Ready for a
paddle around the Island? If you hug the shore all the way around, the
distance is 9.2 miles.
A Portrait of Chebeague
Chebeague was settled in the 1730s and is now a part of the Town of
Cumberland. Chebeague is one of fourteen remaining year-round island communities in the
State of Maine. It has its own school (pre-kindergarten through grade
6), while sending junior and senior high school students to attend classes in
the Town of Cumberland. It boasts its own volunteer fire and rescue squads,
public safety building, town garage, solid waste transfer station and recycling
center, health care center, adult family care home, church, cemetery, post office, 14,000 volume
library, boatyard, Grange Hall, community hall, hotel,
stores, community organizations, a full-scale recreation
center with swimming pool, and everything else one would expect to find in
a small community.
Approximately 350 people live on Chebeague year-round, while the summer
population swells to about 1,850. Fishing is the single major industry. Non-fishing families support themselves by providing the goods and
services needed by both the year-round and the summer communities. Between 25
and 50 people (depending on the season) commute to various mainland occupations.
Chebeague is also home for many retired people.
Many people ask how "Chebeague" should be pronounced...is it "sha-BIG"
or is it "sha-BEEG?" That depends upon whether you're a native
Islander or "from away." Either pronunciation is acceptable.
