FPEIM Newsletter June 2015

FPEIM's June 2015 Newsletter.

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FPEIM newsletter - June 2015

Please circulate this newsletter to Council members and anyone else who might be interested. To subscribe, email FPEIM. To unsubscribe, click the link at the bottom of this page.

President's Message

The summer of 2015 has been slow in coming, but seems to have finally arrived. Eventually the record setting snowfall of the past winter will recede back into our memories. Warmer days and all the joys of an Island summer lay ahead of us.

The past several weeks have been interesting for municipalities. Your Federation was very active during the campaign leading up to the May 4 provincial election. That hard work paid off, with each of the party leaders supporting key municipal issues and promising a financial framework that provides fair and predictable revenue for municipalities. Extensive news coverage helped build public awareness of challenges we face as municipal leaders.

The newly elected Government, led by Premier Wade MacLauchlan, has continued to signal that it's committed to addressing municipal issues. Premier MacLauchlan created the new Department of Communities, Land and Environment and announced that it will have the lead responsibility for working with local governments to build a stronger and more stable system. It will also be responsible for the implementation of the Thompson Report on Land and Local Governance and the development of a new Municipal Government Act. This new Department will be led by the Honourable Robert Mitchell.

A few days after the swearing in of the new government we had the opportunity to hear from our Premier, Honourable Wade MacLauchlan and our new Minister, the Honourable Robert Mitchell. Both spoke at FPEIM’s Annual Meeting on May 25.

Remarks made by Premier Wade MacLauchlan and the new Minister Mitchell indicate that several long-standing municipal issues may be addressed. Premier MacLauchlan talked about the importance of land use planning and the need for sustainable municipalities across PEI. He committed to beginning the work on a new financial framework this summer and introducing a new Municipal Government Act by the spring of 2016. These commitments were repeated in the Government’s first Throne Speech that was delivered at the beginning of June. The Speech also committed to the development of a renewed Planning Act, through active engagement with local communities.

There's a sense of optimism, but there is still a lot of hard work to be done. The Federation looks forward to working with Minister Mitchell, Premier MacLauchlan and the new Government to turn those commitments into long-term solutions that work for municipalities.

I wish everyone an enjoyable summer.

Bruce MacDougall,
President, FPEIM

Federation of PEI Municipalities 58th Annual Meeting

Premier Wade MacLauclan addresses the 58th Annual Meeting of the Federation of PEI Municipalities while the Hon. Robert Mitchell, Minister of Communities, Land and Environment and FPEIM President Bruce MacDougall look on.

The Federation of PEI Municipalities held its 58th Annual Meeting on Monday May 25, 2015 at the Linkletter Community Center. With close to 125 registered, it was a very well attended event. It was the Federation's first opportunity to hear from Premier Wade MacLauchlan as well as the new Minister of the newly created Department of Communities, Land and Environment, the Hon. Robert Mitchell. Delegates also heard from Federation of Canadian Municipalities President Brad Woodside, Go!PEI's Francois Carron and Dr. Adam Fenech of the UPEI Climate Lab. All was not completely serious as the lunch break concluded with an appearance by PEI's own Patrick Ledwell who had his own take on some municipal issues.

Some images from FPEIM's 58th Annual Meeting

FPEIM President Bruce MacDougall with Perlene Morrison of Annual Meeting Diamond Partner Stewart McKelvey

http://www.buildpeicommunities.ca

Awards Presented at FPEIM AGM

2015 Bruce H. Yeo Award

Michael Farmer (left) receives the 2015 Bruce H. Yeo Award from FPEIM President Bruce MacDougall

The Bruce H. Yeo Award was established in memory of FPEIM’s first president, to recognize outstanding contributions to municipal government in Prince Edward Island. The Federation of Prince Edward Island Municipalities was pleased to present the 2015 Bruce H. Yeo Award recipient to Michael Farmer, former mayor of the Town of Stratford. Details of the presentation and a list of previous winners are available here.

2015 Municipal Achievement Award

FPEIM President Bruce MacDougall (left) presents the 2015 Municipal Achievement Award to Chairperson Allan MacInnis of the Community of Tignish

The Federation of Prince Edward Island Municipalities initiated the Municipal Achievement Awards to recognize a municipality that has demonstrated a commitment to improving the quality of life of its residents. The Community of Tignish was presented with 2015 Municipal Achievement Award. Details of the presentation and a list of previous winners are available here.

Federation of Canadian Municipalities Elects New President

Raymond Louie was acclaimed FCM President on June 7, 2015 during FCM's Annual Conference in Edmonton. He replaces Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside, who was warmly congratulated for the success of his term in his office. Raymond Louie is now in his fourth term on Vancouver City Council and has been a member of the FCM Board of Directors since 2009. A more complete biography is available here.

Basil Stewart Inducted into Canadian Municipalities Roll of Honour.

FPEIM President Bruce MacDougall and the Board of Directors extend their congratulations to Basil Stewart who has joined the likes of the late Jack Layton and Angus Read in receiving an honour bestowed on few by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. At the FCM’s recent annual meeting in Edmonton, Stewart became the first Summerside mayor to be inducted into the organization’s Roll of Honour.

Nominees for the award can no longer hold elected office and “have distinguished themselves by a proven record of sustained exceptional service to municipal government in Canada.” Stewart served 29 consecutive years as Summerside’s mayor and, during that time, sat on various FCM committees, on its executive and served as its president.
Media reports about the presentation are available here and here.

Past P.E.I. inductees:
—   2008 – Ben Cairns, supporter of FCM, councillor of Wilmot
—   2008 – Stan Campbell, former FCM director, former president FPEIM
—   2005 – George MacDonald, former FCM director, former Charlottetown mayor
—   2002 – Lisa Doyle-MacBain, former employee Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has launched a new report on the growing housing crisis in Canada, Built to Last: Strengthening the Foundations of Housing in Canada. Access to affordable housing is critical to the health, well-being, and economic prosperity of every community in Canada. This report identifies a number of weaknesses in Canada’s housing system and makes policy recommendations aimed at improving affordability across the housing system.

The report calls for all governments to work together and points to three key solutions to make housing more affordable for all Canadians:

Create incentives to increase rental housing, taking the pressure off home ownership;
Protect current levels of federal investments in affordable housing now set to rapidly decline; and
Deliver the housing and support services that can end homelessness.

In its news release, FCM reports that the 2015 federal budget did little to mitigate this looming crisis as no new dollars have been committed to address the $1 billion declining federal investment in social housing over the next five years. As a result, Canada's most vulnerable citizens, one third of whom are elderly, face increased housing costs and growing wait-lists for affordable housing in municipalities from coast to coast to coast.

New Horizons for Seniors Program

Community-based projects under the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) that enable seniors to share their knowledge, skills and experiences with others, and help communities increase their capacity to address local issues, are eligible to receive up to $25,000 per year, per organization.

Projects must address one or more of the program's five objectives:

promoting volunteerism among seniors and other generations;
engaging seniors in the community through the mentoring of others;
expanding awareness of elder abuse, including financial abuse;
supporting the social participation and inclusion of seniors; and
providing capital assistance for new and existing community projects and/or programs for seniors.

More information available on the Employment and Social Development Canada website.

Read FCM's Roadmap for Strong Cities and Communities: FCM's 2015 federal election platform. It has solutions for :
   Local Jobs and Growth
   Livable Communities
       Safe Cities and Communities
       Environmentally Sustainable Cities and Communities
   Global Municipal Connections