THREE RIVERS, P.E.I. - A group of Cardross and Corraville residents is asking for their communities to be taken over by Three Rivers after being axed at the last minute from September’s amalgamation.
Cardross resident Edwena Campbell said she spoke for a number of residents while making a presentation during Monday’s council meeting.
Campbell elaborated on concerns raised in a letter sent to council and signed by about a dozen residents in December.
The two communities, as well as several others in the amalgamation proposal, were excluded by IRAC in its recommendation, stating that their inclusion may impede the future ability of Central Kings to expand its boundaries.
“Many would argue we were lucky to be excluded from amalgamation, however, we do not wish to be amalgamated to another community where we have absolutely no ties,” she said. “Any municipal taxes we pay, we want to benefit the community where we live our day-to-day lies.”
Campbell said there are 14 homes affected in the two communities and that many of those residents use Three Rivers services on a daily basis, rather than “on occasion” as indicated in IRAC’s recommendation. She said those services include schools, stores, health-care resources, restaurants, sports facilities, Access P.E.I. and more.
“Basically, all the things that keep families in rural communities going,” she said.
Residents also said being left out would put them at an increased safety risk since Cardross is about 10 minutes away from the Cardigan Fire Department. If the community amalgamated with Central Kings or Morell, the distance between it and a fire department would more than double.
Another major concern was the lack of land use protection.
“By being excluded from Three Rivers, our properties are at an increased risk for unwanted development,” said Campbell.
Council asked if there was any strong opposition from residents in the area.
Campbell said she was speaking for those in agreement but added there were others who were aware of the proposal who did not support it, although they were not necessarily against it.
“I don’t have anyone saying they’re against it, I just don’t have them saying they’re for it,” she said.
Coun. Gerard Holland said he felt not following the original amalgamation boundaries was a mistake.
“They had it nice and neat and tidy in the sense that (Three Rivers) was going to be Georgetown, Cardigan and Montague fire catchment areas,” he said. “If they would have left it at that, we probably would have been better off.”
Campbell said, after speaking with IRAC, Municipal Affairs and Communities Minister Richard Brown, the communities could now only be added to Three Rivers if council made a formal annexation proposal to IRAC.
Mayor Ed MacAulay said council would research the request and process.
“We’ll take it from here and see what we can do with it,” he told Campbell.
