O'Leary, Prince Edward Island
· adopted 2024-12-20
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EFFECTIVE APRIL 22, 2024, REVISED DECEMBER 20, 2024
Original date of approval by Minister
April 22, 2024
Amended:
Amendment Number
OPA-2024-01
Effective Date
December 20, 2024
This document is an office consolidation of this Official Plan. It is intended for information and reference purposes only. This document is not the official version. All efforts have been made to ensure these versions are as accurate as possible; however, where accuracy is critical, please consult official sources.
Prepared by SJ Murphy Planning & Consulting, in association with Greg Morrison, RPP, MCIP, and Mitch Underhay
## Effective Date
The effective date of the Town of O'Leary 2023 Official Plan is the date as signed below by the Minister of Housing, Land and Communities.
## Authority and Adoption by Council
The Council for the Town of O'Leary, under the authority vested in it by sections 11-15 of the Planning Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988 Cap P-8, approved and adopted the Town of O'Leary 2023 Official Plan at the Council meeting held on the 9** day of November, 2023.
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Mayor (signature sealed)
Shaw
Chief Administrative Officer (signature sealed)
## Ministerial Approval
The Town of O'Leary 2023 Official Plan is hereby approved.
Date on in co too lpril 2024
## Town of O'Leary 2023 Official Plan
## Table of Contents
| 1.1 PURPOSE | |
|-----------------------------------|----|
| 1.2 PLANNING AREA | 1 |
| 1.3 LEGAL ENABLEMENT | 1 |
| 1.4 TIME FRAME | 1 |
| 1.5 PLAN CONTENT | |
| 1.6 OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW | |
| 2.1 CONTEXT | |
| LOCATION | |
| HISTOrICAL BACKGROUND | |
| MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION | |
| 2.2 DEMOGRAPHICS | |
| POPULATION | |
| HOUSING | |
| 2.3 CURRENT LAND USES | |
| RESIDENTIAL | |
| RURAL RESOURCE | |
| COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL | |
| INSTITUTIONAL | |
| PARKS AND RECREATION | |
| BUILDINg PERMIT ACTIVITY | |
| 2.4 ECONOMY | |
| O'LEARY AND ITS SERVICE AREA | |
| LOCAL SERVICES | |
| 2.5 INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES | |
| TRANSPORTATION | |
| SANITARY SEWER AND DRINKINg WATER | |
| OTHER SERVICES | 10 |
| 2.6 SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL | 10 |
| 2.7 ENVIRONMENT | 10 |
| SurfacE WaTer AND Groundwater | 10 |
| CLIMATE RESILIENCE | 10 |
| CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION | 11 |
| 3.1 VISION | 13 |
| 3.2 GOALS | 13 |
| SOCIAL | 13 |
| ECONOMIC | 13 |
| PHYSICAL | 14 |
|--------------------------------------------------|--------|
| ENVIRONMENTAL | 14 |
| 4. OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND PLAN ACTIONS........ | ... 15 |
| 4.1 SOCIAL OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES | 15 |
| RESIDENTIAL | 15 |
| SOCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL | 20 |
| COMMUNITY SAFETY | 22 |
| 4.2 ECONOMIC OBJECTIVES & POLICIES | 23 |
| HEALTHY LOCAL EcoNoMy | 23 |
| INDUSTRIAL | 26 |
| RESOURCE USES | 27 |
| ECONOMIC RESILIENCE | 28 |
| 4.3 PHYSICAL OBJECTIVES | 29 |
| COMMUNITY CHARACTER | 29 |
| TRANSPORTATION | 31 |
| 4.4 ENVIRONMENT | 33 |
| CLEAN WATER | 33 |
| CLEAN ENVIRONMENT | 35 |
| CLIMATE RESILIENCE | 35 |
| 5. FUTURE LAND USE MAP. ..37 | |
| 6. IMPLEMENTATION... | .. 38 |
| 6.1 LAND USE BYLAW | 38 |
| 6.2 BUDGETING | 39 |
| 6.3 REVIEW | 40 |
| 6.4 AMENDMENTS | 40 |
| 6.5 POSTING OF DECISIONS | 40 |
| 6.6 APPEAL PROCEDURE | 41 |
| SCHEDULE A - FUTURE LAND USE MAP .. 42 | |
## 1. INTRODUCTION
## 1.1 PURPOSE
The Official Plan for the Town of O'Leary is a formalized statement of Goals, Objectives, Policies and Plan Actions approved by the Council of the Town of O'Leary (the "Town") concerning the nature, extent and pattern of land use and development within the Town until the year 2038.
The Town's Goals as set out in this Plan indicate overall policy direction, while the Objectives and Policies deal with specific topics and issues. Plan Actions are statements indicating specific initiatives or directions which will be undertaken to implement the Plan's Policies and Objectives.
The Official Plan guides the physical, social, environmental, and economic development of the Town. It provides the policy framework for the Town of O'Leary Land Use Bylaw, hereinafter referred to as the Bylaw, and policy direction for Council's actions in relation to: economic development initiatives; public works; social programs; municipal services; environmental standards; and fiscal management.
## 1.2 PLANNING AREA
The Official Plan covers all the geographical area contained within the legal municipal boundaries of the Town of O'Leary. Although the Official Plan can only control those matters which arise within the Town's legal boundaries, consideration must also be given to what is happening in adjacent municipalities and, indeed, the West Prince area and the province as a whole.
## 1.3 LEGAL ENABLEMENT
The Town derives the majority of its powers from the Municipal Government Act and the Planning Act. The Municipal Government Act, which took effect on December 23, 2017, requires the Town to provide "municipal planning services, including an official plan and bylaws," and enables other bylaws, programs, and strategies to help implement other aspects of the Official Plan. The Planning Act empowers Council to appoint a Planning Board, adopt an Official Plan, and, subsequently, to adopt implementing land use and development control bylaws.
## 1.4 TIME FRAME
The Official Plan will guide the physical, social, environmental, and economic development of O'Leary until the year 2038. Periodic reviews will take place as required, but the reviews must occur at least once every 5 years pursuant to the requirements of the Planning Act.
## 1.5 PLAN CONTENT
The Planning Act requires that official plans include:
- a statement of economic, physical, social and environmental objectives;
- a statement of policies for future land use, management and development, expressed with reference to a specified period not exceeding fifteen years; and
- proposals for its implementation, administration and the periodic review of the extent to which the objectives are achieved.
This document contains six sections:
1. Introduction
2. O'Leary Today
3. Future Development Goals
4. Objectives, Policies and Plan Actions
5. Future Land Use Map; and
6. Implementation
The first section deals with the purpose, scope and legal enablement for the Official Plan. The second section summarizes the background studies and provides a description of the physical, social and economic characteristics of the Town. The third section provides a broad summary of how the Town desires to see its development unfold in the future. The fourth section is the core of the document, stating objectives, policies and intended actions for specific topics. The fifth section includes the generalized Future Land Use Map. The last section sets out the process for administering and implementing the Official Plan and Bylaw.
## 1.6 OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW
An official plan is intended to be a dynamic planning tool and is therefore subject to periodic review and/or amendment under the Planning Act. The Village of O'Leary appointed its first Planning Board in 1985. The first Official Plan was completed and adopted in 1990. A comprehensive review of this Plan was performed in 2000 and again in 2014, where Planning Board undertook a relatively comprehensive upgrading of the Official Plan and updating of the Zoning and Subdivision Control (Development) Bylaw.
## Current Review
The review of the 2014 Official Plan commenced in 2022 in accordance the requirements of Section 15.1 (1) of the PEl Planning Act. A consulting team was retained to undertake the review, under the guidance of the Town's Planning Board. The Planning Board held a series of meetings with the consulting team to identify a direction for various plan review topics. Background studies were undertaken to obtain demographic and social information as well as information from agencies and operations that supply services to the Town. Two public meetings were held prior to the final formal public meeting to present the final Official Plan and Land Use Bylaw for final public feedback.
The technical analysis and policy development expressed in this Official Plan is supported by a more extensive Background Report and Community Profile, with the objective of keeping the Official Plan itself as focused and accessible as possible.
## 2. O'LEARY TODAY
## 2.1 CONTEXT
## Location
O'Leary is located in the south-central portion of West Prince at the intersection of the O'Leary Road and the Confederation Trail (former CNR rail lines) approximately 5 kilometers west of the Western Road (Rte 2). The Town is 60 kilometers north-west of Summerside and 130 kilometers west of the provincial capital, Charlottetown.
## Historical Background
Prince Edward Island is known as Epekwitk and is part of Mikma'ki, the traditional, unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq people for more than 12,000 years. The entire province, along with Nova Scotia, eastern New Brunswick, the Gaspé peninsula and southern Newfoundland, comprise Mi'kma'ki where oral tradition and historic record point to seasonal use and habitation of the region.
O'Leary grew out of the development of the western Prince County rail system. The O'Leary Station was built at the location where the rail crossed the O'Leary Road. The community quickly developed into a service centre for the area, supporting sawmills and warehouses, and offering services such as the post office and stores. The local economy has been dominated by potato farming and relating businesses and industries.
## Municipal organization
O'Leary was incorporated as a Village under the PEI Village Services Act in 1951. The Municipalities Act in 1983 resulted in a name change to the Community of O'Leary. In 2014, the O'Leary Council applied to the Province of Prince Edward Island (the "Province") to change the status of the Community to a Town and the change took effect on March 11, 2014, a status that was retained through the transition to the Municipal Government Act in 2017.
Under the Municipal Government Act, the Town has a 6- member Council. Town staff includes a full-time chief administrative officer, recreation director, and maintenance supervisor, with additional seasonal staff during the summer months for maintenance and recreation programs.
Figure I- Context Map - O'Leary in West Prince
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## 2.2 DEMOGRAPHICS
## Population
O'Leary has fared somewhat better than some other smaller communities in Prince Edward Island. The population growth over the most recent census period was 7.5%, after a 0.4% growth from 2011 to 2016.
