One of the overlooked treasures of Prince Edward Island is harness racing. Pinette Raceway is one of the more popular tracks that resides in an out of the way spot of woods, just past Mike's Lobster Pound, about 40 km east of Charlottetown on the Trans Canada Highway and 20 minutes outside Green Gables land. The track sports a wooden grandstand and it's not unusual to various forms of wildlife silhouetted against the green and white of the stables and out buildings between races. The grandstands are actually a good place for birdwatchers interested in the goings on of ospreys circling the nearby Pinette River spying out their next meal from on high.
Going to a harness race is like stepping back in time, especially at Pinette Park on PEI. The track is groomed between races by a tractor pulling a huge tree on a chain in order to level off the field. The snack bars sells hot dogs and chips along with locally made muffins.
The atmosphere is very casual and participation is relaxed. All racing is done in the daytime because there are no lights at the track. Racers usually announce themselves and sometimes there are no more than two horses in a race, depending on interest. Harness racing fills in the time between the end of the summer tourist season and before the first snows of winter. The racing continues right through the first chills of wintertime, while the fishermen are winterizing and storing their lobster boats, getting a leg up on next year's session. The horses, like the boats are put up until next year when the ice breaks signaling the beginning of springtime on Prince Edward Island.