Community members gearing up to fight Three Rivers amalgamation plans

The Three Rivers Steering Committee, charged with considering a plan to amalgamate communities in eastern Prince Edward Island, delivered its proposal to Communities Minister Richard Brown Monday.

The plan includes amalgamating seven communities — Brudenell, Cardigan, Georgetown, Lorne Valley, Lower Montague, Montague and Valleyfield — and the unincorporated areas in the Cardigan, Georgetown and Montague Fire Districts.

I guess we'll have to fight it. It's not what's best for the residents of our community. It's not what's best of the residents of Montague either, that's how their council feels.— Phillip Hebert

The town councils in Georgetown and Montague have already voted against amalgamation, and a privately sponsored plebiscite suggested strong opposition in the unincorporated areas.

Steering committee chair Brian Harding acknowledged the opposition in his letter to the minister, but told Island Morning host Mitch Cormier the committee did not see another way.

"We know that it's not sustainable to be managing the communities as they are right now," Harding said.

"It's easy to be against something, but it's a lot more difficult to come up with an alternate plan."

Gearing up for a fight

People against the proposal are getting ready to fight the plans, including community members from unincorporated areas.

Sylvia Teasdale, a volunteer fighting the Three Rivers proposal, is part of a group that call themselves the unincorporated Islanders.

Our democratic rights are being completely disregarded and the disdain with which this process has taken place has left me very angry.— Sylvia Teasdale

She said she has never been civically minded or active, but this issue stood out to her. 

"I've never created any kind of fuss. I've never gone to public meetings, I've never gone to rallies, I've never written letters … I think this is very very important," she said.

"Our democratic rights are being completely disregarded and the disdain with which this process has taken place has left me very angry."

The unincorporated communities are holding a meeting Thursday in Georgetown for residents from any of the communities who want to challenge the decision to move forward.

The taxpayers in Montague pay for the operating costs of the wellness centre, the library, this that and the other thing, which everybody uses on the outside and doesn't pay for.— Brian Harding

Phillip Hebert, a Georgetown councillor, says he plans to resist what sees as a bad plan for his constituents.

"I guess we'll have to fight it. It's not what's best for the residents of our community. It's not what's best of the residents of Montague either, that's how their council feels," he said.

"So we're going to continue pushing back on this.

Tax fairness

Harding said the new Municipal Government Act, with its increased administrative requirements for incorporated communities, means smaller communities are no longer viable.

"It would cost every incorporated community another $20,000, $25,000 per year just to man the office, bring the office up to speed, and you're talking communities 375, 475, 675 people," he said.

It is also a question of fairness, he said.

"The taxpayers in Montague pay for the operating costs of the wellness centre, the library, this that and the other thing, which everybody uses on the outside and doesn't pay for," Harding said.

"That's not right."

From here the matter goes to the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission, which will hold hearings on the question.

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