## Town of O'Leary Population
Figure 2 - O'Leary population growth over time (Statistics Canada Census data and 2014 O'Leary Official Plan)
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O'Leary's population is slowly aging; in the last fifteen years, the median age increased from 46.3 to 51.2 years, while the Province's overall median age increased from 40.8 to 44 years.
Figure 3 - Median Age in O'Leary Over Time (Statistics Canada census data)
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In 2021, approximately 52% of O'Leary's population was over the age of 50 and 31.4% were over 65 years of age. This compares to the provincial figures, where 43% were over the age of 50 and 21.2% were 65 years or older. The aging population in O'Leary's population brings with it a declining number of younger families with children. Shifts in age breakdowns notwithstanding, the percentage of households with 1-2 persons remained steady at 71% between 2016 and 2021 A projection by the recently launched Housing Assessment Resource Tools site, and based on 2016 census data, suggests that by 2026, O'Leary could be home to as many as 413 households, with the majority of the new households in the 3-person and 5+ household categories, a slight increase in the number single-person households, and a decrease in the number of 2-person households.
Future population trends will be closely tied to the Town's ability to meet the housing needs and ensure the sustainability of services. Between the 2021 and 2041 census periods, O'Leary's population could grow by as many as 570 persons, with a net increase of over 260 households.'
Figure 4 - Town of O'Leary Age Characteristics
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1 Pelletier, Matthew. Understanding Housing Needs in the Town of O'Leary. July 2023. See Appendix A.
## Housing
With a population on average older than in the region or the province as a whole, housing options suitable to young adults and young families will be needed to ensure sufficient choice to ensure the attractiveness of the town to those age groups, especially young adults looking to establish their own households. This is particularly true for the 15 to 24 year cohort, where the 2016-2021 household formation rate was 0%. A lack of housing options for young households will have long-term implications for the ability of the Town to retain young adults and families. Housing for seniors is also critical, meaning that the housing priorities from 2014 have only become more acute. Additional work taking place in West Prince confirms that there is significant pressure on the housing supply to meet the needs of those looking to move or stay in the town and the region as a whole. Census data also indicates that over 23% of tenant households were in core housing need in 2021 and spending more than 30% of their income on shelter costs, while almost 14% of owner household are also in core housing need, higher than in both the region and the province, meaning that affordability remains a critical need.
The average household size in 2021 was 2.2, compared with 2.3 in Prince County and provincially, and up slightly from 2.1 over the previous two census periods. This is reflective perhaps of the increasing number of newcomers moving to the region, many of whom share accommodations for a variety of reasons, as the development of new dwellings occupied by usual residents and dwellings overall did not keep pace
with the population growth. Despite this slight shift, the Town's population continues to age, with approximately 52% of O'Leary's population in 2021 over the age of 50 and 31.4% over 65 years of age. This compares to the provincial figures, where 21.2% were 65 years or older.
Employment opportunities are available in the O'Leary region, but the Town must seek to create a flexible environment that will foster the development of more affordable and varied housing options in order to encourage the needed workers and young families to locate within the boundaries of O'Leary.
In order to keep up with the projected population growth, O'Leary will need to increase housing stock by at least 266 net units by 2041, meaning an increase of 13 units a year to keep pace or 15 units per year to improve overall affordability. The annual rate of unit increase between 2016 and 2021 was 3 new units.
## 2.3 CURRENT LAND USES
Mapping, updated assessment data, and other resources were used to understand current land uses. A more complete assessment of current land uses and trends is included in the Background Report and Community Profile that accompanies this official plan (see Schedule C). While this Plan is focused on existing lands within the Town, a small boundary adjustment initiated by the Town in the spring of 2023 will provide additional opportunities to promote the development needed to support residential, commercial, and other uses in the community.
## Residential
Approximately one third of the Town's land
base is currently developed for residential use. Over the various versions of the Town's official plan, different approaches were used to direct residential development, beginning with a two-zone approach, shifting in 2014 to a tiered exclusionary approach to zoning.
With the housing availability and affordability pressures being experienced in over the last few years and a shifting focus to complete communities, integration, and sustainability, it is time once again to explore the question of supporting and promoting a flexible approach to mixed densities.
There are a range housing options suitable for seniors in the Town but, as indicated in the population section, demand for affordable seniors housing continues to rise. There are some affordable housing options in the western portion of the Town, and one developed "mobile home" subdivision (mostly filled with mini homes) on Maple Street, as well as the newer clustered townhouse development at the bottom of the Barclay Road.
## Rural Resource
There is at least one significant active farm in the Town, as well as other fields that remain in active agricultural production. Very few conflicts were noted between agricultural activities in the Town and adjacent residences. About 16% of the Town's land base is currently agriculture. Of the properties within the Town, there are 64.5 acres with a farm assessment, 45.6 of which are indicated as being bona fide farmland.
## Commercial and Industrial
The Town of O'Leary has a reasonably well-defined commercial core area. Most commercial businesses are clustered along Main Street and Willow Street. Quite expectedly, the commercial core of the Town and its industrial facilities tend to be located along or in close proximity to the former rail line. The intersection of the former rail line (now the confederation Trail) and the O'Leary Road (Main Street)
Figure 5 - CURRENT PROPERTIES - November 2022
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remains the focus or hub of economic activity in the Town. Increasing the available commercial space emerged as a key priority during the 2023 plan review.
## Institutional
O'Leary is well-supplied with Public Service and Institutional facilities. These facilities tend to be clustered primarily in the western portion of the Town. The two most prominent are the former O'Leary Community Hospital and O'Leary Consolidated Elementary School.
Other facilities, institutions, and services include: the Federal Government office building -- Service Canada and Canada Post, Access PEl; post office; the Community Complex and Fire Hall; Chances Childcare; O'Leary Baptist Church; O'Leary United Church; O'Leary Church of Christ; O'Leary Church of the Nazarene; Island EMS; Royal Canadian Legion; and the Canadian Potato Museum.
Independent seniors living options are provided by the Jubilee and Corinthean Homes. The only long-term care available in the Town is available in the Margaret Stewart Ellis Home at the Community Hospital. Community care options will be enhanced once the Willows project is completed.
## Parks and Recreation
O'Leary is well supplied with parks and recreation facilities, as well as the Confederation Trail. Based on the 2010 corporate land use inventory, an estimated 2% of the community is in recreation uses. A more complete list of facilities is included in the Background Report.
## Building Permit Activity
The majority of permits and subdivision approvals took place before 1993, with a slight uptake over the last 5 years. Perhaps the most encouraging element of the development activity since 2000 has been the number of commercial and multi-family residential units, a trend which has continued since the 2014 review.
The cost of providing roads and central services has no doubt been a major factor in the very low number of new lots being created in recent years; however other factors are at play given the lack of movement on the Pate Subdivision, including, among other things, the cost of materials, the challenge in finding labour in the trades, and in some cases, additional requirements such as covenants on minimum dwelling size.
## 2.4 ECONOMY
## O'Leary and its Service Area
The Town of O'Leary has been known for many years as primarily an agricultural service centre, with a historical focus on potato production and O'Leary has had a long tradition of servicing this local industry, with numerous large produce warehouses remain in the Town providing clear evidence of this historic relationship. Other key agricultural services include the ADL Dairy, the feed mill, and the Cavendish Farms Fertilizer plant, which sustained some fire damage in May 2023. The large surrounding agricultural region also depends on O'Leary for financial services, government offices, professional services, automotive supplies, gasoline and related services, and a wide array of daily needs such as food, pharmacy, convenience items, hardware, building supplies, etc. O'Leary is also the home of the region's elementary school, health clinic and extended care health facility.
While this agricultural service role is widely understood and acknowledged, it is important to realize that O'Leary is also the centre of a significant tourism region and also provides key services to the local fishery. There is also a significant and growing manufacturing and processing sector in close proximity to O'Leary.
## Local Services
Retail and other commercial services are well supplied in O'Leary. There are also a number of commercial operations located just outside the municipal boundaries. O'Leary has a long tradition of industrial activity focused primarily on the agricultural sector. For obvious reasons these facilities have tended to cluster along the former rail line and remain there today. Several large potato and produce warehouses dominate the northern core area of the Town. Other potato warehouses related to the Town's largest farm are located along the rail line in the southern core area of the Town. Other prominent industrial facilities include the feed mill, the ADL dairy; and cabinet shop.
One pressure noted during the review was the availability of commercial space for new businesses - the existing stock of commercial buildings are felt to be at capacity, with little room for additional construction.
An important key to O'Leary's community growth is the spirit of co-operation by which people work together for the betterment of the community. This co-operative spirit has extended to the new community care facility. It is expected that such co-operation will continue, not only among O'Leary residents, but also between the Town and its surrounding service area. The Official Plan for O'Leary will seek to build on the positive aspects of co-operation among people and communities.
## 2.5 INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES
## Transportation
The primary transportation route through the Town of O'Leary is Route 142 (Main Street) which bisects the Town from east to west. Also known as the O'Leary Rd beyond the Town's boundaries, this route connects to Route 2 to the east and to West Cape in the west. The other significant route is Route 148, which connects north to Howlan Road as the Gaspe Road, and which south to Buchanan Road as Barclay Road. Outside of the Town's eastern boundaries, Route 142 is classed as arterial, but is classed as a local 1 within the Town. Gaspe and Buchanan roads are also classed as local 1, while all other streets are classed as residential. All roads in the Town are owned and maintained by the Province and are generally in good condition but, as with many Island municipalities, storm water management systems on some local streets are not well developed.
Pedestrian facilities in the Town of O'Leary are quite well developed, with almost 5 kilometres of paved sidewalks, but are largely confined to the commercial core. The Confederation Trail also bisects the Town, running directly through the core area. It provides an exceptional pedestrian facility for local residents to enjoy and also provides a pedestrian and bikeway connection to many other points in West Prince and to the balance of the Island.
