Unincorporated areas 'collateral' in Three Rivers amalgamation, resident says

With the Town of Montague's go-ahead vote on Three Rivers amalgamation on Monday, the process to incorporate some communities in eastern P.E.I. takes another step forward — however, some residents in the unincorporated areas still plan on taking the fight to government.

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Sylvia Teasdale of Burnt Point, P.E.I., claims there was only ever room for those in incorporated areas to engage in the amalgamation process, while those in the unincorporated areas had "absolutely no say in this entire process."

"We're collateral damage," Teasdale told CBC's Island Morning.

"And that's a lot of people who are collateral damage to a process that the government has been committed to right from when they created this new act."

Unincorporated areas not consulted, says resident

Teasdale claims that the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC) — the independent tribunal in charge  — did not contact the unincorporated areas during the amalgamation process.

A lot of communities are saying 'it's time to look at how we can better serve the residents of the area.'— Richard Brown

For residents to be heard, she and hundreds of others from unincorporated areas in eastern P.E.I. voted in a privately-sponsored plebiscite earlier this year, she said. 

Roughly 1,250 ballots were cast and about 94 per cent of voters said no to amalgamation.

• 'Unbelievable' turnout for Three Rivers amalgamation plebiscite
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That went along with about 2,000 objection forms sent to IRAC, Teasdale said, which asked for unincorporated areas to be removed from the process altogether.

"That's what the government knows about the feelings of unincorporated individuals, but it seems that it has absolutely no bearing on what they want to do," she said.

She said the Rural Coalition of P.E.I. is working on getting more members and plans on taking government to court "when the time comes."

'It's a great day for Kings County'

Richard Brown, P.E.I.'s minister of communities, land and environment, said Montague's vote to march forward on amalgamation was "a great day for Kings County."

He said initially there was some "rough road" as talks about amalgamation began but now more areas across the province are beginning to discuss banding together.

"It's going across Prince Edward Island … there was some partisan politics played but now people are starting to see that this is possibly a good thing for their area," he said.

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"We have the North Shore area looking at it, we have Bideford area looking at it, we have the West River area looking at it. A lot of communities are saying 'it's time to look at how we can better serve the residents of the area.'"

He also said there will be a public meeting to hear the concerns of residents in eastern P.E.I. 

"The mediator and IRAC will be holding a public meeting, at that point in time the unincorporated areas will be able to express their opinions at those meetings and talk to IRAC," he said.

"IRAC will take their concerns into consideration upon their recommendations to cabinet."

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