Latest news with #Lantz
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rob Lantz confirms he won't run for permanent leadership of P.E.I. Progressive Conservatives
Premier Rob Lantz says he won't seek the permanent leadership of P.E.I.'s Progressive Conservative Party, after previously saying people had been asking him to run for the position. The news came in a social media post Wednesday afternoon. "After much consideration, the best decision for Islanders and the PC Party is to continue my role as interim leader until the party selects a new permanent leader," the message said. "Until that time, I am dedicated to continuing to serve as premier." His office later confirmed to CBC News that the post was real and that Lantz will not run for the leadership. Lantz became P.E.I.'s premier on Feb. 21 as he took over the interim leadership of the party in the wake of Dennis King's sudden resignation from both roles in February. King went on to accept a federal appointment as Canada's ambassador to Ireland. Lantz had initially said he wasn't interested in the job permanently, telling CBC News: "I may very much enjoy doing this job and regret that I don't put myself forward for that permanent leadership." He released a statement in late May saying he would no longer rule out doing just that. "Many Islanders have approached me about reconsidering my stance on running for the leadership of the PC Party," he said in the statement. "I owe it to those who have been encouraging me to have a conversation with them and hear what they have to say — and that's what I am doing right now." WATCH | As P.E.I. PCs work on leadership convention plan, Premier Rob Lantz says he's being urged to run: The latest message, on Wednesday, seems to indicate that Lantz has made up his mind for good. "I appreciate the support from those who encouraged me to reconsider my original position," it said. Until a new leader is chosen, it added, "The province needs someone focused on the day-to-day job of governing, with a seat at the national table, delivering on the priorities of Islanders, and I am committed to doing just that." Montague-Kilmuir MLA Cory Deagle and Stratford lawyer Mark Ledwell have announced leadership bids, and the party's president, Sydney Gallant, has said a party search committee is actively recruiting candidates. No date has been announced for the leadership convention. That's partly because two byelections must be called by August at the latest in districts formerly held by King (Brackley-Hunter River) and former education and early years minister Natalie Jameson (Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park). The provincial Liberals are also without a permanent leader, with MLA Hal Perry holding the job on an interim basis. That party's leadership convention is scheduled for Oct. 4. P.E.I.'s Green Party chose a permanent leader this past weekend, with Borden-Kinkora MLA Matt MacFarlane receiving 507 votes to clinch the job. Former Green Party MLA Hannah Bell was the only other candidate, earning 147 votes. The New Democratic Party of Prince Edward Island, which does not hold any seats in the legislature, is led by Michelle Neil.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rob Lantz confirms he won't run for permanent leadership of P.E.I. Progressive Conservatives
Premier Rob Lantz says he won't seek the permanent leadership of P.E.I.'s Progressive Conservative Party, after previously saying people had been asking him to run for the position. The news came in a social media post Wednesday afternoon. "After much consideration, the best decision for Islanders and the PC Party is to continue my role as interim leader until the party selects a new permanent leader," the message said. "Until that time, I am dedicated to continuing to serve as premier." His office later confirmed to CBC News that the post was real and that Lantz will not run for the leadership. Lantz became P.E.I.'s premier on Feb. 21 as he took over the interim leadership of the party in the wake of Dennis King's sudden resignation from both roles in February. King went on to accept a federal appointment as Canada's ambassador to Ireland. Lantz had initially said he wasn't interested in the job permanently, telling CBC News: "I may very much enjoy doing this job and regret that I don't put myself forward for that permanent leadership." He released a statement in late May saying he would no longer rule out doing just that. "Many Islanders have approached me about reconsidering my stance on running for the leadership of the PC Party," he said in the statement. "I owe it to those who have been encouraging me to have a conversation with them and hear what they have to say — and that's what I am doing right now." WATCH | As P.E.I. PCs work on leadership convention plan, Premier Rob Lantz says he's being urged to run: The latest message, on Wednesday, seems to indicate that Lantz has made up his mind for good. "I appreciate the support from those who encouraged me to reconsider my original position," it said. Until a new leader is chosen, it added, "The province needs someone focused on the day-to-day job of governing, with a seat at the national table, delivering on the priorities of Islanders, and I am committed to doing just that." Montague-Kilmuir MLA Cory Deagle and Stratford lawyer Mark Ledwell have announced leadership bids, and the party's president, Sydney Gallant, has said a party search committee is actively recruiting candidates. No date has been announced for the leadership convention. That's partly because two byelections must be called by August at the latest in districts formerly held by King (Brackley-Hunter River) and former education and early years minister Natalie Jameson (Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park). The provincial Liberals are also without a permanent leader, with MLA Hal Perry holding the job on an interim basis. That party's leadership convention is scheduled for Oct. 4. P.E.I.'s Green Party chose a permanent leader this past weekend, with Borden-Kinkora MLA Matt MacFarlane receiving 507 votes to clinch the job. Former Green Party MLA Hannah Bell was the only other candidate, earning 147 votes. The New Democratic Party of Prince Edward Island, which does not hold any seats in the legislature, is led by Michelle Neil.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