## Sanitary Sewer and Drinking Water
O'Leary is serviced by a two-cell sewage lagoon, one pumping station and approximately 10,800 metres of gravity sanitary sewer mains and 475 metres of forced main. All streets in the Town are serviced with municipal sewer.
All properties in O'Leary are serviced by individual on-site wells. There has been some history of localized water contamination, primarily due to former petroleum facilities, but no wide-spread water supply problems have been noted and no plans are currently in place to provide a central water supply system.
## Other Services
Fire protection is provided by the Town of O'Leary's Volunteer Fire Company, located in the community complex. This fire company also provides fire protection on a fee for service basis to the large O'Leary Fire District surrounding the Town. O'Leary is also home to the regional headquarters of Island EMS.
The Town of O'Leary receives police protection from the RCMP detachment located between Alberton and O'Leary on Route 2. Services are provided through a standard municipal policing contract.
The Town of O'Leary participates in the province-wide waste reduction strategy managed by the Island Waste Management Corporation.
## 2.6 SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL
The Town of O'Leary's major recreational facility is the combined O'Leary Community Sports Centre (Rink). The Town owns and manages Ellis Field with its well-developed ball diamond, bleachers, and leases and maintains Ellsworth Field for softball and baseball, and has been expanding the offerings at Centennial Park. The Town also supports facilities and associated green space and leases and maintains other sports fields throughout the Town. Programming is offered on the soccer fields by the elementary school.
Smaller parks are located adjacent to the railroad station and along Main Street. Library services are available at the Community Complex.
## 2.7 ENVIRONMENT
## Surface Water and Groundwater
There is one relatively small creek running through the Town entering at the northern end adjacent to Ellis Field and running south-east toward the sewage lagoon. Given the area's relatively flat topography, there are some marshy areas associated with this creek but most lie outside of the municipal boundaries.
The protection of the Town's groundwater resources is of the utmost importance, including management of the use of abandoned petroleum sites and monitoring of the Town's sewer system, as well as other possible point sources of ground water contamination.
## Climate Resilience
Being inland, the Town is protected from many of the climate change pressures being experienced by coastal municipalities. The community will not be immune, however, to the impacts of climate change.
Climate change may also impact the Town's groundwater supply and private wells as a result of drought conditions over time. As well, property-level storm water management will be needed to deal with increased precipitation and extreme weather events resulting from climate change. Land use policies focused on mitigation and adaptation measures will be important to protect the community.
## Climate Change Mitigation
## Limitations
There is almost no data available on emissions at the town level, although emissions in the province generally are largely related to transportation and energy usage in buildings. Local travel patterns and modes are heavily dependent on regional economic and servicing environments, particularly as development in unincorporated areas is supported and facilitated outside of a planning policy framework.
## Energy
Increased demand for new renewable energy may occur at different scales, from single-detached dwellings, multi-unit dwellings, or larger commercial applications. There is a need to balance the need for, and facilitation of, renewable energy options and climate change mitigation against the potential resistance to changing technology and their impacts on the landscape in the community.
## Transportation
The Town remains heavily dependent on fossil-fuel powered vehicles for transportation. The compact nature of the Town facilitates short trip lengths and ensuring connectivity between residential developments and core area services could help to at minimum limit increases to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Promoting flexibility in working from home also allows for the reduction in vehicular travel.
## Carbon Sequestration
The promotion of reforestation and afforestation efforts acts as carbon sinks and promotes ecological health within the watershed offers additional options for mitigation, although again, given the limited footprint of the Town, efforts in this regard at a broader, regional level are more likely to have a measurable impact.
Climate change mitigations are human interventions to reduce the sources of (or increase the sinks for) greenhouse gases.
## Climate Change Adaptation
Adapting to threats of overland flooding due to climate impacts and more frequent or extreme weather events means it is critical for the Town to regulate the consideration of stormwater in new developments.
The more frequent intense precipitation events associated with climate change will likely impact existing properties and infrastructure, as well as new development. New development projects should address stormwater management by integrating future climate considerations into subdivision design, stormwater management, and other infrastructure and asset management.
Other adaptation efforts will need to focus on health impacts related to increased heat and emergency management efforts from more extreme weather events.
Adaptation is the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects. In human systems, adaptation seeks to moderate or avoid harm, or to exploit beneficial opportunities.
## 3. FUTURE DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT AND GOALS
## 3.1 VISION
The Town of O'Leary has a long history as a residential community, a centre of commerce and industry, and a regional service centre. Of Prince Edward Island's municipalities, only a handful provide the wide range of services that exist in O'Leary or service such a significant rural service area. Given O'Leary's very constrained geographic boundaries, it is increasingly the case that Council must not only be concerned about the quality of life for its own residents and businesses, there must be an increasing focus on addressing O'Leary's relationship with its rural neighbours and the many people and companies outside of its legal boundaries that are dependent on O'Leary for many of their day-to-day needs.
Work toward more regional co-operation and partnerships has largely been left to the individual municipalities in the region, particularly the towns, notwithstanding the small proportions of the towns' population and area within the region as a whole. The options for a more formal and mutually beneficial relationship are many and will hopefully evolve as the result of an ongoing dialogue between the Town and its rural neighbours. Focus within the Town will remain centered on sustainable local services, the provision of housing to support continued population growth among all age groups, and economic stability for local businesses. The future development concept reflected in this Official Plan provides the following vision for the Town into the future:
O'Leary is a community that provides a range of attractive and affordable housing opportunities together with an exceptional quality of life and a positive environment for local commercial and industrial growth.
## 3.2 GOALS
The Goals presented below are broad statements indicating the overall shared vision of O'Leary's Council, residents, and property owners in terms of the future evolution or development of the Town. These Goals provide the framework and general direction for the subsequent, more detailed, statements which follow.
## Social
- To provide for a range of housing opportunities which meet varied socio-economic needs
- To foster social interaction and healthy lifestyles for all residents of the Town
- To foster a civic environment which provides a sense of safety and stability while offering opportunities for human enrichment and economic growth
## Economic
- To foster a healthy and vital local economy with economic resilience for community members and organizations
- To accommodate and encourage suitable industrial operations and expansion
- To protect the long-term viability of farming and related resource-based activities
## Physical
- To preserve and enhance O'Leary's unique identity and small-town character
- To encourage the maintenance of safe and efficient infrastructure and transportation systems in the town and to protect the safety of the travelling public
## Environmental
- To protect and enhance water resources
- To protect and enhance natural habitat areas and systems
- To integrate climate resilience into planning decisions
## 4. OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND PLAN ACTIONS
This chapter represents the policy core of the Official Plan. Within the broad policy framework laid down by the previous chapter, the following objectives provide more precise statements which address specific issues and concerns within the Town.
Policies and plan actions outline the proposed course of action to achieve the outcomes described in the objectives. Policies indicate with some precision the approach the Council will take in pursuing its objectives. Plan actions are concrete measures which implement that approach.
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## 4.1 SOCIAL OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
## Residential
The Town of O'Leary has a somewhat unique residential mix, as noted earlier, due primarily to the residential zoning in place in the early 2000s. A more traditional tiered residential zoning system was implemented in 2014 to segregate residential densities, protect the interests of single detached homeowners, and target different forms of residential development to specific areas within the Town, although a significant change has not been identified as having resulted from this shift.
The population analysis indicates that the current need for seniors housing is likely to continue to grow, although it has been offset slightly by the development of the new community care facility. While seniors housing already exists in the Town and the community care facility is under construction at the time of this plan review, more affordable housing options will be needed in the future.
More flexible housing options are also a priority in order to encourage young adults and families to move or return to the community, to accommodate workers coming to the region in response to labour needs and economic growth, and to respond to the housing affordability and supply challenge being faced across the province. Residential expansion would also support the local school, community groups, places of worship, and commercial sectors. While there are adequate employment opportunities in O'Leary's service area to support significant new housing growth - and indeed, the availability of housing is reportedly a significant barrier to business expansion - the cost of servicing new lots has been identified as a significant hurdle for developers. Council responded to that challenge by proactively developing its own subdivision, although it has had limited success in stimulating the development of more housing in that area. New funding programs being explored between the Province and the Federation of PEI
Municipalities may help with new subdivisions, but the challenge in filling the existing residential development means that a more creative or flexible mix of solutions may be needed. Infilling opportunities (development of existing vacant serviced lots) are very limited in O'Leary outside of the Town's Pate Subdivision. The lands in the south-western-most corner of the Town, in the vicinity of Centennial Dr, Parkview Dr., and Maple St. offer an opportunity for residential expansion, as does the area south of the Pate subdivision.
It will be necessary to encourage new serviced residential subdivisions in order to create new housing opportunities and/or promote more innovative housing options and a range of choice in housing form in order to entice additional young families into the Town. Clustered housing and mini home options such as the existing sites on Maple St and off the Barclay Road are very attractive and might be a model for some future residential development to make housing affordability more attainable, as are emerging housing forms such as tiny homes. The Town's ability to maintain the current rate of population growth, moreover, will be dependent on the availability of a significant number of additional dwelling units.
Housing supply and affordability can be further supported through the option to develop accessory apartments in single-detached dwellings or as garden suites on single-detached lots, offering gentle density and facilitating additional housing for seniors or individuals seeking to establish new households while providing rental income to support homeowners.
## OBJECTIVES:
1. To encourage a range of affordable and appropriate housing options, particularly for seniors and young families.
2. To support flexible approaches to housing to meet the needs of a changing community.
## RESIDENTIAL POLICIES:
## Policy SOC-1 Designation & Zoning
It shall be the policy of Council to designate residential lands and establish a residential zoning approach based on low, medium, and mixed densities sufficient to meet the current and anticipated housing needs over the period of this Official Plan.
## Plan Actions
- a. Land sufficient to meet the residential needs of a growing population shall be designated as Residential on the Future Land Use Map.
