Three Rivers residents planning next steps in amalgamation fight

A group from eastern P.E.I. is getting ready to fight.

Earlier this week the Three Rivers Steering Committee  submitted an amalgamation proposal to the province. It includes seven communities — Brudenell, Cardigan, Georgetown, Lorne Valley, Lower Montague, Montague and Valleyfield — and the unincorporated areas in the Cardigan, Georgetown and Montague fire districts.

A group opposed to the idea met Thursday night to make plans to stop it. 

• Community members gearing up to fight Three Rivers amalgamation plans

"We've had a long-range plan all along, it was just whether or not we were going to have to execute it," said Sylvia Teasdale, who has been fighting against amalgamation for months. 

Despite stormy weather Thursday evening, organizers say close to 100 people showed up to a public meeting in Georgetown to discuss next steps. 

'Assault on democracy'

Georgetown and Montague councils both voted to leave the amalgamation discussion. A group in the unincorporated areas held an unofficial plebiscite — in which a majority of voters voted against amalgamation.

• Privately-sponsored plebiscite overwhelmingly rejects Three Rivers amalgamation

But even with the two largest municipalities off the Three Rivers steering committee, the remaining five municipalities decided to continue with the process, and earlier this week submitted an amalgamation proposal to the province. The application still includes all seven municipalities, as well as the unincorporated communities. 

"It's an assault on democracy and we still have to stop this," Teasdale said.

Beyond the unincorporated areas 

Many in the area are upset, and are determined not to stop fighting. The same group of volunteers that organized the unofficial plebiscite worked with local MLA Steven Myers to organize a community meeting Thursday night. 

"People are banding together, and they're asking, 'What can we do,'" said Lucy Robbins, one of the volunteers.

Robbins said the meeting included many people from the unincorporated areas, and also a number of people from the municipalities. 

Eldon King lives in Lower Montague, and attended the meeting to share his dissatisfaction with the amalgamation process.  Residents in Lower Montague voted against amalgamation in January. However, voter turnout was low, and the community council voted to continue with the process. 

• Lower Montague council decides in favour of amalgamation, overruling community vote

"I want to know why my vote didn't count. I've been overruled by our council," King said. 

Getting the masses involved 

The meeting was a chance for people to discuss what they should do next as a group.

Teasdale said one of the main things discussed was the importance of submitting objections to the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission, which will now review the application. 

IRAC will open consultations on the amalgamation question within the next six weeks. From the day IRAC opens the consultation period, Islanders will have 30 days to make submissions.

"We did it with the petition, we did it with the plebiscite, and we'll do it with the objection forms as well," Teasdale said.

She said the group doesn't know yet if that will mean asking people to send in their own objection forms, or sending in one group form. 

Teasdale said the group also discussed sending emails and making phone calls to the minister responsible, as well as to IRAC, to express concerns. 

Plans for a rally

Teasdale said at the meeting there were also calls to hold a public rally as a way to bring further attention to their concerns. 

"A lot of the people there felt that that's something that the government might actually pay attention to," Teasdale said.

Teasdale said she hopes to get people from across the Island involved in the fight, as she feels similar amalgamation processes may soon happen elsewhere in the province. 

The core group of volunteers plans to meet again soon, and will likely hold more public meetings. 

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | P.E.I. hoping to turn the corner on a dangerous intersection
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | With 4th Olympics, Heather Moyse finds a different experience