P.E.I. pitches 7 'nation-building' projects to Ottawa at first ministers' conference
P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz is pitching seven so-called "nation-building" projects at the first ministers' conference in Saskatoon on Monday. Lantz is meeting with other provincial and territorial leaders and Prime Minister Mark Carney for the first time since the April 28 federal election. Carney told CBC's Power & Politics last week that "major projects" are the top priority of the meeting. He described them as "nation-building projects" that will unite the country, diversify the economy, boost exports and move the economy forward. Each province was asked to bring a list of ideas. At the top of Lantz's list is a regional project to increase electrical capacity on the Island. "This concept that we're bringing forward here in Saskatoon would strengthen the transmission across Atlantic Canada, and connect the region to the national grid, open up regional generation opportunities," Lantz told CBC's Island Morning on Sunday. "It would trigger billions of dollars, not just in infrastructure investment, but also economic development opportunities. We're running up against capacity issues in Prince Edward Island, and it could be difficult to develop any large industrial or agricultural enterprises here in the province, unless we really deal with our energy future and secure our energy future." Power reliability has been a major topic this year on the Island after the City of Summerside, which operates its own utility, faced a series of power disruptions this winter. Summerside Electric generates about 60 per cent of its electricity through renewable sources like solar and wind, but it still relies on Maritime Electric's transmission grid for power that the smaller utility buys from New Brunswick. A failure at Maritime Electric's Sherbrooke substation, located just north of the city, led to significant power challenges in February. As a result, residents were asked to conserve electricity and a mobile transformer had to be brought in from Newfoundland to stabilize the system. Lantz noted P.E.I. depends on New Brunswick for additional electricity, delivered through underwater cables. He said the province may need to look at other solutions, for example another undersea cable to Nova Scotia, as part of the energy pitch. Ahead of the first ministers' meeting, P.E.I. and Ontario signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Sunday to cut down on trade barriers and ease the flow of trade and labour across the two provincial borders. Lantz said it came together as a direct result of P.E.I. Interprovincial Trade and Mobility Act. "We're the second province in the country to pass [an] internal trade and labour mobility act in the legislature this spring, and so we are in a position to start making deals with other provinces. Ontario has been very active in that front," he said. The MOU says the two provinces agree on six points, including encouraging other provinces to join P.E.I. and Ontario in their agreement, looking for ways to align regulated professions and creating a direct-to-consumer alcohol sales agreement, among other priorities. The annual value of trade in goods and services between Ontario and P.E.I. is more than $1.5 billion, the P.E.I. government said in a release. An external analysis by the Montreal Economic Institute suggests a deal like this between P.E.I. and Ontario could contribute $1.1 billion to the Canadian economy. In addition to the energy proposal, Lantz is pitching six other infrastructure projects. One of them is building another road into West Prince. The issue has raised concerns in the past by Liberal MLA for Tignish-Palmer Road Hal Perry, who warned the region relies on a single road in and out, which is a stretch of Route 2 between Portage and New Devon, and what would happen in the event of an emergency or if that road were closed. Other proposed projects include developing a shipping port, expanding air cargo capacity at Charlottetown Airport, and establishing a year-round connection to Nova Scotia, potentially through a bridge or ferry. The premier is also calling for an expansion of three-phased power, improved cell service. "The prime minister has been very vocal that he wants the provinces to be very ambitious on these projects," Lantz said. "So we're pitching everything we can that we can think of that would rise to that threshold of a nation-building project." The regional energy initiative stands out among the seven proposals as it "approaches a nation building-threshold better than those other projects and very much needed in the region," he said. Lantz says he does not know how many — if any — of these projects will be approved or whether the province would have to pay a portion of the cost. The province's financial capacity is already under pressure. A report by the auditor general in November flagged rising debt levels. P.E.I.'s net debt increased by 26 per cent over the past decade, reaching $2.65 billion as of March 31, 2024. The most recent provincial budget projects a $183.9-million deficit, with the debt expected to climb to about $4.2 billion by March 31, 2028. When asked whether P.E.I. can afford to invest in such large infrastructure, Lantz said: "We need to invest in order to grow."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lantz leaves door open for P.E.I. Progressive Conservative leadership run after all