- b. The Land Use Bylaw (the Bylaw) shall establish a Low Density Residential (R1) Zone, a Medium Density Residential (R2) Zone and a Mixed Density Residential (R3) Zone within the Residential designation.
- c. Existing designations and zonings in several locations in the Town shall be changed to reflect current and future housing priorities:
- (i.) The current Mini Home Residential (RM) Zone shall be removed and the existing areas zoned as RM will be changed to reflect adjacent or appropriate future land uses; the properties on Maple St shall be zoned as Low Density Residential (R1), while the area at the northern end of the Town, (being PIDs: 734517 (portion); 501676; 718320; 501676; and 666719) shall be zoned as Mixed Density Residential (R3).
- (ii.) The existing agricultural lands at the southern end of the town shall be redesignated as residential on the Future Land Use Map and zoned as Medium Density Residential (R2), although the existing resource uses shall be supported and encouraged until such time as a transition to residential uses is appropriate.
- (iii.) The zoning of the Pate Subdivision area shall be changed to a mixture of residential zones to reflect the subdivision design and size of existing lots, while leaving open options for additional density as the subdivision builds out over time.
- (iv.) The Town-owned 'Gospel Hall' lands (PID 41160) to the south-west of Centennial Drive shall be zoned Mixed Density Residential (R3), while PID 41293 to the west of Maple Street shall be zoned as Low Density Residential (R1).
## Policy SOC-2 Housing Options
It shall be the policy of Council to promote the development of a range of housing forms and densities in order to meet the housing needs of residents of different ages, stages, and incomes, while ensuring the compatibility of dwelling types within and adjacent to existing neighbourhoods by ensuring their placement on foundations.
## Plan Actions
- a. The Bylaw shall permit single-detached, duplex, and semi-detached dwellings in all residential zones and shall include prefabricated modular houses as single-detached dwellings.
- b. The Bylaw shall permit townhouse dwellings up to a maximum of 4 units per parcel in the Medium Density Residential (R2) Zone, while any number of units shall be permitted in the Mixed Density Residential (R3) Zone, subject to meeting minimum site requirements.
- c. The Bylaw shall permit a greater mix of residential densities in the Mixed Density Residential (R3) Zone, with the number of units permitted to be determined by the site's ability to meet minimum site requirements.
- d. The Bylaw shall permit clustered housing developments (developments with more than one residential building on a parcel) in the Mixed Density Residential (R3) Zone and shall establish site development standards and density limits appropriate to the zone. These developments may include any mix of residential dwelling types and forms, including but not limited to duplex and semi-detached dwellings, multiple attached dwelling buildings, mini homes and tiny homes, with a minimum number of units required to ensure appropriate massing.
- e. The Bylaw shall permit tiny homes and mini homes as permitted uses in the Low Density Residential (R1) Zone and as accessory uses in the Agricultural Zone and shall establish requirements in relation to building standards, placement on site, and requirements to be affixed to the ground, which may include being placed on foundations or on blocks concealed with skirting, as well as other methods for permanently securing such structures.
- f. Traditional mobile homes having a distinct style and character and transportable on their own wheeled chassis shall not be permitted in the Town.
## Policy SOC-3 Accessory Dwelling Units
It shall be the policy of Council to permit the addition of accessory dwelling units, also known as accessory apartments, to any single detached dwelling lot in the form of a secondary suite within the main building and/or in an accessory structure as a garden suite, subject to meeting standards regarding the size and nature of the development and the ability to be suitably serviced.
## Plan Actions
- a. The Bylaw shall permit the addition of a secondary suite to any single-detached dwelling and a garden suite in a structure accessory to the single-detached dwelling on single-detached residential lots, to a maximum of two accessory apartments per lot.
- b. The Bylaw shall establish standards for the accessory apartments regarding size, location and siting, parking, fire safety, and the capacity of the lot to sustain the additional water and wastewater treatment demand
- c. The Bylaw shall require the exterior of any residence with a secondary suite to retain the appearance of a single-detached dwelling.
## Policy SOC-4 Special Residential Uses
It shall be the policy of Council to support and encourage special residential uses and supportive housing such as but not limited to emergency and transitional housing, group homes, dormitories, rooming houses, and community care facilities, nursing homes, and senior citizen homes within the Town. Those uses will be identified as 'shared housing' and will be directed to higher density residential areas as either a permitted use or a special permit use and, in the case of 'shared housing with special care' such as community care, nursing homes and senior citizen homes, to the Public Service and Institutional Zone as a permitted use as well.
## Plan Actions
- a. The Bylaw shall establish 'shared housing' and 'shared housing with special care' as categories of use and shall distinguish them from both short-term rentals, B&Bs, and other tourism establishments, and from multiple attached dwelling uses.
- b. The Bylaw shall include 'shared housing' as a category of residential use, based on uses that contains 4 or more bedrooms, that meet one or more of the following: (i) that are rented for remuneration as separate rooms for residential accommodation; or (ii) that are operated by a governmental department or agency, a non-profit organization or a registered Canadian charitable organization that provides support services to the occupants of the shared housing use.
- c. The Bylaw shall include 'shared housing with special care' as a subcategory of 'shared housing' use that is designed to provide a level of care to residents with cognitive, physical or behavioural limitations, including options for individual dwelling units for occupants; 'shared housing with special care' uses must meet the definition criteria of a 'shared housing' use.
- d. The Bylaw shall permit 'shared housing' in the appropriate zones as follows:
4. (i.) Mixed Density Residential (R3) Zone, permitted use, up to 8 bedrooms per building;
5. (ii.) Public Service Institutional (PSI) Zone, permitted use, up to 8 bedrooms per building; and
6. (iii.) General Commercial (C1), permitted use, up to 8 bedrooms per building, with additional bedrooms as a special permit use.
- e. The Bylaw shall permit 'shared housing with special care' in the appropriate zones as follows:
8. (i.) Medium Density Residential (R2) Zone, permitted use;
9. (ii.) Mixed Density Residential (R3) Zone, permitted use;
10. (iii.) Public Service and Institutional (PSI) Zone, permitted use; and
11. (iv.) General Commercial (C1) Zone, permitted use under the category of 'institutional uses'.
- f. The Bylaw shall establish standards and criteria for shared housing uses, which may in some cases differentiate between 'shared housing' and 'shared housing with special care!
## Policy SOC-5 Housing Development & Promotion
It shall be the policy of Council to work with the private and community sector, with other municipalities in the region, and with other levels of government to increase residential subdivision and development in the Town.
## Plan Actions
- a. The Town shall seek to work co-operatively with landowners and developers to appropriately costshare servicing of vacant residential land in the Town.
- b. The Town shall seek to pursue all available cost-shared funding programs in order to subsidize the cost of development and limit public expenditures.
- c. Council shall identify and assess the appropriateness of policies and programs to support the development of housing of different types, such as maintaining existing property tax rebate programs and offering permit fee rebates and expedited approval processes for developments supported through provincial and/or federal funding programs.
- d. The Town shall review its existing residential subdivision to identify strategies to promote its buildout while encouraging affordability.
- e. Where appropriate private sector partners cannot be found, the Town may continue to pursue the option of purchasing land directly and developing land for residential uses.
## Social and Institutional
The social and institutional fabric is an important aspect of community life and the Town is host to a range of institutional uses for the region. While many municipal strategies regarding social programming and supporting institutional uses fall outside of the land use context, it is important that the Official Plan reflects these priorities to ensure they can be upheld and supported to their fullest extent. Fostering institutional activities will also allow the Town to strengthen its relationship with its rural service area.
## Objectives
1. Encourage social engagement that is supportive and inclusive.
2. Support existing and future institutional uses within the Town boundaries.
3. Maintain and support recreation programs and facilities in the Town.
## SOCIAL & INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES:
## Policy SOC-6 Inclusivity
It shall be the policy of Council to integrate the consideration of equity, diversity, and inclusion into decisions about land uses and programming and to place an increased emphasis on the special needs of seniors, youth, and those with mental and physical challenges.
## Plan Actions
- a. The Town shall apply an accessibility and inclusion lens to the development of municipal facilities and infrastructure and in the assessment of new developments.
- b. The Town shall place a priority on meeting the needs of all age groups and abilities within the town when making decisions about municipal facilities, programs, and infrastructure.
## Policy SOC-7 Institutional Designation and Zoning
It shall be the policy of Council to protect and designate existing public service and institutional uses in the community.
## Plan Actions
- a. Existing public services and institutional uses shall be designated as Institutional on the Future Land Use Map and zoned as Public Service and Institutional (PSI) in the Bylaw.
- b. The Bylaw shall identify a range of institutional and compatible uses as permitted uses in the PSI zone and may include certain institutional uses as permitted or special permit uses in other zones.
## Policy SOC-8 Recreation Facilities and Infrastructure
It shall be the policy of Council to continue to meet the social, and healthy living needs through municipal facilities and programming.
## Plan Actions
- a. Open spaces and properties used for parkland or recreational uses shall be designated as Parks and Open Space on the Future Land Use Map and zoned as Recreation and Open Space (01) in the Land Use Bylaw.
- b. The Town shall continue to maintain and operate existing municipal facilities, parks, and gathering spaces, and shall engage with the community regarding the need or potential for future or expanded recreational services and facilities, such as dog parks.
- c. The Town shall support the efforts of community groups and the private sector to develop and maintain recreational facilities and collaborate with neighbouring communities where appropriate to achieve the economies of scale sometimes needed to pursue the development of regional recreational opportunities.
- d. The Town shall include new and emerging forms of recreation in the assessment of recreation and facility needs in order the meet the needs of different age groups and of both new and long-term residents, such as cricket.
- e. The Town shall encourage and support efforts to establish additional childcare and after-school care facilities in the Town, including exploring the option of assuming an active role in providing those services should it be deemed necessary.
