Latest news with #StevenMyers
CBC
12-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
City asks for meeting on Park Street services, but P.E.I. housing minister says it's pointless
Social Sharing The City of Charlottetown wants more details on the province's long-term plan for services within its boundaries directed at those facing homelessness, but Prince Edward Island's housing minister says he doesn't know what such a meeting would accomplish. Steven Myers and the city have been at odds about the location of an emergency overnight shelter and the Community Outreach Centre, which currently sit at 15 Park St. in Charlottetown's southeast end. In late April, Mayor Philip Brown sent a letter to Myers asking for a meeting to discuss what's going to happen with the services. "From a planning perspective, we stand by our decision in rejecting the province's proposed amendment to [the] Zoning and Development Bylaw that would allow the continued operation of the shelter and centre," Brown wrote in the letter. "However, since the province has affirmed its intention to continue operations at the Park Street site through changes to the Planning Act, it's vital that the city and the province work together toward long-term solutions to support individuals with complex social service needs in appropriate community settings." Back in March, Charlottetown council voted to reject the province's request for a zoning change that would have allowed the shelter and outreach centre to remain on Park Street. Two days later, Myers said that vote didn't matter: The province would set up a special planning zone in the area that would allow both operations to stay in place, effectively overriding council's decision. The mayor could say 'Put it on the moon,' and I could care less what he thinks. — Steven Myers, P.E.I.'s housing minister On Friday, the housing minister told CBC News there have been several meetings between the province and city, so he's not sure what's left to discuss. "I don't know what would be accomplished in a meeting. We have a minister's task force on housing that the mayor was invited to be a part of and he decided he didn't want to be part of it, so he's had lots of opportunity to be a willing part of this," Myers said. "I'm not really sure where this would come from at this point, after being such a negative force on such a positive solution." WATCH | 'I could care less what he thinks': Myers dismisses Charlottetown mayor's opinions on Park Street: 'I could care less what he thinks': Myers dismisses Charlottetown mayor's opinions on Park Street 25 minutes ago Duration 1:58 The City of Charlottetown wants to meet with P.E.I. Housing Minister Steven Myers about the provincial emergency shelter and outreach centre located on Park Street, but Myers doesn't think that's necessary. He says the province has bought some homes in the area and the plan is to turn them into social housing. CBC's Tony Davis reports. The mayor has suggested Acadian Drive near the Queen Elizabeth Hospital as a possible location for the services. On Friday, Myers made it clear that he's not taking any suggestions. "The mayor could say 'Put it on the moon,' and I could care less what he thinks." In the meantime, the province has been buying up some properties near Park Street, and those homes might be turned into social housing. The province's long-term plan to help fight homelessness is to transition to a model that involves providing stable housing first, then incorporating support services. Myers says the province hopes to do that starting with a 24-unit building in the Park Street area later this year. "We think that when that happens, the sheltering need will lower a lot," he said. "Some of our long-term tenants… the ones that come every night and we know are participating and trying to work inside our system to get on a better track, we think we can put them in a better housing situation."
CBC
12-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
'I could care less what he thinks': Myers dismisses Charlottetown mayor's opinions on Park Street
The City of Charlottetown wants to meet with P.E.I. Housing Minister Steven Myers about the provincial emergency shelter and outreach centre located on Park Street, but Myers doesn't think that's necessary. He says the province has bought some homes in the area and the plan is to turn them into social housing. CBC's Tony Davis reports.
CBC
01-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
MLA's meeting 'undermines integrity of municipal planning process,' Borden-Carleton mayor warns
Borden-Carleton officials are expressing concern about a public meeting being planned on a proposed gas station development. The district's Green MLA has organized it. The P.E.I. town's mayor says the meeting risks causing confusion about the planning process. Now the provincial minister involved, Steven Myers (shown), is weighing in. CBC's Wayne Thibodeau has the story.
