Divide over P.E.I. amalgamation proposal grows

Another member of the committee trying to come up with a plan for the amalgamation of seven communities in eastern P.E.I. says he's stepping aside to focus on efforts to try to prevent school closures in the province.

John Walsh was one of four committee members appointed last November to represent people living in unincorporated areas which could be part of the new municipality. Walsh was appointed to represent residents living within the Georgetown Fire District.

• Mayor of Georgetown stepping aside from amalgamation efforts, turning focus to saving schools
• Georgetown community ready to fight proposed school closure

"My priority right now is to keep the school open," Walsh said.

"We lived before without amalgamation. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it … [but] you can't live without schools. And I think schools is a top priority here right now."

Georgetown School is one of five in the province recommended to be closed by the Public Schools Branch.

Last week Georgetown Mayor Lewis Lavandier stepped down as chair of the steering committee for the Three Rivers amalgamation in order to focus on trying to prevent the school closures.

Meetings will continue without Georgetown

Last week Lavandier also sent an email to the remaining Three Rivers committee members asking them to "cease further regionalization discussions throughout the school review process."

"Georgetown Town Council does not want to see any communities pitting one against the other, and feel strongly the way to avoid fighting amongst ourselves is to try to keep all the rural schools open — and stand together," Lavandier wrote in the email.

The way to avoid fighting amongst ourselves is to try to keep all the rural schools open.- Georgetown Mayor Lewis Lavandier

However today the committee issued a media release saying remaining members had decided to continue amalgamation talks.

"Georgetown has been an integral part" of the amalgamation process, said Brian Harding, selected as interim chair of the committee during Lavandier's absence.

"We empathize with the situation they are in. But we have done a lot of work on this regionalization process ...We have different communities involved. If every time an issue comes up with an individual community, do we abandon the process?"

Harding said if the amalgamation had already gone through, the new municipality, with a population of almost 8,000, would have a stronger voice and be in a better position to fight school closures.

"And that's probably … the biggest advantage for regionalization to take place," he said. "But we're not there yet."

In its release, the Three Rivers committee said the timing of government's school review "has put undue strain on the positive negotiations that have taken place to this point" with regards to amalgamation.

Harding said the Three Rivers committee will draft a letter of support for Georgetown and ask each community council involved with amalgamation to endorse it.

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