There is no question a resolution passed during the annual meeting of the PEI Federation of Agriculture will generate plenty of discussion in the months ahead.
The proposal from long-time potato grower Morley Wood asks the province to increase the ownership limits under the Lands Protection Act. While there have been some minor changes to the act over its 35 year history, the bar has not moved from the upper limit of 1,000 acres for individuals and 3,000 acres for corporations. The major changes in the last three and a half decades have been to include leased land in the total and, more recently, to exclude environmentally sensitive land.
The resolution wants the limits increased to 1,500 acres for individuals and 4,500 acres for corporations. I understand the reasoning for the request-- today’s farms are bigger and three and four year rotations require more land.

It seems thieves are becoming more daring.
There was a time in the not too distant past when those who lived outside the law would wait for cover of darkness. The theft would usually wait until the business was closed or the home unoccupied before trying to gain entry. Now, it seems crooks are trying to outdo each for the most brazen robbery attempt.
Certainly, the recent theft at the Sears store in Montague would have to be a contender in this illegal competition. While the store was open for the business September 4, a 55 inch LCD television was stolen form the company stock room. It doesn’t get much more daring than that. You can’t just stick a 55 inch television in your pocket and try to walk out of the store.

By the end of this week, the 2011 election will officially be in full swing.

Having the exact election date known four years in advance takes the suspense out of the process. Previously, political watchers had the calendar as their best friend, counting off potential scenarios as they tried to pin down a possible date.

Reporters often staked out Fanningbank hoping to catch a glimpse of the premier driving up for a meeting with the lieutenant governor. That meeting is actually the paperwork that allows for a vote-- the sitting legislative assembly is dissolved and a writ is issued for an election.

Usually the announcement was made at a nominating convention of the ruling party to help fire up the troops.

While the suspense may be gone, it is clear there are still a number of details to be worked out regarding what constitutes permissible advertising during the lead-up period before the election.

The Eastern Eagles soccer tournament last weekend was a success on so many levels.

Coming on the heels of a recent Statistics Canada report that once again raised concerns about childhood obesity, the athletes who took part in this event are to be congratulated for choosing an activity that is a great way to stay in shape.

Many of the players, particularly at the older levels, are combining their love of sports with summer jobs and it can be a real balancing act for both the children and their parents who have to drive them across the province and beyond --- always ready with a cheer and an encouraging word no matter what the result on the field.

The organizers of the event deserve a huge pat on the back. Planning a schedule for 85 teams is no easy task. I once scheduled a softball tournament for six teams and that was bad enough.

There was a catchy tune riding the charts in the late 1980’s called “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”

This Bobby McFerrin number essentially talked about ignoring life’s problems and surrounding yourself with good karma. Health PEI should adopt it as its theme song.

There are some very serious problems in the health care system in this province.

This agency, whose prime function essentially seems to be protecting a minister who is in way over her head, seems to be doing little to solve them.

To anybody who tries to suggest the scope of the problems, whether they be opposition politicians, people within the health system or the media, the response essentially is “don’t worry, it’s all going to work out because we have a magic formula called a model of care.”

Before the legislature opened for the current spring session, Premier Robert Ghiz set the bar low by telling reporters little would be accomplished.
He said his government planned no substantial legislation. Three weeks into the session that is a promise he has so far kept. The premier said the main purpose of gathering at Province House for 20 days or so was to pass a budget. The premier indicated in advance that wouldn’t be a usual election style document with few “goodies” being handed out. Again, he delivered on that score, even raising taxes on the tobacco and alcohol.

It was a banner day Monday for PEI athletes on the national stage.
The province recorded its first medal at the Canada Winter Games in Halifax, courtesy of Alyssa Chapman. The Murray Harbour native overcame an injury last year that shortened her training time to take the gold medal in the Special Olympics solo dance event. She now joins a growing list of Islanders who have taken on the best the country has to offer in their sport and emerged on the medal podium. The Canada Games medal legacy started with Montague’s Bill MacKinnon, who won gold in athletics in 1969 and includes Kurt MacCormack of Souris who won a bronze in the triple jump before a home town crowd at UPEI during the 2009 summer games.

When Premier Robert Ghiz came to power in 2007, he vowed to bring fairness to the property tax system.
For years, governments of both political stripes claimed righteous indignation when their political opponents suggested they had increased the property tax rate. They claimed, quite rightly, the rate had never moved. There was a simple answer why-- it didn’t have to. The reason, of course, was the assessed value. of most Island properties rises over time-- in some years the increase could be steeper than others.

There are some interesting facts in the statistical review compiled by the province that came across my desk recently.
For one thing, it puts some hard data to the trend of more non-farmers in rural areas. Although some of the data is based on the 2006 census, there is little reason to believe much had changed in the last three years. The majority of the province’s population still lives in rural areas (defined by Statistics Canada as communities of less than 1,000 people) although the gap is narrowing.
In the last census, there were 76, 906 Islanders living in what might be called “the country” while 61,721 lived in areas with a population of 1,000 or greater. Of that rural total, only 5,295 were farmers. The province now has a bigger Francophone population than it does farmers, although farmers who speak French would be included in both groups. The province’s francophone population is 5,665.