Latest news with #FederationofP.E.I.Municipalities
CBC
24-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Proposed changes for non-Islanders buying municipal property facing criticism
Social Sharing A proposed change to how non-residents would be allowed to buy property on Prince Edward Island is raising concerns about the consequences it could have on municipalities. P.E.I.'s Department of Housing, Land and Communities is proposing an amendment to the Lands Protection Act, a unique piece of legislation that includes limitations on non-resident and corporate land ownership in the province. The change would lead to people who are not Island residents needing cabinet approval to buy properties of one acre or less that are located within municipalities with an official plan. According to the province, the amendment is meant to create more transparency and oversight over who owns land on the 1.4 million-acre Island. The Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities worries about the repercussions, though. "I understand the government's rationale behind bringing this legislation. Land protection is important," said Satya Sen, the federation's executive director. "But there could be unintended consequences by introducing this legislation." The proposed amendment says that if someone who doesn't yet own property on P.E.I. wants to buy a house on a plot measuring under one acre — and that house is in a municipality with an official plan — the person will need cabinet approval. But if the desired property is outside a municipality with a plan, cabinet approval would not be required to buy land of five acres or less. Sen is concerned that the "bureaucratic red tape" will result in people preferring to buy properties outside municipal boundaries, and that could lead to sprawl in areas that don't have the infrastructure to support it. "Municipalities are best positioned to manage growth and welcome people, new residents, new Islanders," he said. "Is the cabinet ready to approve all the applications, even for a single lot in Charlottetown brought by an incoming doctor or a nurse from a different province? I don't think that's the role of cabinet in this regard." WATCH | Satya Sen thinks more amalgamation could be the solution for municipal funding crunches on P.E.I.: Is more amalgamation the solution for municipal funding crunches on P.E.I.? Some say maybe... 21 days ago Duration 6:52 The idea of municipal amalgamation in Prince Edward Island can be a contentious topic, with lots of local pride on the line. But the Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities says it could be a longer-term fix for funding. Satya Sen, the federation's executive director, talks to CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin. 'Not the end of the conversation' The P.E.I. Real Estate Association has problems with it too. In a letter to the province, the association raised concerns ranging from the potential negative impact on immigration to how the move could hurt local homeowners who are trying to sell their houses. "The negative impacts listed above greatly outweigh any potential positives," the letter said. In the context of a housing crisis, policies that further limit access to housing — whether by reducing demand or investor participation — only exacerbate affordability issues. "In the context of a housing crisis, policies that further limit access to housing — whether by reducing demand or investor participation — only exacerbate affordability issues." Land use across P.E.I. has been a topic of discussion for decades. In February, the province said changes to the Lands Protection Act would be tabled "to enhance oversight of land holdings for non-residents." That announcement came the same day that Land Minister Steven Myers said he had ordered a new investigation into Buddhist land holdings in the province. WATCH | How much land do Buddhist groups on P.E.I. control? Here's why it's hard to come up with a number: How much land do Buddhist groups on P.E.I. control? Here's why it's hard to come up with a number 2 months ago Duration 3:10 It's a direct question... but also an indirect question: How much land do two Buddhist organizations in the province control? The Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission is diving into the mystery after the province recently ordered a review. CBC's Kerry Campbell, who has spent years covering the ins and outs of the province's Lands Protection Act, takes a look at the numbers that are publicly available so far. Boyd Allen with the Coalition for the Protection of P.E.I. Lands said he is pleased to see that updating the act is on the government's radar. Still, he doesn't understand why this is the priority rather than the concept of beneficial ownership. That's a mechanism under the act to try to determine whether large land owners might control land under different names or corporations, and thus be able to skirt land ownership limits. "If you're going to look at the Land Protection Act and put it under the microscope and make amendments to it, then you have to look at other items which have been, up to this point, not addressed," Allen said. Allen also has concerns about the public engagement process and wonders if this will be the model for future amendments. "It's a frustration because it was announced on a Friday afternoon and attached to it was a two-week comment window, which ended on Good Friday," he said. There was no guarantee that what was being said was being noted or listened to or considered. "There wasn't much opportunity for those concerned about this to actually speak to it. And given the structure, there was no guarantee that what was being said was being noted or listened to or considered." Sen agrees that this proposal requires more discussion and said he would also like additional details. For example, he's not sure what it means for municipal properties measuring between one and five acres. "You can protect the land while not being protectionist about it," he said. "If the government [wants] to have more consultation on this legislation before it is tabled, that would be great. If not, I understand the government's position on this. However, this is not the end of the conversation." Province reviewing submissions The province said Myers won't speak to the proposal until it gets tabled in the legislature. It also said provincial staff are reviewing the submissions from the consultations and may make changes based on the feedback before tabling the bill. P.E.I.'s Lands Protection Act came into effect in 1982, in part as a response to concerns about ownership of the province's limited land base being concentrated under large corporations including those controlled by the Irving family in New Brunswick. The act requires non-residents and corporations to seek cabinet approval if a land purchase would push their total land holdings beyond five acres, or if it includes 165 feet of shorefront. The act also includes overall limits on land ownership of 1,000 acres per individual and 3,000 acres for corporations, with additional allowances for things like non-arable land or land leased out to someone else.
CBC
03-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Is more amalgamation the solution for municipal funding crunches on P.E.I.? Some say maybe...
