Residents demand plebiscite on Three Rivers amalgamation

Five hundred residents of unincorporated areas included in the Three Rivers amalgamation proposal in eastern P.E.I. have formally asked the provincial government to hold a plebiscite so they can vote on whether they want to take part.

Georgetown-St. Peters MLA Steven Myers presented a petition on their behalf in the legislature Thursday.

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During question period, he noted residents of the incorporated municipalities of Montague, Cardigan and Brudenell were allowed to vote Monday night on whether they want to be part of the Three Rivers amalgamation.

We have absolutely no voice. None — so we can't have that. That's not democracy. That makes us second-class citizens.—Sylvia Teasdale

He said the roughly 3,000 residents of unincorporated areas within the amalgamation zone should have the same opportunity.

"If they're going to be forced to be a part of something, they should also have the right to have their say now," Myers said.  

"All of the other communities are having a vote. … Premier, you have to help us. Why won't you listen to the voice of the people? Why won't you allow us to have a plebiscite in rural Prince Edward Island about this issue?"

'It's not going any further'

Communities Minister Robert Mitchell responded: "If they go to their councils and their councils say no, it's not going any further," he said.

"When the process gets to the point where we will talk to the unincorporated areas, I assure you that they will have that opportunity to have their voice in a very productive, effective manner."

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According to the province's new Municipal Government Act, which has been passed but not yet enacted, once a proposal for municipal restructuring goes to the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission, the commission holds a public hearing as part of the review process before recommending to government whether the proposal should go ahead.

Residents say they'll hold their own plebiscite

Sylvia Teasdale of Burnt Point is one of the residents who collected signatures for the petition.

She was at the legislature Thursday as it was presented and said if government won't hold the plebiscite, residents will do it themselves, with help from Myers, their MLA.

"We had more people on the petition asking for a plebiscite than people who went to vote in those three little communities on Monday," she said.

"We are almost three thousand people in the unincorporated area that's affected and we have absolutely no voice. None — so we can't have that. That's not democracy. That makes us second-class citizens."

As to how to hold their own plebiscite, Teasdale said "we're going to look at absolutely everything possible." She noted many residents are seasonal, but said, given the timelines for the amalgamation proposal, they couldn't wait for summer to hold their vote.

"We may be able to get them with an online survey," she said.

As originally proposed, the Three Rivers amalgamation would create the fourth-largest municipality on P.E.I., with a population of at least 7,000.

However, Georgetown council recently voted to withdraw from the process, removing its 555 residents from the equation.

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