July 2025 Municipal Update

July 2025 Newsletter

From the Mayor’s Desk

I hope residents are enjoying the beautiful weather of late and making the most of the wonderful amenities available in our municipality and across the Island. We are indeed fortunate to live in such a scenic and vibrant place.

As I stated at the beginning of my term, I am committed to improving communication with residents so you can better understand what’s happening in the municipality and how it may affect you. Since then, the municipality has made a consistent effort to keep residents informed.  This includes considerable ongoing improvements to the Municipality’s website where there is up to date information on all matters of interest to residents.

At our most recent council meeting on July 14th, council members passed a motion directing the CAO to negotiate a $38,000 bank loan on behalf of the Water and Sewer Corporation. This loan is urgently needed to cover the cost of replacing 10 failed pumps at the main sewage pumping station on Victoria Road. While the loan is being negotiated, the funds for the repairs will come out of the Municipality’s general budget.  The Water and Sewer Corporation board had approved this emergency expenditure, which is critical to maintaining the system that moves effluent from the main system into the septic field.

Council was also informed of several other unexpected expenditures that have already overcommitted the Water and Sewer Corporation's 2025–26 budget. In light of this, council has agreed to hold a special Committee of the Whole meeting in early September to review the municipality’s overall financial position and develop recommendations leading to an action plan to address these financial challenges.

In my opening remarks at the July 14th meeting, I updated council and the public on recent communication with the provincial government regarding oversight of our fire district and the setting of fire protection fees for residents outside of the municipality.

I also mentioned an upcoming meeting with the Department of Public Safety, where we will seek to clarify the municipality’s responsibilities in emergency management and identify how we can prepare for potential fall weather events; especially considering our current limitations in training and resources.

To support our preparedness efforts, the municipality has advertised for a volunteer Municipal Emergency Measures Coordinator to help develop and lead our Emergency Measures Program. 

Finally, I announced that the municipality will soon be signing an agreement with the provincial government for $40,000 in temporary top-up funding. This support is being provided as an interim measure while the 10-year review of the Municipal Government Act is underway.

As always, I encourage residents to reach out to council members or the Municipal Office with any questions, concerns, or suggestions for improving our municipal services. I can be reached directly at 902-388-7584 or via email at allenfarm17@gmail.com. For more information, please visit our website under Mayor and Council.

Martin Ruben, Mayor

From the Municipal Office

Please note that our CAO, Yves Dallaire, will be on vacation from July 15th through August 3rd, and Marsha Empson will be on vacation from July 21st through July 24th. As a result, the Municipal Office will be closed during the week of July 21–24.

Information on who to contact during this time is available on the municipal website.

Water and Sewer Operations & Emergency Repairs
The Water and Sewer Corporation Board met on July 10th to address an emergency caused by the failure of 10 out of 12 pumps at the main sewage pumping station. The cost to repair and replace these pumps is estimated at $38,000, which poses a significant challenge to the Corporation’s budget and cash flow.  The council has directed the municipal office to negotiate the terms for a $38,000 bank loan to provide funds for this material expenditure.

While the Board has some insight into the causes of the pump failure, a comprehensive expert assessment is planned to ensure better long-term management of our water and sewer systems. This assessment will proceed once funding becomes available through a provincial grant application currently under review.

The Board is also addressing operational issues at the lift station on the wharf, where excess grease in the system is affecting the station’s performance.

Council By-Election – September 15
The municipal office is managing the upcoming by-election, which will be held on Monday, September 15th.  A Notice of Nomination Proceedings has been distributed to all residents. Nominations will open on August 20th and close on August 29th. A nomination form was included in the email notice.

The successful candidate will serve the remainder of the council term through to November 2026.

Capital Contributions Policy

At its recent meeting, council directed the CAO to begin work on a Capital Contributions Policy. This policy will outline how the municipality contributes to capital projects, including how costs are shared with developers during the planning of new subdivisions or infrastructure extensions, such as water and sewer systems.

Such policies are common in both public and private sectors and provide clarity around funding expectations, eligibility criteria, and accountability measures. Given our municipality’s strategic goals around development, this policy will be a valuable tool moving forward.

An example of a municipality that has implemented a capital contributions policy is the City of Levy in Quebec.  As a result of their policy, developers will be paying approximately $3,000 to $5,000 per new unit built as a contribution to new infrastructure required for their developments.  In Levy, they estimate that capital contributions from developers will provide 45% of the cost of new infrastructure. 

Traffic Issues and Accidents

At the most recent council meeting, members and residents shared several concerns about traffic issues and one recounted a recent incident involving a car and a baby carriage. In response to these concerns and ongoing traffic and parking problems in the village, council directed the mayor to seek action from the PEI Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.

On July 15th, the Mayor contacted the Deputy Minister to request an urgent meeting to explore measures that can be taken to improve road safety and reduce the risk of further incidents.

Coastal Erosion Along the Causeway Road

The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure will present the findings of its recent study, along with potential options for mitigating and adapting to erosion issues along the Causeway Road, to the council and the South Shore Watershed Association.  This meeting represents a key step in the process that was outlined and agreed upon by the Mayor and the Minister in early 2023 to address this pressing concern for the community.  A tentative date of September 11 has been set for the meeting to be held in Victoria.

For more information on any of these topics, please contact the Municipal Office or visit our website. We thank residents for their continued engagement and support.

That’s all for this month! See past issues at www.RMVictoria.com/newsletters

Questions or feedback? Info for a future newsletter or photos you’re willing to share?
Contact staff at victoriamunicipalitypei@gmail.com 

Victoria Historic Schoolhouse

730 Victoria Road, Victoria, PE, 

C0A 1J0, Canada