The Province of Prince Edward Island is changing its approach to community development by implementing an initiative that will help rural areas coordinate community development at the local level. As part of "A New Partnership with Island Communities," a Community Development Fund was established and six Community Development Officers hired to assist rural citizens in determining and implementing the most effective measures for strengthening their communities.
"At the very heart of our province, communities play a vital role in economic development," stated Premier Binns. "Through this initiative, government will be in a better position to partner with communities in the development process, and the responsibility within government will be broadened to involve more departments." The Premier added that this initiative follows through on the government's pledge in the 1999 Budget Address to create a Community Development Fund to help rural PEI.
The focus of this community/government partnership will be to capitalize on the ideas and strengths within each individual community by helping citizens to identify the improvements that will bring long-term sustainability to the area. After citizens come to a consensus on what improvements need to be made, all provincial government departments will play a role in bringing about the changes needed to enhance and improve the economies of rural communities.
Four Provincial Ministers have joined together to form the Community Development Bureau, a cooperative partnership by the Province to involve a number of line departments to assist rural communities. These include the departments of Technology and Environment, Health and Social Services, Education, and Development.
"As a community recognizes its opportunities and challenges for development, it will be the residents who take an active leadership role to put together a community development plan which best suits the needs of their area," said Don MacKinnon, Minister of Development. "It is our role to provide them with the assistance they need to make informed choices regarding the future of their communities."
This program will help citizens plan through and selectively choose improvement projects that will be the most effective for strengthening their area. As opposed to government responding to projects that are requested in a fragmented nature, this program will assist citizens to determine, as a group, the most important actions that the community can carry out to best sustain or strengthen their area.
A Bureau Chief and six Community Development Officers have been hired to spearhead and facilitate the implementation, and champion the community's interest in a local improvement process. Community Development Officers will be located in each of the Regional Services Centres across the province including: Eastern Kings, Southern Kings and Queens, East Prince, West Prince and the Evangeline region, as well as one in Queens region.
As local organizations and residents define the important steps that could strengthen their community, project ideas will emerge. A Community Development Fund has been established to complement community and outside resources to help the improvement idea become a reality. Awards under the Community Development Fund could include both social or economic initiatives, as long as there is a clear consensus from the community that the project will bring long-term improvements.
Community Development Officers will begin work in their respective regions on July 26, 1999. For more information on "A New Partnership for Community Development," contact the Community Development Officer (CDO) in your area: Melody Beck, Southern Kings, (902) 838-0600; Todd King, Eastern Kings, (902) 687-7000; Nancy Murphy, Rural Queens, (902) 368-4240; Eddie Trail, West Prince, (902) 859-8800; Kellie Mulligan, East Prince, (902) 888-8000; Marcel Bernard, Evangeline, (902) 854-7250.