## Policy SOC-9 Parkland Dedications
It shall be the policy of Council to meet the recreation needs of the Town's residents and preserve open space as the remaining areas of the town are developed over time by requiring the dedication of parkland in association with the subdivision of land.
## Plan Actions
- a. The Bylaw shall establish parkland decision requirements, including options for cash-in-lieu where appropriate.
- b. The Bylaw shall establish a range of considerations when considering proposals for parkland dedication, including the preservation of natural areas, connectivity with other open space and recreation networks and facilities, community recreation priorities and active transportation priorities.
## Community Safety
The Town has, for its size and population, a high level of local services. While many services, such as roads and solid waste disposal are provided by the Province, the Town carries responsibility for activities such as fire protection and emergency management. Land use decisions shall be made with community safety and resilience in mind.
## Objectives
1. To provide cost-effective emergency and first responder services
2. To plan and prepare for human and natural disasters, including risk reduction
## COMMUNITY SAFETY POLICIES:
## Policy SOC-10 Protective Services
It shall be the policy of Council to maintain the current arrangement of utilizing the services of the R.C.M.P., under the provisions of the Provincial Policing Contract and to continue to provide municipal and regional fire services through the O'Leary Fire Department.
## Plan Action:
- a. Council shall continue to contract additional police protection through the Province's contract with the R.C.M.P.
- b. Council shall work closely with the R.C.M.P. to monitor security issues in the Town and to ensure adequate levels of policing.
- c. Council shall continue to provide fire protection to the town and surrounding fire district through the municipally-owned O'Leary Fire Department and to supply funding as necessary for equipment, facilities and training.
## Policy SOC-11 Emergency Response
It shall be the policy of Council continue to develop, upgrade, and exercise its emergency management planning, procedures, and policies. It shall further be the policy of Council to integrate risk mitigation factors into land use decisions.
## Plan Actions
- a. Council shall work with the Town's fire department, emergency measures committee, and other first responder organizations to pre-emptively identify safety hazards associated with larger developments and new subdivisions.
- b. Council shall continue to develop, update, and revise the Municipality's Emergency Measures Plan and bylaw and maintain the overall Emergency Measures Organization program as required under the Municipal Government Act and the Emergency Measures Act.
- c. The consideration of hazards and emergency management risks shall be included in the assessment of applications for new subdivisions or larger developments or when developing or expanding municipal facilities or infrastructure, as well as responses to the increasing impacts of climate change in identifying emergency centres, such as the potential use of emergency shelters as cooling shelters.
- d. The Bylaw will include future emergency hazard considerations in design and development standards for new subdivisions and development projects.
## 4.2 ECONOMIC OBJECTIVES & POLICIES
## Healthy Local Economy
O'Leary is fortunate to have a relatively vibrant commercial core area with a wide range of services. Over the years, pedestrian-friendly development, a wider array of retail options, and the definition and expansion of the core area and commercial spaces have been priorities. While targeted efforts have not been placed on pedestrian and bicycle traffic on the Confederation Trail, growing interest in active transportation and cycling activities offer a potential sector to draw into the Town's commercial area.
The lack of available retail storefronts had been identified as a major limitation to future retail and commercial growth and the designation of additional commercial lands must be carefully considered in terms of location in order to retain and protect the commercial core area. While the priority remains a concentrated core that is walkable and compact, redesignating the entire length of Main Street as commercial, while encouraging mixed commercial/residential buildings and ensuring residential uses are included as permitted uses, will provide longer-term flexibility and options for the type of mixed-use core associated with compact towns and villages while at the same time limiting the expansion of commercial activities into existing residential neighbourhoods.
Earlier local economic development organizations such as the O'Leary and Area Development Association and the O'Leary and Area Business Association, formed as part of the 2014 review, had varied levels of impact and have largely folded. Community and private sector partners, however, represent options to assist Council in pursuing additional commercial development and upgrading. The recent creation of Develop West Prince as a regional non-profit development corporation is a current example of a potential partner in the promotion of expanded economic growth.
The Town will continue to pursue opportunities to invigorate and sustain the local economy, which lobbying against the loss of commercial and government services.
Economic resilience will also remain a priority. With rising costs in almost all areas, economic resilience for individuals and families is becoming more and more important. The COVID experience has reinforced the value and potential of flexible approaches to zoning that allow activities such as remote work and home-based businesses. Energy efficiency is another means of reducing household costs, in addition to helping with climate change mitigation. Council can encourage energy conservation by enabling the installation of wind turbines in appropriate locations within the Town, providing standards that facilitate the installation of solar energy systems, and providing leadership in pursuing and promoting other energy conservation options.
## OBJECTIVES:
1. To protect and support the viability of businesses and commercial activities in the Town
2. To target the continued upgrading of the Town's commercial core area
3. To facilitate the establishment of new retail and other commercial services in the Town
4. To foster an affordable community and flexible economy where residents are able to meet their needs
5. To encourage the use of alternate energy systems.
## COMMERCIAL POLICIES:
## Policy ECON-1 Designation & Zoning
It shall be the policy of Council to designate and zone existing commercial areas, as well as additional land immediately adjacent to the core area along Main Street where appropriate as commercial in order to enable commercial expansion and infilling.
## Plan Actions
- a. Existing commercial properties shall be designated as commercial on the Future Land Use Map and zoned as General Commercial (C1) in the Bylaw.
- b. Additional land adjacent to the core area along the extent of Main Street and in the area behind Main St. and Royal Ave. (PIDs 591529 and 41558) and Willow Ave (PIDs 42325 and 42275) sufficient to support commercial expansion and/or residential uses shall be designated and zoned for commercial uses, although future applications to change the designation and zoning may be considered through the standard amendment process.
- c. The Town shall include considerations such as potential land use conflicts and the loss of residential land when assessing applications to designate and zone land as commercial in other areas of the Town.
- d. The Bylaw shall include a mix of uses, including institutional and residential uses, in the General Commercial (C1) Zone.
## Policy ECON-2 Commercial Expansion
It shall be the policy of Council to pursue opportunities and strategies to support the expansion of commercial facilities and operations, including, where appropriate, core area development strategies relating to items such as pedestrian circulation; signage and way-finding; park upgrading; landscaping; parking; integration with the Confederation Trail; development of a central design theme; and the development of spaces that encourage and facilitate social interaction.
## Plan Actions
- a. The Town shall work with local business operators, land owners, senior levels of government, regional development agencies and organisations, and all other interested parties to identify opportunities to upgrade and enhance the commercial core area on a priority basis.
- b. The Town shall encourage side or rear parking when working with developers of new commercial operations in order to maintain the integrity and ambiance of the Main Street and core area.
- c. The Town shall work with senior levels of government, regional development agencies and organisations, local landowners and local developers to retain existing businesses and services and to promote the development of new retail and other commercial services in the Town.
- d. The Town shall explore opportunities to promote the Town's business sector to local and regional residents and to visitors to the region.
- e. The Town shall promote dialogue between the region's business operators and between these operators and the Town, aimed at addressing issues of mutual concern.
## Policy ECON-3 Tourism Development
It shall be the policy of Council to seek to encourage additional tourism facilities in the Town and to develop a strategy for better promoting the Town's various services to the tourism market.
## Plan Actions
- a. The Town shall work with Tourism PEl and the North Cape Coastal Drive to better promote the services and attractions in the Town to users of the Confederation Trail and visitors to the region.
- b. The Town may explore actions to establish an efficient and attractive way-finding system in the Town which will facilitate better access to all services and attractions in the Town by Confederation Trail users and all other visitors to the Town.
- c. The Town shall work with the Board of the Canadian Potato Museum and other regional tourism facilities to better promote tourism visitation to the area.
- d. The Town shall support the development of bed and breakfasts, inns, and other tourism accommodation facilities within the Town.
## Policy ECON-4 Bed & Breakfasts & Short-Term Rentals
It shall be the policy of Council to permit and encourage the operation of small scale "bed and breakfast" establishments and short-term rental uses on single-detached dwelling lots in all residential zones.
## Plan Actions
- a. The Bylaw shall permit the operation of bed and breakfast establishments and short-term rental uses on singled-detached dwelling lots in all residential zones and shall establish standards regarding size, parking, and the overall visual appearance of the building.
## Industrial
Most of O'Leary's current industrial facilities are directly related to the agricultural sector and as such have been a part of the community for many years. Given the Town's very limited vacant land base, it is unlikely that major new industrial development will occur without a boundary extension. Seasonal heavy truck traffic is a source of concern in the Town and efforts to minimize land use and traffic conflicts in the future would be desirable.
## OBJECTIVES:
1. To actively support and strengthen existing local industries.
2. To encourage a limited amount of future industrial development where it is compatible with existing and future residential development.
3. To limit the transition of lands within the town to large-scale industrial developments.
4. To minimize land use and traffic conflicts generated by industrial developments.
## INDUSTRIAL POLICIES
## Policy ECON-5 Designation and Zoning
It shall be the policy of Council to continue the existing industrial designation and zoning. Any expansion shall proceed via an application to amend the Future Land Use Map and Zoning Map.
## Plan Actions
- a. Current industrial developments will be designated as Industrial on the Future Land Use Map and zoned as Industrial (M1) in the Bylaw.
## Policy ECON-6 Expansion through boundary changes
It shall be the policy of Council to restrict the development of new industrial developments except where their impacts can be mitigated through the provision of central sewer services and an expansion of the Town's boundary.
## Plan Actions:
- a. No new industrial developments shall be permitted within the current boundaries of the Town.
- b. The Bylaw shall require any new large-scale industrial developments, where a boundary extension has been approved and an application for a change in designation and zoning has been approved by Council, to be connected to the Town's central sewer.
