Robert Cotton is more than a name from Island history. He was a visionary who donated much of his personal wealth to future generations of Islanders. He did it through the donation of land and cash. Significant amounts, even by today’s standards. In 1945 he established his first trust ‘The Cotton Trust for Rural Beautification’ with $100,000 of ‘cash or investments.’ J. Walter Jones, Premier of PEI, signed that bond of trust on behalf of future generations of Islanders. In 1961 Robert Cotton donated cash and investments totaling $89,404.42 to establish the ‘Cotton Trust Fund for Vocational Students and Public Parks.’ Walter Shaw, Premier ...

 It’s been a difficult couple of years for Charlottetown Tourism. The organization that once brought Islanders the highly successful Festival of Lights has seen its reputation marred by questionable hiring practices, money losing flops and accusations of being a front for downtown Charlottetown cronyism. Last year the PEI government needed to financially bail out Tourism Charlottetown to the tune of $1 million after its high risk, little reward partnership with Cirque du Soleil proved a box office disaster. Whether Island taxpayers ever see that money is now a significant question. Tourism Charlottetown revenue sources are drying up faster than a tourist ...

 On the holiest weekend of the year for Christians, vandals desecrated an Island church with highly offensive graffiti. Birch Hill Church of Scotland stands quietly in Mount Albion with a towering view overlooking Pownal Bay. Sometime over the Easter weekend vandals spray-painted several walls on the outside front of the church with derogatory images and statements attacking both the church and homosexuality. A member of the congregation passing by Sunday morning discovered it. He called the Charlottetown RCMP. Constable Ron Faulkner says no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing. He said it is too early to say if ...

 So Doug Currie now wants to do for education what he did for health care. To quote Elmer Fudd: ‘Be afraid. Be veeerry, veeery afraid.’ What Currie is expert at is using smoke and mirrors to manipulate processes to achieve his desired result. That is exactly what happened with the creation of Health PEI, an unelected, unaccountable board that controls one-third of the provincial budget but does all its work in secret behind closed doors. It is a board of Doug Currie’s making. And now he is using the identical process to create a single unelected, unaccountable super school board, which could also ...

 It is the battle that has Island political watchers drooling with anticipation. Long time provincial Conservative cabinet minister Mike Currie attempting to unseat the 23-year stranglehold that Liberal Lawrence MacAulay has held on the federal riding of Cardigan. Whoever wins will enjoy all the perks of national office including a staggeringly generous salary of $160,000. But don’t take pity on the loser. Both MacAulay and Currie will fare just fine, thank you very much. If MacAulay loses he will immediately qualify for the Cadillac of Cadillac pensions, which will easily pay him more than $100,000, indexed to inflation, per year for life. ...

 If you want a prime example of wasteful public relations spin being substituted for valid public accountability look no further than Health PEI. The made-for-secrecy organization that controls a third of the provincial budget is actually walking out from behind the closed doors where it does its business to host four three hour functions around the Island. Gosh aren’t we fortunate. There a couple of issues here. The first is that the idea of a health expo is not a bad one.  There is nothing wrong with allowing Islanders the opportunity to see what health services are available. ...

So another year came and went without Stan Rogers being inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. For his fans this is a snub of epic proportions. Out of frustration I decided to try and find out why this legend of Canadian music has not yet been inducted. Took a while, but I finally connected with Joan Besen, Chairman of the Induction Committee. The Hall seems to have a bit of an informal induction process, but it also seems there is no doubt Rogers will find his rightful place in the Hall. Here's what Joan wrote to me:  Hi Paul Ramak ...

Education Minister Doug Currie made the right decision to fire the Eastern School Board.  It was dysfunctional, incompetent and out of touch with educations true priorities. But Currie’s hand-picked replacement, consultant Patsy MacLean, to act as a single unelected trustee for more than a year will do little to restore public confidence in the work of the board. In fact, her appointment immediately raises further questions about the quagmire the province’s education system finds itself in.   ...

 I knew it was going to be a special weekend when I started chatting up the lady in the Packer’s jersey at O’Hare International. “You going to the game?” I asked. “Sure am, “ she said. “Are you a big fan? Do you go to a lot of games?” “You could say that. My son plays.” “You and your son are going to the game?” She laughed. “No. My son plays for the Packers.” “Ohhhh,” I said meekly. “Who is he?”   “Korey Hall. He’s the starting fullback.” ...

 Simple question. What friend of the Ghiz Liberals is waiting in the wings to launch an online ‘university’? That is about the only rationale explanation for the Ghiz government’s frenzied rush to pass legislation allowing organizations other than UPEI to grant degrees and be referred to as a university. Regardless of who is pushing the government’s chain, this is clearly a silly idea being promoted by Innovation Minister Alan Campbell and his academic deputy Michael Mayne. ...