Land and Local Governance
Local government
Local governments are usually formed when people feel that they can achieve an outcome better as a group then as an individual. Created by the Province, local governments respond to a regional desire to provide services at the local level. They are democratic institutions, governed by an elected council that is responsible to the people that elected them. Local governments have particular authorities within their geographical area. They set policy, make decisions, allocate funds and deliver services as desired by their residents. In PEI, local governments or municipalities are referred to as communities, towns or cities. Municipalities are the level of government that tends to be more connected to local issues, delivering important services to our communities. Municipalities offer a wide variety of local services such as: parks and recreation; planning and development control; sewage disposal, ‘central water’, road and sidewalk maintenance; public transit; fire and police services; animal control; and the promotion of arts and culture.
Local government on PEI
In Prince Edward Island, areas may incorporate as municipalities following a process set out in the Municipalities Act. Roughly 30% of the land mass of PEI is municipally incorporated. The incorporated areas represent approximately 69% of the province’s population (2011 Census). The remaining unincorporated areas have no form of local governance in place.
Under PEI legislation, municipalities fall into three categories; cities, towns, and communities.
“Community” means different things for different people. For example, a community can be a group of individuals who share a common interest, or it can be a geographic area where a person feels a sense of belonging.
The term ‘community’ can lead to confusion since civic addressing communities, historic settlement areas, or other community place names may have a different boundary. In some cases, municipal boundaries encompass or border long-established yet, unincorporated communities. In other cases, the municipality might cover some of a community but not all.
Communities, in the municipal context, include a range of former villages and former Community Improvement Committees (CICs), all of which are now designated as ‘Communities’ under the Municipalities Act (see Schedule 1 of the Act for more details).
There are 74 municipalities on PEI (2 cities, 7 towns, and 65 communities). They vary in size from 150 acres to almost 57,000 acres, and in population from 51 to 34,562 residents (2011 Census). The tax base and capacity to provide services varies widely.
For a list of municipalities in PEI, visit the Municipal Affairs Municipal Directory.
