Charlottetown Webcam – See Canada’s Birthplace

The Charlottetown Webcam looks south down Queen Street from the corner of Richmond Street, in the downtown core of Prince Edward Island’s capital. Victorian brick and stone storefronts line the left of the frame, cars sit at an angle along the curb, and a line of street trees fills the middle distance. The road slopes away toward the water, and on a clear day a strip of Charlottetown Harbour closes the view at the far end of the street. Traffic here is steady rather than heavy, and the sidewalk outside the shops fills and empties through the day. The same block looks like a different place in February, when plowed snow narrows the road and the harbour end of the view turns grey.

About Charlottetown

The camera is mounted on The Guild, the arts venue at the corner of Queen and Richmond Street, which puts it at one end of Victoria Row. Victoria Row is the block of Richmond Street between Queen and Great George, a cobblestone stretch lined with Victorian era architecture, and the Cameron Block, an Italianate building, stands among the storefronts along it. Through the summer months the city closes that block to vehicle traffic, so the row fills with cafe tables while Queen Street, straight ahead of the camera, keeps its normal traffic.

Two of the most significant buildings in the country sit on the north side of that same block. Confederation Centre of the Arts stands on the west side and Province House, a national historic site, on the east. Between September 1 and September 8 in 1864, delegates from the British North American colonies met in Province House for the Charlottetown Conference, the negotiations that led to Canadian Confederation. The city was founded in 1764 and incorporated on April 17, 1855, and the 2021 census counted 38,809 people inside the city and 78,858 across the wider metropolitan area.

Charlottetown is built on low ground, between 0 and 49 meters (0 and 161 feet) above sea level, which is why Queen Street runs downhill toward the shore rather than up. The harbour at the end of the frame forms where three rivers meet, among them the North (Yorke) River and the Hillsborough (East) River, and it opens onto the Northumberland Strait. That sheltered water is deep enough for large vessels, and the port authority opened a dedicated cruise terminal there in September 2007.

Weather and Climate in Charlottetown

Winter is long. January averages a daily high near -3 C (27 F) and a low around -11.5 C (11 F), and the city collects an average of 284.8 centimeters (112.1 inches) of snow in a year, so for weeks at a time the street in front of the camera is white with banks along both curbs. Spring comes slowly after it. April still averages a high of only 7.3 C (45 F) with lows near -1.4 C (30 F), and the trees in the middle of the frame stay bare well into the month.

July is the warmest stretch, averaging 23.6 C (74 F) by day and 14.4 C (58 F) overnight, and the street is at its busiest then, with Victoria Row closed to cars just around the corner. October cools to an average high of 12.6 C (55 F) and a low of 4.6 C (40 F), and the street trees turn before they drop. Weather off the strait can change quickly in any season, so the harbour end of the view can disappear into low cloud and come back inside an hour.

Things to Do Near Charlottetown

Almost everything worth seeing downtown is a few minutes from this corner. Victoria Row begins here, with artisan shops and cafes along the cobblestones, and Confederation Centre of the Arts and Province House National Historic Site stand on the same block. The Guild, the building the camera is mounted on, runs its own theatre program. Confederation Players lead guided walking tours of the streets around Province House, and COWS ice cream has a shop at the corner of Queen and Grafton, one block from this one.

Follow Queen Street downhill in the direction the camera points and it ends at Peake’s Wharf Historic Waterfront, where shops and restaurants sit on the harbour itself. Great George Street climbs back up from the waterfront to Province House between Georgian row houses and stone churches, and it is the most direct way up from the water. West of the downtown grid, Victoria Park has an outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts, the gardens at Government House and a boardwalk along the harbour edge. The Harbour Hippo runs an amphibious land and sea tour out of the waterfront for anyone who wants the city from the water instead.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

Three more Canadian cameras worth a look after this one.

• Halifax Waterfront Webcam
• Fredericton Webcam
• Collingwood Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Charlottetown Webcam located?

The camera is mounted on The Guild, at the corner of Queen Street and Richmond Street in downtown Charlottetown, the capital of Prince Edward Island, Canada. It points south, down Queen Street toward Charlottetown Harbour.

What can you see on the Charlottetown Webcam?

Queen Street and its Victorian storefronts, the corner where Victoria Row begins, street trees and angled parking in the middle distance, and a strip of Charlottetown Harbour at the far end of the street.

What is the weather like in Charlottetown?

Cold winters and mild summers. January averages about -3 C (27 F) by day and -11.5 C (11 F) at night, July averages 23.6 C (74 F) and 14.4 C (58 F), and the city gets an average of 284.8 centimeters (112.1 inches) of snow a year.

Why is Charlottetown called the birthplace of Canada?

Delegates met in Province House, on the same block as this camera, between September 1 and September 8 in 1864. The Charlottetown Conference began the negotiations that produced Canadian Confederation three years later.

What is Victoria Row in Charlottetown?

The block of Richmond Street between Queen and Great George, a cobblestone street lined with Victorian era buildings including the Italianate Cameron Block. The city closes it to vehicle traffic during the summer months.

Do cruise ships dock in Charlottetown?

Yes. Charlottetown Harbour opens onto the Northumberland Strait and is deep enough for large vessels, and the port authority opened a cruise terminal in September 2007. Ships berth at the waterfront at the bottom of Queen Street.

How big is Charlottetown?

The 2021 census counted 38,809 residents in the city and 78,858 in the metropolitan area, which makes it the largest city on Prince Edward Island and the provincial capital.

When is the best time to watch this camera?

Summer afternoons show the street at its busiest, with Victoria Row closed to cars just off frame. Winter is a different picture entirely: snow on Queen Street and a grey harbour at the end of it.

Source: The Guild