CBC
09-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Bottle and can refund hike coming soon, but not as much as Islanders first thought
Still hanging on to your recyclables? P.E.I.'s new beverage container refund could be coming soon 2 hours ago Duration 2:58 Social Sharing A long-awaited increase to the refund Islanders receive for their recyclable beverage containers could be coming soon, but it won't be as much as the P.E.I. government once promised. For the past year, some people have been holding onto their refundable bottles and cans, waiting for the province to follow through on a pledge to up the amount of money they could get back by returning the items to a recycling depot. A year ago, Environment Minister Steven Myers said the deposit on such containers would double, from 10 to 20 cents, while the refund would triple — from five cents to 15. "I continue to hear from Islanders who have bags upon bags upon bags of cans filling up their sheds and basements. Can you please give us an update on when Islanders can finally expect this increase?" Karla Bernard, the interim Green Party leader, asked current Environment Minister Gilles Arsenault in the legislature Tuesday. Arsenault responded that his department is working on amending the legislation to match the refund system that was rolled out in New Brunswick last year. The new structure will keep the current deposit amount of 10 cents, and double — not triple — the current refund rate to 10 cents. That means you'll recover 100 per cent of your deposit. But if you have a shed full of cans that you thought would eventually be worth 15 cents each, the price of your stock just dropped 33 per cent. Arsenault said the province plans to introduce the amended legislation within the next couple of weeks, with hopes the system will be in place by the fall. "There's thousands of cans out there waiting to be refunded. People have been collecting the cans for now close to a year… so I'm as anxious as they are to bring this to the finish line," the environment minister said Tuesday after question period. "We're trying to work as quickly as we can, and if we can have that prior to the fall, we will." Hidden fees in N.B. There may also be questions about whether extra costs could be built into the new program. When New Brunswick made its switch to the so-called 10-10 model, it added hidden fees to beverages based on the type of container. The fees don't show up on grocery receipts and, in some cases, are worth more than the increase to the refund. New Brunswick's model is run by Encorp Atlantic, a not-for-profit organization created by the beverage industry that manages bottle returns in that province. It's not clear whether that will also be the case with P.E.I.'s new deposit system. There are 10 licensed beverage container recycling depots spread across the Island, , with the exception of dairy cartons.
CBC
28-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Charlottetown mayor pushes back after province moves to keep shelter, outreach centre on Park Street
Social Sharing Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown says the city hasn't ruled out a legal challenge after the province stepped in to ensure the emergency overnight shelter and Community Outreach Centre would continue operating at its current location — despite the city's opposition. On Tuesday night, Charlottetown council rejected the province's request for a zoning change to cover the operations on Park Street in Charlottetown. Approving it would have allowed both services to remain in the area indefinitely, although the province had previously insisted the location would be temporary. Days later, Housing Minister Steven Myers announced regulatory amendments to create a special planning area taking in a large plot of land that includes the Park Street property on which the shelter and outreach centre are located. Housing Minister Steven Myers on province's decision to make Park Street a 'special planning area' 19 hours ago Duration 7:14 P.E.I.'s minister of housing is standing firm on the location of the Community Outreach Centre and emergency shelter in Charlottetown. As Steven Myers tells Louise Martin of CBC News: Compass, the province is enacting a regulatory amendment to ensure it stays on Park Street. Brown told CBC's Island Morning on Friday that he wants the Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities to step in as the province's move has set a precedent. "This is not just about Charlottetown. This is about the province and all the municipalities that make this island a great place to live, work, play and raise a family," he said. "I think the City of Charlottetown needs to have that discussion, and the Federation of Prince Edward Island Municipalities has to look at this as maybe a court challenge." 'I find that's very disrespecting' Brown also pushed back at criticism from Myers following council's vote. "Through all the negotiations we've had with the city and all the conversations we've had with the city, it turned out to be a whole lot of lies, so it's not really worth engaging them any further," Myers told CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin. "We have to do what we can to protect vulnerable people … They had a chance to do the right thing, and they chose not to take it. They took the coward's way out, and I fixed it for them." 2 days ago Duration 1:58 After Charlottetown's city council voted 8-2 against allowing provincial shelter and outreach services to stay at their Park Street location, P.E.I Housing Minister Steven Myers is vowing the services won't be moved. And Premier Rob Lantz is not happy either. CBC's Tony Davis reports. In Friday's interview, Brown described Myers' comments as a "sandbox fight" and took issue with the minister's choice of words. "When I look at, you know, using words like 'coward' and 'lies,' I find that's very disrespecting to a body of elected officials," Brown said. "I don't want to go down that road where he's going to throw sand in my face and I'm going to throw it back. I'm not going there. I want to take the high road. But we have to be careful with our language." Brown said Myers's language was directed not just at elected officials but also at the city's professional planners, who have years of experience and are responsible for making development decisions that work best for the city. The city's decision was not about opposing the province's efforts to address housing and social needs, Brown said, adding that city planners have determined that the Park Street location was not a "permissible use" under established community plans and good planning principles. Alternative location When asked where vulnerable populations should go if the emergency shelter and outreach centre were to be relocated, Brown pointed to the new mental health and addictions campus in Charlottetown, which is still a work in progress. "It's an appropriate site, but that site is still in development. So we are trying to work with the province and again, we will work with the province," he said. Meanwhile, the province has said it already bought some houses in the Park Street area. Brown, however, said that buying out a neighbourhood is not the solution. "That's not how public policy should work. Public policy should work to create and strengthen communities, and that's what we are responsible to do as a municipal government," he said.