## Resource Uses
While O'Leary owes much of its history and its economy to farming, there is only a small portion of two farms located within the municipal boundaries, as well as a number of relatively small farm fields. Most of the produce warehouses within the Town are considered to be "industrial" uses. One group of potato warehouses in the core area, however, is in fact part of a farm and had been classified as an "agricultural" use. One other large farmstead and related farm buildings straddles the Town's southern boundary along Barclay Road, even though most of the farmland is located outside of the Town. Although it has been the policy to protect the long-term viability of the major farming operations within the Town by limiting the transition of those lands to non-resource uses, the Town's very confined municipal boundaries and significant pressure to increase the housing supply in the region suggests that it will be increasingly appropriate to ease the path for the development of those properties, especially in light of the extensive resource areas available beyond the Town's boundaries.
Although this Official Plan will apply residential land use designations and zoning to the existing resource properties to facilitate residential development, the ongoing potential for boundary changes suggests that retaining the option of an agricultural designation and agricultural reserve zone for future application would be appropriate.
## OBJECTIVES:
1. To support the long-term viability of farming and other resource-based activities.
2. To retain planning and bylaw tools to protect farming and other resource-based activities in the Town in the event of future boundary adjustments.
## RESOURCE POLICIES:
## Policy ECON-7 Designation and Zoning
It shall be the policy of Council to designate and zone existing resource lands for future residential and commercial uses, while protecting existing farming and resource use activities.
## Plan Actions
- a. Areas currently designated as Agricultural and zoned as Agricultural (A1) Zone shall be designated and zoned as follows, although future applications to change the designation and zoning may be considered through the standard amendment process:
2. (i.) Residential designation and Medium Density Residential (R2) Zone: PID 41426
- (ii.) Commercial designation and General Commercial (C1) Zone: PIDs 41640, 41657, and 590927.
- b. The Bylaw shall include the protection of resource-related activities on properties previously designated as Agricultural and zoned as Agricultural (A1) Zone.
- c. The Bylaw shall retain the A1 Zone for potential future use in the event that agricultural land is brought into the Town's boundaries and is deemed appropriate to be assigned such zoning.
- d. The Bylaw shall establish standards and requirements for livestock operations and buffering setbacks between existing farm activities and new residential development.
## Economic Resilience
## OBJECTIVES:
1. To foster an affordable community and flexible economy where residents are able to meet their needs.
2. To encourage the use of alternate energy systems.
## ECONOMIC RESILIENCE POLICIES
## Policy ECON-8 Home-Based Businesses
It shall be the policy of Council to permit a range of home-based businesses that are unlikely to cause conflicts with residential uses.
## Plan Actions
- a. The Bylaw shall include home-based businesses as a permitted accessory use in residential dwellings and, on single-detached residential lots, in accessory structures.
- b. The Bylaw shall establish standards for home-based businesses which limit potential residential conflicts such as noise, hours of operation, square footage, number of employees, parking, signage, physical changes to the structure and any other factors which may represent an impediment to the safety, convenience or enjoyment of neighbouring residents.
## Policy ECON-9 Alternate and Renewable Energy Systems
It shall be the policy of Council to encourage the use of alternate energy systems in the Town and to minimize unnecessary regulatory hurdles.
## Plan Actions
- a. The Bylaw shall establish standards and requirements for wind energy systems and shall include options for large wind energy facility uses up to 1 MW in capacity in the Agricultural (A1) zone.
- b. The Bylaw shall establish standards for roof-mounted and ground-mounted solar arrays, including but not limited to their size and placement.
## 4.3 PHYSICAL OBJECTIVES
## Community Character
The Town is fortunate to have maintained a 'village' feel over the many years, providing for a compact, and comfortable community supported by a full range of services. Policies surrounding the physical development of the Town will reinforce this character, guiding development in ways that continue to foster welcoming neighbourhoods and a balanced mix of uses.
As a municipality, O'Leary falls under the provisions of the Highway Signage Act and association regulations. Municipalities wishing to establish their own signage standards may request an exemption under the Act and take control over their own local signage. To date, the Town has not sought authority over signage and remains satisfied with the Province's approach.
## OBJECTIVES
1. To foster the creation and maintenance of safe, efficient, stable and visually appealing neighbourhoods.
2. To balance future residential and commercial/industrial development and maintain the established character of the Town.
3. To accommodate and encourage environmentally responsible commercial and industrial expansion in a manner that is compatible with adjacent established land uses.
## COMMUNITY CHARACTER POLICIES
## Policy PHY-1 Future Land Use Map
It shall be the policy of Council to establish a plan for the proper distribution of various land uses through the Future Land Use Map.
## Plan Actions
- a. This Official Plan shall include a Future Land Use Map to lay the framework for future development of different land uses in the Town over the life of the Plan.
- b. The Bylaw shall include a Zoning Map that is more specific and detailed, but at all times consistent with, the Future Land Use Map.
## Policy PHY-2 Land Use Conflicts & Mixed Uses
It shall be the policy of Council to support the integration of uses where appropriate to support the continued evolution of the Town as a complete and walkable community, balanced with standards to buffer areas adjacent to any new or expanded commercial developments.
## Plan Actions
- a. The Bylaw may, where appropriate, include secondary uses different from, but often associated with, the primary permitted uses as accessory and/or ancillary uses.
- b. The Bylaw shall establish minimum buffer area requirements, such as setbacks and screening for any new or expanded commercial developments in order to mitigate negative impacts on adjoining properties.
## Policy PHY-3 Development Standards
It shall be the policy of Council to establish development standards relating to density, setbacks, parking, buffering and other matters in order to enhance the health, safety and convenience of the public.
## Plan Actions
- a. The Bylaw shall establish development standards for each zone and type of uses relating to lot sizes, setbacks, servicing, open space, parking, buffering and other related matters.
- b. The Town shall encourage properties to be developed and maintained at a high standard.
- c. The Bylaw shall establish height limits for structures based on type, as well as provisions for circumstances where buildings may be permitted to exceed those limits subject to consideration of their impacts on surrounding land uses, traffic generation, and fire safety.
## Policy PHY-4 Management of Lands Post Restructuring
It shall be the policy of Council to apply land use designations and zoning to parcels brought within the Town's boundaries through restructuring, giving consideration to existing and adjacent land uses.
## Plan Actions
- a. Land use designations and zoning for the parcels added through the restructuring that took effect April 1, 2024 shall be applied as follows:
2. (i.) PIDs 789667, 43554, 43547, 43539, 43505 (portions), 43513, 401034, 42929, 42937, 809574, 538363, 563247, 42952, 42960, 42978: Future Land Use Designation of Commercial and Zoning of General Commercial (C1);
3. (ii.) PIDs 42911 and 42945 (portions within Town boundaries): Future Land Use Designation of Agriculture and Zoning of Agricultural Reserve (A1);
4. (iii.) PIDs 43505 and 43562 (portions): Future Land Use Designation of Institutional and Zoning of Public Service and Institutional (PSI); and
5. (iv.) PID 43653: Future Land Use Designation of Residential and Zoning of Mixed Density Residential (R3).
## Transportation
The Town of O'Leary is a major transportation hub. Even though the railway has long been abandoned, automobile, truck, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic volumes remain significant through the Town. The Town does not own any roads and the Province is responsible for all local and regional road maintenance and for maintenance of the Confederation Trail. The Town does, however, own and maintain all local sidewalks. There are currently 4.5 kilometres of sidewalks in the Town. It is recognized that sidewalks and other forms of active transportation infrastructure are key tools in reducing the dependence on vehicular traffic, promoting accessibility, and reducing a number of chronic health challenges through active lifestyles.
## OBJECTIVES:
1. To enhance the safety of pedestrians.
2. Foster and enhance active transportation options.
3. To encourage the maintenance of a safe and efficient vehicular circulation system in the Town.
## TRANSPORTATION POLICIES:
## Policy PHY-5 Access & Design
It shall be the policy of Council to require all new subdivisions and developments involving the creation of new roads to meet the provincial requirements for new public roads and for new roads be deeded to the Province to be owned and maintained.
## Plan Actions
- a. The Bylaw shall not permit the development of new private roads except within developments featuring multiple main buildings on a single parcel, in which the private roads shall be treated as 'internal drives. The Bylaw may establish minimum standards or requirements for the design and construction of internal drives.
- b. The Bylaw shall require that all new streets be built to the Province's standards and deeded to the Province as public rights-of-way.
- c. Developers shall be responsible for the full cost of the design and construction of streets associated with new developments in accordance with the standards established and administered by the Province's department responsible for transportation, except where funding programs or grants have been identified or established to offset the infrastructure costs of new developments.
- d. The Bylaw shall prohibit the approval of new lots or developments and new accesses except where those developments and accesses comply with the standards for access under the Highway Access Regulations established under the Roads Act.
- e. The Bylaw shall establish a requirement for new lots to have frontage on a public road.
- f. The Bylaw shall permit the subdivision of a limited number of panhandle lots where full frontage on a public road is not feasible to facilitate infill development.
## Policy PHY-6 Maintenance
It shall be the policy of Council to work with the Province to ensure that all roads in the Town are maintained in good condition.
## Plan Actions
- a. Municipal representatives shall meet with officials from the Province on a regular basis to discuss road maintenance priorities in the Town.
- b. The Town shall ensure a high level of maintenance on all sidewalks in the Town.
## Policy PHY-7 Pedestrian and Active Transportation
It shall be the policy of Council to integrate the principles of active transportation into Town actions and decision-making in order to develop a strong, inter-connected active transportation system over time.
## Plan Action:
- a. The Town shall work with residents, business owners, landowners, and other interested parties to identify options to expand the existing system and develop linkages over time.
## Policy PHY-8 Stormwater Management
It shall be the policy of Council to work closely with the Province's department responsible for transportation to ensure that stormwater run-off is managed in a manner which is cost-effective and environmentally sensitive, and which minimizes risks to public health, safety and privateproperty.
## Plan Action:
- a. The Town shall work with the Province's department responsible for transportation to ensure that stormwater systems are properly installed and maintained in the Town.
