The future of Prince Edward Island is dependent upon strong urban and rural municipalities, but if we want all parts of the Island be vibrant places to live, work and play then we must change.
The Federation of PEI Municipalities is calling on the provincial government to commit to working with municipal leaders and residents to update the current municipal system to ensure strong municipalities across the Island.
There are 63 municipalities in Prince Edward Island, but they only cover about one-third of the Island, and most are very small. More than one in every three municipalities has an area of less than five square kilometres.
Many Island municipalities were formed using school district boundaries dating back to the 1800s. The districts were small because students needed to walk to school. These boundaries wouldn’t work as school district boundaries today, and they certainly don’t work as municipal government boundaries.
Many municipalities are struggling with issues such as an ageing population, rural depopulation, growing public expectations, economic challenges, increasingly complex operations, and climate change. These challenges make it even more important to have strong municipal governments.