Souris (Prince Edward Island) - town in Prince Edward Island, Canada

Souris (pronounced soor-ee) is a town of 1200 people (2011) in eastern Prince Edward Island.

Understand

Souris was founded by French-speaking Acadians in 1727 as a fishing settlement at the mouth of the Souris River. These early settlers experienced several plagues of field mice in the surrounding area during the 1720s-1760s (the name is French for "mouse").

Get in

By car

• Souris is 82 km from Charlottetown along Highway 2, and 70 km from the ferry from Nova Scotia to Wood Islands along Routes 313 and 315 and Highways 4 and 2.

By public transit

• T3 Transit, +1 902-566-9962. Operates transit services around Prince Edward Island. 2022-08-08 From Monday to Friday, there are three trips per day each way between Charlottetown and Souris' ferry terminal, taking about 1 hour 35 minutes to 1 hour 55 minutes, depending on the trip.

By boat

• CTMA, +1 418 986-3278. A cruise on the N.M. Madeleine completes the five-hour crossing between Souris and Cap-aux-Meules in the Îles-de-la-Madeleine daily. The ship offers services including a cafeteria, dining room, cinema, a kindergarden, cabins and a show. 3-11 crossings a week, depending on the season. Arrive at least one hour before departure. High season rates (Jun 25-Sep 14): car $97, trailer/RV $8/foot, motorcycle $35, adult passenger $52, senior $42, child 13 and under $26. Low season rates are 30-40% lower. Reserve and pay a deposit online, then pay the balance on board during the trip 2017-05-12

Get around

See

The town has many well-preserved historical buildings, including the Matthew and MacLean Building, Souris Customs House and Post Office, and the McQuaid Building.

There is a lighthouse overlooking the harbour.

Do

• Kitesurfing is popular in Souris and nearby beaches. Souris Beach is an intermediate level beach, and has good wave conditions when winds blow from the Southwest. Nearby beaches of Little Harbour, Basin Head, and other nearby beaches generally have good conditions in southwest and southeast winds.

Buy

• McPhee's Grocery on Main St (Highway 2).

Eat and drink

• 21 Breakwater, 21 Breakwater St., +1 902 687-2556. W Th 11:30AM–8PM; F Sa 11:30AM–9PM. Fine dining in Souris in a heritage House overlooking the harbour. 2017-05-16
• Lot 45 Pub, 41 Breakwater Street, +1 902-687-3908. Daily 7AM-midnight. Pub food and local beer. Breakfast $7-14; pub meals $9-20 2017-05-16
• Inn at Bay Fortune, Bay Fortune (12 km W of Souris). Widely recognized as the best dining on PEI. The menu was developed by chef Michael Smith, and his Food Network series The Inn Chef was filmed at the Inn. Smith has left to focus on his television programme, but the quality of the food has not decreased. Chef Warren Barr offers a daily tasting menu. The restaurant has been awarded three stars (the maximum) by the Where to Eat in Canada dining guide. 2020-07-10

Sleep

• Rollo Bay Inn, 1067 Lower Rollo Bay Rd, +1 902 687-3550. Restaurant, AC, bike rental. A little west of town overlooking the bay. From $80 double 2017-05-16
• McLean House Inn, 16 Washington Street, +1 902 687-1875. Panoramic views of the Colville Bay and Souris Harbour in a tranquil setting. 7 unique bedrooms, named after a point of interest in the area. From $150 2019-05-09

Connect

Go next

• Îles-de-la-Madeleine via the CTMA ferry