ran out.

In 1900, after years on the run, Curry was tracked down by Sheriff Jesse Tyler in Utah. During the confrontation, Curry was shot and killed, bringing an end to one of the Wild West's most notorious criminal careers.

Today, visitors driving through West Point would never imagine that the quiet fishing community helped produce one of the American frontier's most infamous outlaws. It's one of those remarkable stories that reminds us Prince Edward Island's history reaches far beyond its shores.

The next time you visit West Point Lighthouse and take in the peaceful coastal scenery, remember that one of the Wild West's most notorious bank robbers began his journey in this unlikely corner of Prince Edward Island.

06/29/2026

Last day this lobster season to see the boats out fishing.

06/26/2026

Just saw that our Tignish - North Cape PEI self guided audio tour was included in Tourist Tube's top 4 picks for best tour - things to do in Prince Edward Island.

Discover the top tours and activities in Prince Edward Island, from fly fishing and e-biking to horseback riding and scenic drives. Find your perfect experience.

06/24/2026

Imagine surviving your own hanging. Twice.

On April 6, 1869, more than 1,500 Islanders gathered in Connaught Square in Charlottetown to witness the ex*****on of George Dowie, a sailor convicted of murdering John Cullen after a drunken fight over a woman.

After a highly publicized trial and a religious conversion while in jail, Dowie spent 45 minutes reading a final statement, warning those in attendance to avoid alcohol and a life of crime. He admitted that there was "no sin of which I was not guilty."

Then things went horribly wrong.

As the trap door opened, Dowie dropped fifteen feet to the ground when the rope snapped.

Unconscious and bruised, he was carried back to jail, revived, and briefly believed he had been pardoned.

He hadn't.

An hour later, Dowie climbed the scaffold again. This time the rope held, but the cleat securing it to the scaffold broke, sending him crashing to the ground a second time.

Some spectators believed it was a sign that he was not meant to die that day.

The ex*****oner disagreed.

For a third attempt, Dowie was hoisted up by the rope still around his neck and held suspended for fifteen minutes until a doctor declared him dead.

The crowd booed.

Horrified by what they had witnessed, Islanders demanded an end to public ex*****ons. George Dowie's hanging became the last public ex*****on on Prince Edward Island and one of the last in all of Canada.

06/16/2026

Lots of seagulls kicking back in the parking lot this morning!

06/10/2026

What if you threw a message in a bottle into the ocean... and someone on the other side of the world wrote back?

That's exactly what Harold "The Bottle Man" Hackett of Tignish did.

Beginning in 1996, Harold tossed thousands of bottles into the waters off North Cape, each containing a simple note inviting whoever found it to write back.

Over the next 22 years, he released more than 10,000 bottles.

And people responded.

By 2018, more than 4,800 people had written back after finding one of Harold's bottles on beaches, in fishing grounds, and along coastlines far from Prince Edward Island.

His bottles connected him with people from New Brunswick, North Carolina, England, Holland, Portugal, and many other places around the world. Some became lifelong friends. One woman from England exchanged letters with Harold for nearly 20 years, often mailing them in unusual containers like watering cans, piñatas, and Easter bunnies.

When Harold threw his final bottle into the sea in 2018, he estimated that thousands more were still drifting somewhere in the world's oceans, waiting to be discovered.

Harold has since passed away, but around Tignish he is still fondly remembered as "The Bottle Man"—the Island fisherman who turned a simple message in a bottle into friendships that spanned the globe.

06/10/2026

06/07/2026

PEI folklore warning: If a snake comes rolling after you like a wheel… jump a fence.

Older generations around the Tignish area have long told stories about the legendary “Hoop Snake”. A strange serpent said to grab its tail in its mouth and roll after people like a giant living wheel.

According to folklore, the hoop snake only rolled when attacking. If it needed to pass through a fence, it had to straighten itself out first, giving its target a chance to escape.

The stories described the creature as being roughly the size of a steering wheel and moving with incredible speed while in pursuit.

Whether real or just a tale passed down through generations, the legend of the hoop snake became part of the strange and wonderful folklore of Western PEI.

Believe it… or maybe don’t!

Have you ever heard stories about hoop snakes growing up on PEI? We heard about them quite often when we were children.

Wikipedia has more information on them if you want to check it out.

06/03/2026

PEI's WWI Flying Ace

A young man from Alberton made aviation history during the First World War.

On December 12, 1917, Wendell Rogers of Alberton, Prince Edward Island became the first Allied fighter pilot to shoot down one of Germany's massive Gotha bombers.

The Gotha was one of the most feared aircraft of the war. These giant bombers carried out long-range raids over England and were difficult targets for fighter pilots to bring down.

During an aerial battle high above the front lines, Rogers successfully attacked and destroyed one of the bombers, becoming the first Allied pilot to achieve the feat.

For his courage and skill, he was awarded the Military Cross.

Not bad for a young Islander from Alberton.

Today, Wendell Rogers remains one of PEI's lesser-known war heroes, but his place in aviation history is secure.

Learn more interesting stories like this on one of our audio tours of Tignish and Charlottetown.

06/03/2026

I might be bias, but I recommend this tour! 😉