Communities with common interests

Municipalities in Hunter River area discussing possibility of amalgamation

Some communities in central P.E.I. are the latest to look at the possibility of amalgamation. But, Hunter River chairman Terry McGrath said no one involved is looking to force it on anyone, and all of the talks at this point are preliminary.

“We’re just getting that feedback at this point in time,” he said. Representatives from those communities are meeting today in Hunter River. That meeting is not open to the public.

McGrath said it wasn’t an initiative from Hunter River and that the areas that were meeting are mainly residential and farming communities.

“I think we need to get communities together that have common interests,” he said. Those central communities aren’t the only ones in the province discussing the possibility of amalgamation.

Others include are Borden-Carleton, Kinkora and the community of Bedeque and Area, which held early discussions in 2015.

More recently, several communities in the Montague area have been working on the potential Three Rivers amalgamation.

McGrath said no one is committing to anything yet.

“We’re still just talking,” McGrath said.

The talks come as the provincial government moves forward with its new Municipal Government Act that will require changes to many of P.E.I.’s small communities.

Under the new law, which hasn’t been proclaimed, municipalities will have to follow new guidelines, including opening municipal offices for at least 20 hours per week.

Other rules will include stricter financial reporting and mandatory minimum services, such as fire protection, official plans and bylaws.

The draft regulations are posted at www.princeedwardisland.ca.