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Islanders invited to participate in creation of Water Act

July 10, 2015, Charlottetown – The government of Prince Edward Island is
inviting all Islanders to participate in the creation of legislation to
protect water quality and quantity now and into the future.

July 10, 2015, Charlottetown – The government of Prince Edward Island is inviting all Islanders to participate in the creation of legislation to protect water quality and quantity now and into the future.

Prince Edward Island is the only Canadian province dependent entirely on ground water for drinking water. As a result, the government says a provincial Water Act will have to provide water security, offer guidance for government decisions involving water management and put legislation in place that will allow water challenges to be effectively addressed.

“The overall objective of a Prince Edward Island Water Act will quite simply be to ensure the protection of our water,” said Minister of Communities, Land and Environment Robert Mitchell. “Today, we are releasing a white paper and launching our primary phase of consultations. The white paper outlines the components of an act that could be used to protect and conserve our water supply and is intended to serve as a resource for Islanders as we work together on legislation development.”

From left to right: Environmental Advisory Council chair Richard Davies, Minister of Communities, Land and Environment Robert Mitchell, Water Act consultation moderator Jean-Paul Arsenault, and Environmental Advisory Council vice-chair Dean Stewart.

Consultations led by Prince Edward Island’s Environmental Advisory Council will be held across the province over the coming months – times, dates and locations will be advertised in advance. Jean-Paul Arsenault, who served as executive secretary to the Commission on Land and Local Governance, the Round Table on Resource Land Use and Stewardship, and the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Environment, will serve as moderator of the consultations. Information gathered throughout the consultation process will aid in the drafting of the Water Act, which will be presented for public review and feedback in 2016.

“We look forward to hearing from Islanders on what is important to them in the development of this important piece of legislation,” said Richard Davies, chair of the Environmental Advisory Council. “Water management is imperative for all Islanders and that is why we encourage the public to participate in the consultation process.”

Islanders are able to offer their input in different ways including in-person consultations, online submissions, e-mail, phone, mail and fax.

To learn more about the creation of Prince Edward Island’s Water Act, visit www.gov.pe.ca/wateract.