Big growth in small P.E.I. communities good news for Island mayors

When it comes to why people are flocking to rural areas of P.E.I., it's the simpler things that might be the draw. 

"People are trying to get back to their rural areas of P.E.I. which is an important thing," said Gerard Watts, mayor of the Rural Municipality of North Shore said. 

"I think we have some pretty good infrastructure out here."

Watts cited community spirit as one reason, and the area being a "good, healthy place to live." 

That's especially important as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on. Watts said people have been drawn to the outdoor attractions on the North Shore —  including the shore and trails, the ball diamonds and rinks. 

The Rural Municipality of North Shore is one of P.E.I.'s top-five fastest growing communities, according to the first release of data from the 2021 census, and P.E.I. is the fastest growing province in the country.

The North Shore community grew by more than 16 per cent since the last census, and Watts said it's evident when you are out and about in the area. 

 "You can see — you don't know everybody like you used to know, years ago," Watts said. "It's all been good."

The Town of Alberton also had a growth spurt of 13.6 per cent since 2016, and the mayor said there are good reasons for that. 

"There's so much stuff that's happened over the last, say, six years, that it's not only a benefit to the town but West Prince as a whole," said Mayor David Gordon.

Gordon said Alberton has been building a community for all ages.

"Right from young kids to seniors," he said. 

Gordon thinks the Western Hospital is a big draw for people looking to move to the area, as is news of a health centre opening there soon and other amenities.

I really missed the East Coast kind of feeling.— Isabelle Swaroop

The growth comes with some challenges. 

"It is a struggle trying to come up with places for a lot of these people who want to move back," Gordon said. 

He said in just one year, 30 lots in a single subdivision sold — but there is more land still to develop in the area and lots of plans underway. Gordon said the town has another 11 hectares to develop, but plans haven't been finalized yet.

Cities growing as well 

It's not just the rural areas that are expanding. 

P.E.I.'s biggest city, Charlottetown, saw growth of 7.5 per cent. 

One of the families contributing to that was Isabelle Swaroop's. She and her family moved to Charlottetown from a town near Regina, Sask., three years ago. 

They moved because of a job opportunity for her husband, but also because of a draw to the region. 

"I really missed the East Coast kind of feeling," Swaroop said. "I grew up in New Brunswick and it just wasn't the same feel out there."  

Swaroop said that the relatively low price of housing was likely an immigration driver for some people. Now, though, housing is more scarce because so many people have moved to the province. 

 "I know that for a long time, going out west to find a good paying job was pretty much what you needed to do," she said. "There were not really many options, so you could go out west and they start missing family and they want to come back. That is what I did."

Employers continue to look to immigration to fill these labour gaps that we are seeing right now.— Jeff Young, director of the office of immigration for P.E.I.

From the province's point of view, these numbers are encouraging, but not a surprise. 

"It's great to see, and most of all it's great to see we are leading among provinces, leading the nation," said Jeff Young, director of the office of immigration for the province.

Young said the numbers from the census align with what his office has been seeing, but it's also positive to see growth right across the Island, not just in urban centres.

"The rural component is very important," he said, adding it is particularly vital to employers in rural areas. 

"Employers continue to look to immigration to fill these labour gaps that we are seeing right now."