Greenwich is an unincorporated Canadian rural community located in
eastern Prince Edward Island. Located on the Greenwich Peninsula, which
extends northwest from St. Peters, creating St. Peters Bay, the
community of Greenwich is located in the north western part of Kings
County at 46°26' north, 62°38' west.
Primarily a farming hamlet, the westernmost part of the Greenwich
Peninsula - fronting on the Gulf of St. Lawrence and part of Prince
Edward Island National Park - is an extensive sand dune field covering
dozens of hectares, as well as several sand beaches. Mostly used by
local residents until the 1970s, the Greenwich peninsula was largely
unknown to tourists as it did not have good roads and was not near major
attractions.
This changed after a New York City real estate developer purchased
several abandoned farms and part of the dune field in the area during
the 1980s and proposed a major golf course and exclusive resort on the
property, creating a stir in publicity and causing an outcry among
Islanders who feared loss of access to the area, and by
environmentalists, who feared irreparable damage to the ecosystem.
Islanders and tourists began to explore Greenwich's dune fields in
increasing numbers and the pedestrian and frequently, illegal motorized
vehicle use, was causing damage to the dunes. After seeking, and
receiving, the UNESCO designation, the provincial government held many
public meetings which resulted in the government acquiring the land as
part of a real estate swap with the American developer.
Local Member of Parliament Lawrence MacAulay was elected to the riding
of Cardigan in 1988 and became a Cabinet minister in the government of
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien in 1993. MacAulay lobbied for Parks Canada
and the provincial government to come to an agreement that would see the
Greenwich property added to Prince Edward Island National Park.
The national park was officially expanded in 1998 when 6 square
kilometres of the Greenwich Peninsula were transferred from the
provincial government to Parks Canada. Parks Canada has implemented a
development plan which has controlled access to the dune field and
prevented pedestrians and motorized vehicles from trespassing on
sensitive areas. A visitor centre was constructed and a new beach
complex was built at the eastern end of the property.