Premier Rob Lantz says he is not ruling out a run for the permanent leadership of P.E.I.'s Progressive Conservative Party, despite previously indicating that he didn't want anything but the interim job. Lantz became the governing party's interim leader and thus the premier on Feb. 21, a day after Dennis King's sudden resignation from both roles. In a statement to CBC News on Wednesday, Lantz said he's been focused on leading the province and the spring legislative sitting over the past three months. "In that same time, many Islanders have approached me about reconsidering my stance on running for the leadership of the PC Party," he said in the statement. "I owe it to those who have been encouraging me to have a conversation with them and hear what they have to say — and that's what I am doing right now." WATCH | As P.E.I. PCs work on leadership convention plan, Premier Rob Lantz says he's being urged to run: King's resignation meant all three political parties with seats in the P.E.I. Legislature were left without a permanent leader. The Green Party will hold a leadership convention on June 7, while the Liberals' top spot will be contested Oct. 4. The PCs have not yet selected a date for their convention. Sidney Gallant, president of the P.E.I. Progressive Conservatives, said Wednesday that the party has now finalized the rules for the race. The government also has to call two byelections in the near future — one in Brackley-Hunter River triggered by King's resignation, and another in Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park after Natalie Jameson stepped down to run in a losing bid for the federal Conservatives in the April general election. WATCH | P.E.I. premier talks to CBC News: Compass about his resignation and what's next "It's our job to make sure that the party's ready to tackle those byelections when the premier calls them," Gallant said. "There's a lot on the plate, and we don't take this lightly. The next leader of the PC Party will be the next premier of Prince Edward Island, so we want to make sure that we're not rushing [a convention]. We want to do this right." Lantz had been relatively clear from the day he was sworn in as premier that he did not intend to seek the permanent leadership — but even back then, he didn't fully close the door. "I may very much enjoy doing this job and regret that I don't put myself forward for that permanent leadership," he told CBC News in an interview after his Feb. 21 swearing-in ceremony. If the current premier throws his hat in the ring for the leadership, he'll face at least two other candidates, neither of whom said Wednesday that they would be concerned with Lantz entering the race. Mark Ledwell, a Stratford lawyer, announced last week that he's interested in the party's top job. He's been working behind the scenes with the Progressive Conservatives since the 1980s. "Premier Lantz stepped into a big job on short notice, and I think he needs to be applauded for doing that," Ledwell said. "I know what he said publicly, and whether or not he runs, that's his decision. I don't discourage anyone from running." Cory Deagle, the other announced candidate and the current MLA for Montague-Kilmuir, stepped down from a cabinet post just days after King's resignation to announce his leadership bid. Whether Lantz decides to run for leadership or not, Deagle said he expects the race to be competitive. "It would definitely change the dynamics of the race," he said Wednesday of the possibility of his current boss seeking the leadership. "A competitive race is good for the party. Ultimately it'll be up to Premier Lantz whether or not he decides if he wants to run for the leadership." Gallant said she expects more people to come forward, with a party search committee actively recruiting candidates. If Lantz does decide to run, he'll have just 10 days after the convention date is announced to hand over the reins of the province to yet another interim party leader, who would therefore also be premier.
CBC
19-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Lantz Volunteer Fire Department appoints first female fire chief
Meet the Lantz Fire Department's first female chief 55 years ago Social Sharing Kensa Harris has made history by becoming the first female chief of the Lantz Volunteer Fire Department. Harris was one of only two female firefighters in the department when she first joined 14 years ago. She says being a firefighter in a traditionally male position hasn't been easy. But it has helped her become a role model for young women. "I wanna do a good job," she said. "I think being a fire chief in a volunteer organization comes with a lot of responsibility but for me, my focus is making sure I do the job well and make the department my priority." Harris replaces Kory Orchard, who retired after five years in the position. Katelyn Oakes, a firefighter in the department, says the decision to select Harris is based on her skills and is a clear sign of openness to change. She hopes Harris's leadership will encourage other women to volunteer with the department. "It's nice to see a female in such a leadership role and for little girls in the community, especially, to look up to her," said Oakes, "and hopefully we'll get a few more females around here to outrank the boys, show them how it's done." Harris leads a department that has its share of challenges. Those include recruitment of new members and the need for a new fire station. "So making sure we stay constantly thinking about what comes next," she said. "Do we have enough members to meet what the community needs from us." The department has 30 members. Four are women, including Harris. But Harris hopes that number will grow in the coming months. A new truck is expected by the end of this year or in 2026, allowing the department to improve its emergency response. Local councillor Walter Tingley is aware of the problems facing the department and says the community will continue to support it. "We have staff that'll work with them toward their needs on equipment and whatever their needs are that way," Tingley said.
