Island Land Use Policy at an Impasse?
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2014 | 7-9 p.m.
(Rescheduled from November 27, 2014)
MacKinnon Auditorium, Room 242 McDougall Hall, UPEI Campus
- Backgrounder: Land use planning on P.E.I. Why are we no further ahead?
(The Guardian, PEI) - Symposium summary (prepared by Dr. James Randall)
The past and present state of Island land use policy were the subject of a Public Symposium held at UPEI’s MacKinnon Auditorium on December 2nd, 2014. Islanders who are concerned about issues surrounding the use and abuse of Island land were urged to attend. The Symposium began with presentations by two veteran observers of Island public life over the past 30 years, Jean-Paul Arsenault and Ian Petrie.
This event was sponsored by UPEI’s Institute of Island Studies, in conjunction with UPEI Research Services.
Ian Petrie has spent three decades with the CBC, in three provinces, covering resource issues, mainly agriculture. He’s lived for 34 years in Iona, eastern Queen’s County.
Mr. Petrie addressed the topic “Why Farmers Fight Regulations.” He has covered agricultural stories on the Island since the late 1970s, during which time he’s seen the bond of understanding between producers and consumers continue to break down. During this period, consumers enjoyed cheap and abundant food, while profit margins on farms continued to shrink. This may help explain the negative response by farmers to proposed new land regulations. Is there a way out of this impasse?
Jean-Paul Arsenault served as Executive Secretary to the Round Table on Resource Land Use and Stewardship and the Commission on Land and Local Governance, and was a member of the team providing support to the Commission on the Lands Protection Act.
Mr. Arsenault’s talk was entitled “Factors Affecting Land Use Decisions: What Were They Thinking?” He presented three examples of recent property developments in rural Prince County, in the communities of New Annan, Northam and Saint Nicholas, and the impact each has had, favourable or otherwise. Would stricter controls on land use be good for Prince Edward Island, or is the status quo the better option?
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