Public symposium: the Geography of Local Governance on Prince Edward Island
The topic of local governance is the focus of an upcoming public symposium, “The Geography of Governance,” sponsored by UPEI’s Institute of Island Studies, in conjunction with UPEI Research Services. The symposium begins at 7 pm, on Thursday, February 25, in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium (room 242), UPEI’s Don and Marion McDougall Hall. The storm date is the following evening.
The reform of local government on the Island has been much discussed in recent years, especially since the release of the 2009 Thompson Report of the Commission on Land and Local Governance. At that time, the Island had 75 incorporated municipalities–many of them with just a few hundred people–and 70 per cent of the province’s territory had no local government at all. The situation remains much the same today.
Judge Thompson recommended that local government might be extended to cover the entire Island, and that the units be large enough to be effective and sustainable—that is, with a population of at least 4,000 each. Many Islanders perceive that reform is now in the air, and some communities have initiated discussions with their neighbours about joining together to form larger governance units.
If we assume that larger municipal units are on the horizon, the question arises about the criteria to be used in deciding on new boundaries. Should cultural factors be paramount? Or “communities of interest”? Or geographical factors? Or environmental management—such as including a whole watershed within a municipality? Or some combination of these—and others?
The principal speaker for the evening will be Diane Griffin, noted Island environmentalist, Stratford town councillor, and vice-president of the Federation of PEI Municipalities. She will be joined by a panel of three individuals representing various points of view: Dr. Ryan Gibson, Dr. Michael van den Heuvel, and Jeanitta Bernard.
Dr. Gibson, who is currently chair of the advisory committee of the Institute of Island Studies, teaches in the Department of Geography at Saint Mary’s University. He has a special interest in collaborative governance in rural regions. He will share lessons learned from other parts of Canada and internationally on how they have built new regions and the processes they have utilized. These experiences could assist in shaping the process in PEI.
Dr. van den Heuvel is a professor of biology at UPEI and director of the Canadian Rivers Institute. He will discuss case studies and the advantages of defining municipal boundaries based on watersheds to enhance resources for environmental management.
The third panelist, Jeannita Bernard of St. Philippe, is a well-known Island singer-songwriter and community leader in the areas of health, education, and community development. She will explore the idea of creating a new Evangeline regional government unit, which would include the present villages of Wellington and Abram’s Village, plus 12 adjacent unincorporated communities.
Members of the public are cordially invited to attend. Admission is free. Following the presentations, there will be ample time for discussion and questions from the floor.
