The perfect afternoon - "Mouse-hunting" in Charlottetown!

Unknown to many, there is a wee mouse darting in and around historic downtown Charlottetown. One so infamous that he was actually thrown off Church property! 

Eckhart the mouse, is the main character in a charming Island storybook written by David Weale and illustrated by Dale McNevin.

In the summer of 2009, the business group Downtown Charlottetown, created a historical scavenger hunt by placing nine little Eckhart statues in and around the downtown area. They also made available a map of clues to help track down the little fellow. (Some are quite easy to find but not all...keep looking!)

Trouble began when St. Dunstan's Basilica ordered that the mouse which had been placed on church property be removed. No rodents allowed! You can read more about it here: Fictional mouse banished from church grounds.
As David Weale explains in this article: "Eckhart the mouse is named after one of the great Roman Catholic mystics of the medieval age, Meister Eckhart, who was excommunicated by the church for his views," he said. "Now it's happened again. His little namesake has been excommunicated."

So, there you have it. The Island's famous little Eckhart, the first excommunicated mouse! Have fun finding him while learning a bit about Charlottetown's history along the way! 

If you really want to get to know Eckhart, you must pick up a copy of Crumbfest - it's sweet and special and such a nice keepsake for both those of us here and those of you visitng "from away".

You can download a copy of the map here: Eckhart in the City or visit the Island Tourism Office in Founder's Hall - it looks like this...