Summerside won't have battery storage for its solar power this winter after Sunbank fire

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Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-10-30 19:32:11.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Energy, Infrastructure, Environment]

Following a battery fire at the Sunbank solar farm in September that burned for two weeks, the City of Summerside will enter the winter season lacking 5 megawatts of dispatchable battery storage capacity. Summerside Electric, which generates roughly 60 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources, has secured a conditional firm service agreement with Maritime Electric to help bridge the energy gap, alongside utilizing its 15-megawatt standby generation facility. The city faces ongoing provincial energy challenges tied to mainland transmission infrastructure and submarine cables, prompting long-term considerations for energy independence and grid resiliency.

Decision on Charlottetown's zoning and development bylaw postponed once again

Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-10-16 15:27:58.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Housing, Infrastructure, Governance]

Charlottetown city council deferred a decision on its proposed zoning and development bylaw after a tied vote broken by Mayor Philip Brown during a meeting on October 13, 2026. The proposed overhaul aims to increase urban density, including the integration of four-unit housing requirements tied to federal funding from the Housing Accelerator Fund, which includes $1.26 million at risk. With municipal elections scheduled for November 2, 2026, debate persists among councillors over whether to finalize the legislation before a new council takes office in December or delay the vote.

Charlottetown holds off on zoning and development bylaw vote

Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-10-16 09:00:00.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Housing, Infrastructure]

Charlottetown City Council voted to defer a decision on approving or rejecting a new zoning and development bylaw following more than a year of discussions and public open houses. Councillors scheduled an additional meeting to continue deliberating the proposed regulatory framework governing municipal land use and development standards within the city.

Town of Cornwall approves $490K land sale for first long-term care home

Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-09-26 16:01:08.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Healthcare, Seniors, Infrastructure, Housing]

The Town of Cornwall has approved the $490,000 sale of nearly two hectares of the Terry Fox Sports Complex to The Mount Continuing Care Community for the municipality's first long-term care facility. The facility will house 80 new long-term care beds scheduled to open in 2029, creating approximately 150 full-time jobs. Once operational, the provincial government will provide up to $9.8 million annually under a 30-year agreement to cover residents' medical costs and housing assistance. Groundbreaking for the project is expected to begin in the fall, with the property transaction closing in October.

Tariff war delays opening of new multi-sport turf field in Charlottetown

Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-09-18 09:00:00.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Trade, Infrastructure]

The opening of a 3 million dollar multi-sport turf field next to the Simmons Sports Centre in Charlottetown has been delayed to spring 2027 due to ongoing United States tariffs and Canadian counter-tariffs. Supplier Musco Lighting determined it was no longer financially feasible to supply the lighting system from the United States, forcing the company to reroute manufacturing and delivery from its facility in China. This trade disruption caused a four-to-six-week delivery delay for lighting poles and fixtures, pushing back electrical installation by Hansen Electric and delaying project completion.

Charlottetown's Queen Parkade to be torn down after report highlights its poor condition

Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-09-14 09:00:00.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Infrastructure, Housing]

Charlottetown city council has voted unanimously to demolish and rebuild the city-owned Queen Street Parkade built in 1979 following a structural assessment indicating it is in poor condition due to concerns over load-carrying capacity, failed waterproofing, and drainage system issues. Consultants recommend a three-year operating window, and the city has presented four design options for a four- to five-level replacement facility estimated to cost between $23 million and $28 million. Downtown Charlottetown Inc. CEO Dawn Alan emphasized that a new parkade must be constructed before demolishing the existing structure to prevent parking displacement, while public works committee chair Mitchell Tweel expressed openness to private sector proposals that could incorporate commercial and residential spaces into the new development.

Summerside solar farm fire contained to single battery cell as burn-out enters 7th day

Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-09-13 15:00:17.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Energy, Emergency, Infrastructure]

Emergency crews at the 30-hectare Sunbank solar farm in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, have successfully contained a battery fire to a single battery cell entering its seventh day of burn-out. The incident began around 5:30 a.m. on September 7 when a battery unit ignited at the west-end facility, prompting round-the-clock monitoring by city officials and emergency personnel. Summerside chief administrative officer JP Desrosiers confirmed that conditions have remained stable following a brief flare-up, and city officials do not anticipate reinstating a voluntary shelter-in-place notice unless the fire spreads beyond the current battery infrastructure.

Conditions have improved, but fire still not out at Summerside solar farm, says city's CAO

Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-09-09 09:35:25.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Energy, Emergency, Environment, Infrastructure]

A prolonged fire at the City of Summerside's Sunbank solar farm battery bank, which began on Monday, September 7, 2026, continues to burn under monitoring by Summerside Fire Services and Summerside Police Services using drone thermal imaging. While conditions and wind directions have improved, allowing the city to avoid a mandatory shelter-in-place order, a voluntary shelter-in-place order remains in effect for the immediate area. Local schools and Credit Union Place remain closed as third-party firms conduct air quality sampling and officials analyze drinking water and runoff samples.

Shelter in place order issued for some Summerside residents

Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-09-07 11:04:36.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Energy, Emergency, Public Safety, Infrastructure]

A fire broke out in one of the battery banks at the City of Summerside's solar farm around 5:30 AM, prompting the Summerside Police and Fire departments to issue a shelter-in-place order for residents living along South Drive from MacKenzie to Bayview Drive. City officials, including CAO J.P. Desrosier, reported that the fire was relatively small and contained by crews on the scene, with weather conditions and rain assisting in dispersing smoke safely away from the area. As a precaution, officials closed South Drive from Greenwood Drive to Putters Street, advised residents to keep windows and doors closed, turn off outside-ventilation systems, and keep pets indoors.

Charlottetown zoning overhaul aims to pave way for new housing, density

Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-09-07 09:00:00.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Housing, Infrastructure, Governance]

The City of Charlottetown is advancing a comprehensive zoning and development bylaw overhaul slated for a council vote in October 2026. Proposed by planning consultants Fathom Studio, the new rules permit up to four residential units as-of-right on existing properties—expanding past regulations allowing only a single garden or granny suite—without requiring special council approvals. Higher-density multi-unit developments, generally ranging from six to eight storeys and up to 10 or more storeys in designated growth corridors like major transit routes and commercial malls, are targeted to handle urban growth while preserving historic districts and heritage standards.

Stratford, P.E.I., nearing 'end of the road' on town’s growth blueprint, planning chair says

Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-08-30 09:00:00.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Housing, Infrastructure, Governance]

The Town of Stratford, P.E.I., is finalizing a new official plan and zoning and development bylaw intended to guide managed growth, with council planning to review the draft for first reading in September and adoption prior to the November municipal elections. The updated blueprint designates the major highway splitting the town as a mixed-use commercial and residential corridor while introducing 'gentle density' frameworks, such as pre-approved architectural plans for townhomes and multi-unit dwellings, to streamline development approvals. Additionally, the planning committee addressed a separate subdivision application from Flourish Development Group proposing 287 housing units off Kinlock Road, noting that the project lacks approval and requires revision following committee concerns regarding modular home concepts.