- b. The Bylaw shall establish requirements relating to stormwater and draining and all new subdivisions shall be required to include a stormwater management plan as part of the application process, subject to standards imposed by the Province's department responsible for transportation.
- c. The Town shall, wherever possible, protect and enhance the existing surface water drainage system(s) in the Town and their capacity to handle increasing amounts of stormwater run-off.
- d. Any assessment of proposed physical changes or infilling of any stream, wetland or water course shall include, in addition to all appropriate environmental protection considerations, a detailed assessment of any stormwater run-off implications.
## 4.4 ENVIRONMENT
## Clean Water
Given the fact that all properties in O'Leary are dependent on individual on-site wells, it is critically important for the Town to protect both the quality and quantity of both surface and ground water both within the Town and in its watershed. Since well installation is the jurisdiction of the Province and most of O'Leary's watershed lies outside of the municipal boundaries, Council's actions are somewhat restricted. Council can, however, act to restrict high risk land uses, ensure that the central sewer system is well maintained and work with the Province and our rural neighbours to ensure that the watershed is well managed.
## OBJECTIVES:
1. To encourage action to protect the quality and quantity of drinking water in the Town.
2. To protect the quality and quantity of ground and surface water resources.
## CLEAN WATER POLICIES:
## Policy ENV-1 Groundwater
It shall be the policy of Council to work with the Province to protect both the quantity and quality of groundwater resources in the town and to identify and control potential point sources of groundwater and surface water pollution.
## Plan Actions:
- a. The Town shall work with the Province to help identify and restrict potential point sources of pollution such as underground and above ground petroleum storage, pesticide and fertilizer storage, other chemical storage, manure storage, etc.
- b. The Bylaw may establish processes, standards and criteria regarding land uses which would pose serious groundwater contamination risks, such as chemical plants or storage depots, and, where appropriate, prohibit such uses in the Town.
- c. Council shall prioritize the maintenance and protection of features which contribute to groundwater re-charging such as wetlands, stormwater retention areas, trees and other dense vegetation.
- d. The Town shall encourage site plans that minimize the use of impervious surfaces.
## Policy ENV-2 Surface Water
It shall be the policy of Council to protect and enhance the quality of streams, ponds, and wetlands within the Town and to work with our neighbours, watershed groups and volunteers, and the Province to protect the local watershed in accordance with the Province's regulations.
## Plan Actions:
- a. The Bylaw shall establish a conservation setback or buffer area adjacent to all streams, drainage courses, ponds and wetlands and shall apply an overlay zone to these areas, to be called the Environmental Reserve (Overlay) (02) Zone.
- b. The ER Zone shall establish provisions limiting the impacts of construction activities and restricting the disturbance of natural vegetation in areas abutting watercourses, protecting significant or sensitive habitat and vegetation from encroachment by structures and land use activities. Such provisions shall be no less stringent than those established under the Environmental Protection Act's Watercourse and Wetlands Protection Regulations.
- c. The Bylaw shall require construction activities to implement erosion and siltation control measures to ensure the protection of adjacent streams and wetlands and prevent run-off on to adjacent properties.
- d. The Town may partner with the Province, private landowners, watershed and environmental organisations, and other interested parties to encourage the protection of stream systems and wetlands in the Town and in the broader watershed area.
- e. Site plans shall be required to identify adjacent surface water features and existing vegetation and demonstrate how these features have been protected.
## Policy ENV-3 Central Sewage Collection and Treatment
It shall be the policy of Council to provide sustainable, high-quality, cost-effective wastewater collection and treatment services for the present and future built-up areas of the Town, as well as to routinely monitor the condition of the sewer system and perform regular upgrading in order to maintain the system's integrity and prevent groundwater contamination.
## Plan Action:
- a. The Bylaw shall require new developments to connect to the Town's sewage treatment system, while providing for the option of an exception in specific cases where connection is not feasible.
- b. The Town shall continue to regularly monitor the condition of the sewage treatment system and perform regular upgrades on a priority basis as budgets permit.
## Policy ENV-4 Drinking Water
It shall be the policy of Council to work with the Province to ensure that all wells in the community are installed at a high standard and are appropriately maintained.
## Plan Actions
- a. The Bylaw shall require that all new wells are installed in accordance with the Province's requirements.
- b. The Bylaw shall require that all new lots are assessed in accordance with the soil classification requirements of the Planning Act Province-wide Minimum Development Standards Regulations and shall establish lot size standards that are no less stringent than those of the regulations.
## Clean Environment
The level of industrial activity in the Town is one factor likely to influence the health of the area's environment. Although there are limited instances currently, by controlling the development of activities associated with certain obnoxious land uses, Council can assist in reducing air pollution.
## OBJECTIVES
1. To build environmental consideration into the planning process.
2. To protect air quality.
## CLEAN ENVIRONMENT POLICIES
## Policy ENV-5 Partnerships & Standards
It shall be the policy of Council to work with the Province and others to identify and control potential sources of pollutants likely to affect air quality and the health of natural systems.
## Plan Actions
- a. Council shall engage with the community and private sectors on measures and programs to increase the overall health of the region's eco-systems.
- b. The environmental impacts of proposed Industrial uses shall form part of Council consideration when making decisions regarding proposals to permit new developments of that nature in association with boundary expansions.
## Climate Resilience
As noted earlier in this Plan, the Town is protected from many of the potential impacts of climate change affecting the Island's coastal communities. Mitigation and adaptation efforts will still be required, however, to minimize the community's impacts in terms of contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and protect residents, particularly the most vulnerable members of the community, from the health and other impacts of climate change.
## Objectives
1. To encourage land use planning decisions that limit GHG emissions.
2. To integrate climate adaptation measures into development standards.
## Climate Policies
## Policy ENV-6 Complete Community Approach
It shall be the policy of Council to take a 'complete community' approach when considering land use decisions.
## Plan Actions:
- a. Council shall give consideration to the positive benefits of complete and walkable communities when evaluating proposals for subdivisions and larger developments in terms of supporting mixed uses, transportation connectivity, and compact development.
- b. The Town shall explore and support initiatives to encourage and enable ride-sharing and other measures to minimize single-occupancy vehicle use and support access to services and recreation through active transportation and other non-vehicular means.
## Policy ENV-7 Adapting to a changing climate
It shall be the policy of Council to integrate climate adaptation into land use planning and public infrastructure decision-making.
## Plan Actions:
- a. The Town shall establish a climate-resilient decision tree with which to process actions and decisions on municipal infrastructure and facilities.
- b. The Town may investigate the broad range of impacts of climate change on the community, including but not limited to, health, food security, and air quality and identify areas in which the Town may take or encourage action.
- c. The Town shall prioritize the protection of existing treed areas or the introduction of new trees in the design of new developments and designation of parkland or municipal facilities.
## 5. FUTURE LAND USE MAP
The Future Land Use Map (Schedule A) is a generalized conceptual representation of the direction Council envisions land use patterns taking over the next fifteen years. It lays the foundation and establishes the direction for the Zoning Map in the Bylaw, which is normally more precise in terms of land use zones within the broad use designations. The Zoning Map must, however, conform to the conform to the Future Land Use Map. The Future Land Use Map shall contain the following land use designations:
- Residential
- Commercial
- Industrial
- Parks and Open Space
- Institutional
Those designations shall lay the framework for land use zones under the Bylaw as follows:
| Land Use Designation | Zone | Symbol |
|------------------------|----------------------------------|----------|
| Residential | Low Density Residential | R1 |
| Residential | Medium Density Residential | R2 |
| Residential | Mixed Density Residential | R3 |
| Commercial | General Commercial | CI |
| Industrial | Industrial | M1 |
| Institutional | Public Service and Institutional | PSI |
| Parks and Open Space | Recreation and Open Space | 01 |
| Parks and Open Space | Environmental Reserve (Overlay) | 02 |
| Agriculture | Agricultural Reserve | A1 |
In formulating the Future Land Use Map, Council has applied the following criteria:
- Mixed uses shall be encouraged except where land use conflicts might be created.
- Commercial development shall be directed toward the Town's core and along Main Street.
- Established commercial and industrial developments shall be protected.
- Existing institutional developments shall be protected.
- New residential development will be encouraged.
- All other relevant policies and principles included in this Plan shall be implemented.
- The Agricultural designation shall be maintained in reserve for future use.
Council may, on application, amend the Official Plan's generalized Future Land Use Map and the Bylaw's Zoning Map to designate additional land for specific uses, subject to Official Plan policies outlined in Part
## 6. IMPLEMENTATION
Administration of this Plan shall be the responsibility of Council. Council shall, however, seek the input of Planning Board on matters pertaining to the Plan. The primary implementation tool for this Plan is the Land Use Bylaw. Aspects of the Plan may also be implemented through other municipal bylaws, Council's operating policies and procedures, the municipal budget and other appropriate Council actions.
## 6.1 LAND USE BYLAW
Concurrently with the adoption of this Official Plan, Council shall adopt a new Land Use Bylaw to update and replace the existing Zoning and Subdivision Control (Development) Bylaw to conform with the policies and provisions of this Official Plan, in accordance with the provisions of the Planning Act. Both documents take effect upon approval by the minister responsible for the Planning Act.
The Bylaw shall set out specific land use zones, permitted, accessory, and secondary uses for each zone, standards and procedures for development and land use, and standards and procedures for the subdivision and consolidation of land in the Town. The Bylaw may also provide for a limited number of special permit uses that represent exceptions to the permitted uses in each zone and may be approved at the sole discretion of Council, subject to criteria laid out in the Bylaw.
