BACKGROUND

The Province of Prince Edward Island has passed a piece of legislation titled The Water Act, which governs all bodies of water in the Province and stipulates its usage.  In the fall of 2019, the Water Act’s draft regulations were introduced for consultation.  While the PEIFA is supportive of the Water Act, the regulations take a discriminatory slant against agriculture and its usage of water, specifically when it comes to supplemental irrigation.  The Federation certainly understands the concerns many Islanders have when it comes to water availability and supports further study of this issue.  The PEIFA believes agriculture should be afforded the opportunity to responsibly study the possibility of supplemental irrigation and revisit the regulations when this study is complete.  

POSITION

The PEIFA supports the creation of the Water Act and believes it will serve as a foundation for water stewardship for generations to come.  Further, the PEIFA supports further study of water availability in the Province and the idea that agriculture should be afforded the opportunity to explore the use of supplemental irrigation.

SUBMISSIONS/PRESENTATIONS