The Canadian Oyster

What makes an oyster Canadian and can the salty waters that host this bivalve ever really be claimed by a nation? Perhaps not and yet the Malpeque oyster, harvested from the bay of the same name on Prince Edward Island/Epekwitk, are world-known. Philine spent a month on the island learning about local histories, the meanings of names and their transformations over time, devastating diseases, and the reinvention of lost traditions. From assisting oyster freelancers during catering gigs to delving into public land records, it became clear that oysters have provided different kinds of livelihoods on the island for decades, creating multifaceted lifeworlds of oysters and those who work with them.