Greens start Churchill road work petition

The Green Party of P.E.I. has started a petition against a highway project proposed for the Churchill area.

Leader Sharon Labchuk is concerned some of the land in the Strathgartney Provincial Park will be used to make changes to the Trans-Canada Highway.

Last year, P.E.I. Transportation Minister Ron MacKinley identified sections of the highway he wants redesigned and improved. He said the top priority is a bypass around Churchill that would circumvent the area's steep hills and twisting sections.

"This is already a very, very small park. And these ecologically important areas have a very difficult time existing as islands in seas of development," said Labchuk.

"And when you further fragment it by putting a highway through it, you guarantee you're losing ecological integrity."

In addition to the petition, the Green Party has also launched an online campaign opposed to the proposal, said Labchuk.

Transportation officials said other proposals being considered are in Crapaud and Tryon. They said nothing has been decided yet and public information sessions will be held next month to get feedback from local residents.