P.E.I. GOVERNMENT TAKING STEPS TO BOOST POPULATION

Prince Edward Island is committing

to new initiatives to get immigrants to stay in Canada’s smallest province and boost the population. In the speech from the throne, the Liberal government says in the coming year it will take steps to encourage more immigrants to stay, and for more young Islanders to pursue opportunities on P.E.I. The island’s population topped 152,000 this year, and the government set a goal of reaching 160,000 by 2022. The speech included promises of a new broadband internet system from one end of P.E.I. to the other, a carbon mitigation strategy and a report on poverty reduction. It says a recreational cannabis plan will come in the spring, and government will fund services such as light housekeeping or snow removal to help seniors stay in their own homes longer.