Steven Myers responds to talks that Souris West holding a meeting April 9 on the topicPublished Apr 05, 2025 • Last updated 16 hours ago • 4 minute readCommunities Minister Steven Myers, right, speaks to Guardian reporter Stu Neatby at the P.E.I. legislature on March 27. Myers said there is a review of the Municipal Government Act (MGA) underway right now and he will not entertain any discussions of amalgamation. Photo by Dave Stewart /The GuardianCommunities Minister Steven Myers said he is not interested in discussions about amalgamation.During an interview at the P.E.I. legislature on March 27, Myers said communities are “wasting their time” talking about the subject.Myers was responding to the fact discussions are currently taking place in the Souris area, with a meeting with residents scheduled for April 9 at Souris Regional School.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 contentA group of elected officials and residents from Souris, Souris West, Eastern Kings and Annandale-Howe Bay-Little Pond are looking to conduct a feasibility study as talks around amalgamation have started again since beginning just before the COVID-19 pandemic.“We are in the middle of a (Municipal Government Act) review and until we’re done with that and make changes to the MGA we won’t be entertaining anybody’s amalgamation.”– Communities Minister Steven Myers“We are in the middle of a (Municipal Government Act) review and until we’re done with that and make changes to the MGA we won’t be entertaining anybody’s amalgamation,” Myers told The Guardian. “I will not entertain any papers that come by my desk. They will just be put in the shredder.”Myers said he was not informed about the talks going on in Souris West, that if he had “I would have told them right off the bat don’t do this. I would say, ‘Stop wasting your time’.”Preliminary talksLarry Fitzpatrick, mayor of Eastern Kings, said the ongoing talks are very preliminary.“We are very, very, very far away from any talk of amalgamation,” Fitzpatrick said March 28. “This is step one of 100. This is just a grassroots thing. There is a lot of questions and the big thing about the (April 9) meeting coming up is to really say, ‘Do we get somebody professional to investigate our questions.’”Article contentRecommended from Editorial Government of P.E.I. officially amalgamates communities of Brackley, Winsloe South West River group in P.E.I. proposes restructuring/amalgamation LETTER: Amalgamation process was not democratic Fitzpatrick said for a partnership between communities to work there needs to be positives for all parties.Fitzpatrick also said the April 9 meeting may lead to getting a consultant to do more work.Regional governancePat O’Connor, mayor of Souris West, prefers to call it regional governance rather than amalgamation.O’Connor wants to finish the process that was halted by the pandemic.“We are such a tight-knit community all around and, for argument’s sake, we’re already amalgamated,” O’Connor said. “We’re already intertwined with one another every day, the only missing piece is governance, regional governance.”O’Connor said this meeting is about people in the incorporated and unincorporated areas having their say, talking about the pros and cons of moving forward.Article content“There are the detractors that don’t want anything to do with (amalgamation) and the other camp is just those who want answers to questions that nobody could give them,” the Souris West mayor said.“So, the whole gist of the meeting is to bring everybody together to discuss where they are coming from and what questions they have and we hope to have a consensus to get answers to those questions.”ObserverBoyd Leard, deputy mayor of Souris, said the Town of Souris will be at the April 9 meeting but only as an observer. The town did not originate the amalgamation talks.“Because we are the largest community in this area, we have to be aware of and have to find out what the advantages and disadvantages (are),” Leard said.“We have to find out the pros and cons from the residents. If it’s an advantage for the Town of Souris and for my residents and voters then I feel we should be going with it and if it’s not an advantage then we’re not interested in it. There is research that needs to be done.”Article content Boyd Leard, deputy mayor of Souris, said he will be attending the April 9 meeting at Souris Regional School about amalgamation but only as an observer. Photo by Meoshe Thompson /ContributedReview deadlineMyers said the review of the MGA will be completed by the fall of 2025.“When we have the MGA review done and the changes to our act are in place, hopefully that will reflect the needs of all Islanders and, at that point, it might be a better time to talk about amalgamation but if it lands on my desk today it’s going nowhere.”Reviewing the MGAFollowing is a breakdown of what Communities Minister Steven Myers wants to see come out of an ongoing review into the Municipal Government Act:Not every municipality would be treated the same.“I received correspondence from Belfast, for example. They would like to see different tiers of governance, where they don’t get looped into the size of the Stratfords where they have to provide full service,” Myers said.The minister agrees with that suggestion.“We should have something more suited to the size of Belfast because it is a great, vibrant community but it’s not (a population of) 10,000 people like Stratford.”Stay informed: Don’t miss the news you need to know. Sign up for our newsletter today.Myers said the province has to provide a map for small communities to exist that is different from Charlottetown, Summerside, Cornwall, Stratford or Three Rivers.The province is currently talking to mayors, councillors and chief administrative officers (CAOs) about the division of power between the CAOs and elected officials.Myers wants to know if mayors have enough decision-making powers because those are concerns that have been brought to his attention. In Charlottetown, for example, the mayor could not pick his own committee members, it had to be done through council.Myers said he wants to correct an action taken by the previous Wade MacLauchlan government, the government that introduced amalgamation in December 2017, and let the affected citizens have a voice. In the past, communities were annexed without a voice, he said.“All voices have to be heard,” the minister said. “There is no democracy without it.Dave Stewart is a reporter for The Guardian in Prince Edward Island. He can be reached at dstewart@postmedia.com and followed on X at @DveStewart.Article content
P.E.I. minister says he will shred any requests for amalgamation