The idea of municipal amalgamation in Prince Edward Island can be a contentious topic, with lots of local pride on the line. But the Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities says it could be a longer-term fix for funding. Satya Sen, the federation's executive director, talks to CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin.
CBC
01-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities offers to step in to mediate Park Street dispute
Social Sharing The Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities is willing to step in as a mediator between the province and the City of Charlottetown when it comes to the future of the emergency overnight shelter and Community Outreach Centre on Park Street. There have been heated political debates recently about whether the shelter and outreach centre should continue operating at their current location near the Hillsborough Bridge in P.E.I.'s capital. Last week, city council voted to reject the province's request for a zoning change that would have let the operations stay on Park Street. Two days later, P.E.I. Housing Minister Steven Myers said the province would use its powers under the Planning Act to set up a special zone in the area that would remove any city role in planning decisions, effectively overriding the Charlottetown council's decision. Mayor Philip Brown has told CBC News he would be talking to the Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities about the possibility of taking the province to court over the issue. "We're never interested in launching a court challenge, because that costs everybody," said the federation's president, Bruce MacDougall, who has been a city councillor in Summerside for three decades. "We have been talking with our member of Charlottetown, and we need to come together, talk with the City of Charlottetown, talk with the province, and come up with a solution for the vulnerable people that this issue is all about." Charlottetown mayor wants Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities to step in on Park Street dispute 4 days ago Duration 6:42 'This is not just about Charlottetown,' Mayor Philip Brown warned as he responded to the P.E.I. government's move to give itself planning power over the Park Street parcel of land that hosts outreach services for vulnerable Islanders. That followed a vote by Brown's council to deny the province a variance to let the services stay in that part of Charlottetown. Brown spoke with Louise Martin of CBC News: Compass about the standoff. MacDougall said the federation will reach out to the province to discuss a mediation process. "I'm sure they'll be willing to accept a mediator," he said. "Collaboration is the way forward. Confrontation gets nobody nowhere." MacDougall said the federation has previously helped municipalities resolve issues involving the province, often working behind the scenes to facilitate solutions. 'A precedent-setting issue' MacDougall said he's concerned over the province's decision to create a special zone, effectively overriding Charlottetown council's authority. That represents an unprecedented intervention that could set a precedent affecting municipal decision-making, he fears. His concern is that the province could simply bypass established municipal planning processes and impose special planning zones at will. Typically, the creation of a special planning area by a municipality involves a thorough process, including council meetings and public consultations, MacDougall said.
CBC
30-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Provincial funding hike to help P.E.I. municipalities, but amalgamation may be the long-term fix
Social Sharing The Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities says the provincial government's commitment to increasing funding for municipalities is a positive step, but a long-term solution is needed — one that could involve revisiting municipal amalgamation. In a speech delivered Tuesday in the P.E.I. legislature, the province committed to an interim agreement to increase funding to municipalities, pending the current review of the Municipal Government Act. Satya Sen, interim executive director of the Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities, said he welcomes the two-year funding framework, noting that municipalities had seen no increases for the past three years. "Municipalities have been doing a lot more for a lot less. The resources they have are not adequate to provide services to Islanders and their municipal residents, so increased funding is absolutely a welcome step from the provincial government," Sen told CBC's Island Morning. Rising costs Stratford Mayor Steve Ogden also said the funding boost is welcome news for his town of approximately 12,500 residents, one of the fastest-growing municipalities in the province. Ogden said essential services, such as policing and fire protection, are becoming increasingly expensive for the town. Policing costs alone now exceed $1.3 million and continue to rise. In its 2025-26 budget, Stratford is raising municipal residential taxes by two cents. The hike is not unexpected; the town is in the middle year of a three-year plan to raise municipal residential taxes by two cents per year that was approved in last year's budget. Without provincial funding, tax increases would be necessary to maintain essential services. "This is very welcome, to have this funding available, and it is interim, but we look forward to being able to meet the costs of fire protection, for policing," Ogden said. In the throne speech, the Rob Lantz government also promised to create a municipal infrastructure bank, which will offer low-interest loans to build and refurbish community infrastructure. Ogden said he is waiting for more details, but hopes that can be another funding option for municipalities to support capital projects. He hopes it can help municipalities cover their traditional one-third contribution to project costs, noting that towns often struggle to fund capital projects since the Municipal Government Act won't let them run deficits. Another look at amalgamation? While the two-year interim funding agreement provides short-term relief, Sen said municipalities need a more permanent financial solution, and that could mean revisiting the idea of amalgamation. Although the topic has been controversial on P.E.I., Sen said the province has more than 57 municipalities serving a population of just 180,000 people. In comparison, Nova Scotia has 49 municipalities that are home to a population of about one million. "We can't have this fragmented governance system where you have, like, tiny municipalities who are doing whatever they could with the little resources they have, but they really need to, you know, expand and provide services like municipalities," he said. "For example, even the towns like Kensington are providing services to an area which goes far beyond their municipal boundaries." Sen pointed to another example: North Rustico, which has faced challenges trying to pay off debt on its rink, which was built to help host the Canada Games. "The rink is being used by a much larger population than the population of the Town of North Rustico. Now, who is paying for that? "Somebody has to pay for that, and municipal taxpayers are in some way subsidizing the cost of the services for a much larger population." Sen hopes the Municipal Government Act review will provide municipalities with an opportunity to address these challenges. He said the review should take into account the need to expand boundaries to make municipalities more viable, saying the current boundaries are outdated and based on school districts from the 1800s.
