Published Jun 13, 2025 • 2 minute readThe P.E.I. Regiment in Charlottetown sits on the corner of Haviland and Water Streets. The city is implementing a new military leave policy for reservists. Photo by Logan MacLean /The GuardianP.E.I.’s capital is working on a policy that would make it easier for city staff to serve in the reserves.Today, Charlottetown has no military leave policy. But the city is looking to change that, the human resources committee heard on June 3.“Currently, the city does not have a formalized military leave policy, which has created inconsistencies throughout the city in how military leave requests are handled and has potentially placed undue stress on both service members and their departments in turn,” human resources manager Emilee MacLeod said at the committee.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentThe new policy is an imitation of the federal rules, which allow 24 months of unpaid military leave in a 60-month period.This leave is non-pensionable, meaning there are no city contributions to the applicant’s pension during the leave, and they cannot claim health or other city staff benefits.If someone elects to use their coverage, they will still have to pay out of pocket. They also cannot make their contributions to the pension plan, MacLeod said.Applicants will have to provide a letter to the city outlining their deployment, which amounts to a request for unpaid leave.Medical, dental benefitsMayor Philip Brown suggested this would still allow medical and dental benefits, but MacLeod said unpaid leave doesn’t work that way. Only sick or vacation time does, and reservists can also use paid time off for their deployment instead of the new military leave.Article contentBrown compared this to the P.E.I. Teachers’ Federation, which Coun. Norman Beck said is similar. Brown is a retired teacher, while Beck is a retired principal.Brown also spoke about a recent event at the HMCS Queen Charlotte, the naval reserve base, where part-time service in the military was a topic. He mentioned a personnel shortage of thousands of Canadians.“They talked about military service as a part-time effort, as a part-time responsibility, and I think it’s a very good move forward.”Coun. Trevor MacKinnon asked for clarity on how the time periods work and whether leave needs to be consecutive.MacLeod said it can be any 24 months within the five-year, or 60-month, period. She added that the city based these timelines on federal counterparts because it could make the city eligible for funding, which can cover backfilling or overtime the city requires while reserves are away.Article contentCity council will likely vote to finalize and approve the policy at its June 10 regular meeting.Stay informed: Don’t miss the news you need to know. Sign up for our newsletter today.Logan MacLean is a municipal reporter with The Guardian in Prince Edward Island. He can be reached by email at lmaclean@postmedia.com and followed on X @loganmaclean94.Read More A fulfilling experience: Close calls to soaring highs, P.E.I. army reservist reflects on 27 years of service Honouring heroes: P.E.I. veteran reflects on the dreadful stress of war and our role in shaping a peaceful future P.E.I. man goes from bomb technician in military to restaurateur in Charlottetown Article content
New military leave policy will make it simpler for Charlottetown reservists to take time off work