## Approval of Developments, Changes of Use, and Subdivisions
The Bylaw shall set out processes and requirements for:
- any person undertaking any development, change of use of land or premises or subdivision/consolidation of land to apply for a permit or approval, including any exceptions;
- the processing and making of decisions by Council or the development officer of such applications based on the provisions of the Bylaw and this Plan;
- the identification and inclusion of such conditions as Council deems appropriate to development permits and subdivision approvals to ensure conformance with this Official Plan and the Bylaw;
- the submission of a construction plan for the development, including such details as construction phasing, stockpiling of soil, screening or fencing, erosion or run-off control measures, heavy truck access, and any other item that could present a nuisance or hazard during construction;
- the submission of a site plan, footing plan, stormwater management or drainage plan, and/or landscape plan to assist the Development Officer or Council in determining if the proposed development meets the requirements set out in the Land Use Bylaw; and
- requirements for approved permits to be displayed at the site.
The receipt of a development permit or exemption from the requirement to acquire a development permit shall not excuse the applicant from complying with any provincial or federal laws in force, relating to matters such as the National Building Code, fire protection, health and safety, sewage disposal, signage, plumbing and electrical installations, environmental protection, road access, and others. The Town will liaise with provincial officials during the application review process as appropriate.
## Subdivision and Development Agreements
The Bylaw shall allow Council to, at its discretion, require the developer of a subdivision or a development to enter into a Subdivision or Development Agreement. This agreement shall contain all conditions attached to the development permit or subdivision approval, including financial performance bonds, which are deemed necessary by Council to ensure conformance with the provisions of the Bylaw and this Official Plan, and shall be legally binding on both parties.
## Administration
The Bylaw shall establish the delegation of decision-making on certain applications or other aspects of the implementation of this Official Plan and the Bylaw, including decision-making related to certain types of development, types of subdivisions, and variances to a development officer.
## Variances
The Bylaw shall establish procedures for the granting of variances to the provisions of the Bylaw in circumstances where a proposed development may not be able to meet the requirements of the Bylaw where, owing to conditions peculiar to the property and not the result of the action of the applicant, a literal enforcement of the zoning requirement would result in unnecessary and undue hardship, and where the general intent of this Official Plan is upheld and such variance will not be contrary to the public interest.
## 6.2 BUDGETING
While the Bylaw and other bylaws passed under the Municipal Government Act are the primary tools for controlling and directing development activities in the Town, the Town's financial plan is the key policy tool for directing the annual activities of Council. As such, the budget is a key implementation tool for many of the policies and plan actions laid out in this Plan. To the extent practicable, the budget should conform with the policies of this Plan.
## Budget Policies
Council shall strive to offset the cost of programs and services through the use of user fees, while remaining sensitive to the needs of all socio-economic groups. Council has established the following fiscal policies as a framework to guide decisions on municipal revenues and expenditures, in addition to the requirements of the Municipal Government Act:
- The Bylaw shall include a schedule of fees for applications under the Official Plan and Bylaw, and Council may amend the schedule from time to time by resolution in accordance with section 135 of the Municipal Government Act.
- Council may enact new, or maintain or revise existing, bylaws establishing user fees for other municipal programs and services.
- Council shall continue the arrangement with the Province to have the National Building Code and building permits administered provincially until such time as Council determines it is in the interest of the Town to administer the National Building Code directly.
- Council shall generally apply a "user pay" approach for programs and services, while accounting
for socio-economic inequities.
- Council shall consider establishing reserve funds to cover the professional and legal expenses relating to the administration, entorcement, and review of this Otticial Plan and the Bylaw over time, and set aside funds on an annual basis where municipal revenues permit.
## Capital Priorities
Capital priorities are established by Council through the Town's financial plan. Current identified capital priorities include:
- sidewalk repairs and maintenance
- equipment for the fire department equipment
- the development of the 'Gospel Hall' lands, including the identification of funding opportunities.
- Main Street banners and planters
- tractor
- long-term maintenance and upgrades in accordance with the principles and standards for asset management
## 6.3 REVIEW
Council shall on a regular basis review its activities in terms of successful implementation of this this Official Plan and shall undertake a review of the Official Plan and Bylaw in accordance with the provisions of the Planning Act.
## 6.4 AMENDMENTS
Council may amend the Official Plan and Bylaw concurrently as circumstances change in the Town or in response to requests from the public, provided that all provisions of the Planning Act, this Plan, and the Bylaw are met. Notwithstanding that specific zoning have been identified for certain parcels in this Official Plan, future applications to change the designation and/or zoning of such parcels may be considered through the standard amendment process.
## 6.5 POSTING OF DECISIONS
The Development Officer shall post all decisions made in respect of an application under the Bylaw for:
- a development permit;
- an occupancy permit, in relation to a matter under the Planning Act, regulations made pursuant to the Planning Act, or the Bylaw;
- a preliminary approval of a subdivision;
- a final approval of a subdivision;
- an amendment to a bylaw, including an amendment to the zoning map established in the Bylaw; or
- an amendment to the text of the Bylaw,
or any other decision for which notice is required under the Planning Act, in accordance with the requirements of section 23.1 of the Planning Act.
The Town shall submit an annual statistical return in accordance with section 21 of the Planning Act.
## 6.6 APPEAL PROCEDURE
Any appeal of a decision in respect to the administration of the Bylaw shall be undertaken in accordance with Part V of the Planning Act.
## Schedule A - Future Land Use Map
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## Schedule B- Road Network
Figure 6 - Road Network (source: PEI Government arcgis mapping - December 2022)
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## Town of O'Leary
## Background Study and Community Profile
Prepared by: SJ Murphy Planning and Consulting October 2023
## Table of Contents
| Table of Contents. | Table of Contents. | Table of Contents. |
|-----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1. CONTEXT.. ..3 | 1. CONTEXT.. ..3 | 1. CONTEXT.. ..3 |
| 1.1. | 1.1. | Introduction....... 3 |
| 1.2. | 1.2. | Location... 3 |
| 1.3. | 1.3. | Mikmaq History 4 |
| 1.4. | 1.4. | Settler History |
| 1.5. Governance | 1.5. Governance | 6 |
| 2. SOCIAL.. .... . | 2. SOCIAL.. .... . | 2. SOCIAL.. .... . |
| 2.1. | Population... | Population... |
| 2.1.1. Age Breakdowns.. | 2.1.1. Age Breakdowns.. | |
| 2.1.2. | 2.1.2. | Household Make-up..... |
| 2.1.3. | 2.1.3. | Future Population and Housing Needs. .. 11 |
| 2.2. | Cultural Diversity.. 11 | Cultural Diversity.. 11 |
| 2.3. | Education.. ... 12 | Education.. ... 12 |
| 2.4. | Income.. .. 13 | Income.. .. 13 |
| 2.5. | Institutions and Recreation.. 14 | Institutions and Recreation.. 14 |
| 2.5.1. Heritage and Culture. | 2.5.1. Heritage and Culture. | 14 |
| 2.5.2. | 2.5.2. | Recreation and Parks 14 |
| 2.5.3. Institutions and Community Services .. | 2.5.3. Institutions and Community Services .. | 15 |
| 3. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT ... 17 | 3. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT ... 17 | 3. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT ... 17 |
| 3.1. | Current Land Uses.. ... 17 | Current Land Uses.. ... 17 |
| 3.1.1. | 3.1.1. | Corporate Land Use Inventory (2010). ....17 |
| 3.1.2. Farmland. | 3.1.2. Farmland. | 18 |
| 3.1.3. Food Security | 3.1.3. Food Security | .. 18 |
| 3.2. | Housing ... 18 | Housing ... 18 |
| 3.3. | Development Activity. ...22 | Development Activity. ...22 |
| 3.4. | Energy. ... 23 | Energy. ... 23 |
| | Transportation & Infrastructure ... 23 | Transportation & Infrastructure ... 23 |
| 3.5. 3.5.1. | Vehicular Transportation. | .... 23 |
| 3.5.2. | 3.5.2. | ....25 |
| 3.5.3. | Pedestrian and Active Transportation.. Municipal Services .... 26 | Pedestrian and Active Transportation.. Municipal Services .... 26 |
| 3.6. | 3.6. | Overview... |
| 3.6.1. | 3.6.1. | ....26 |
| 3.6.2. | 3.6.2. | Sanitary Sewer .... 26 |
| 3.6.3. Central Water 3.6.4. | 3.6.3. Central Water 3.6.4. | Storm Water Management. ....26 |
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| 3.6.5. | 3.6.5. | 3.6.5. | First Responders ... 26 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 4. | ECONOMY. ..27 | ECONOMY. ..27 | ECONOMY. ..27 |
| 4.1. | 4.1. | O'Leary and its Service Area.. ...27 | O'Leary and its Service Area.. ...27 |
| 4.2. | 4.2. | Labour force and industry characteristics ... 27 | Labour force and industry characteristics ... 27 |
| 4.2.1. | 4.2.1. | 4.2.1. | Occupational Characteristics ... 27 |
| 4.2.2. | 4.2.2. | 4.2.2. | Industry Composition .. 28 |
| 4.2.3. | 4.2.3. | 4.2.3. | Commuting to Work .. 28 |
| 4.2.4. | 4.2.4. | 4.2.4. | Labour Force Participation ... 29 |
| 4.3. Commercial Activity. .. 29 | 4.3. Commercial Activity. .. 29 | 4.3. Commercial Activity. .. 29 | 4.3. Commercial Activity. .. 29 |
| 4.3.1. General Commercial | 4.3.1. General Commercial | 4.3.1. General Commercial | ... 29 |
| 4.3.2. Tourism | 4.3.2. Tourism | 4.3.2. Tourism | .. 30 |
| | 5. ENVIRONMENT. ... 31 | 5. ENVIRONMENT. ... 31 | 5. ENVIRONMENT. ... 31 |
| 5.1. | 5.1. | Natural Resources. ...31 | Natural Resources. ...31 |
| 5.2. | Sensitive and at-risk areas.. .. 31 | Sensitive and at-risk areas.. .. 31 | Sensitive and at-risk areas.. .. 31 |
| 5.2.1. Topography and Watershed | 5.2.1. Topography and Watershed | 5.2.1. Topography and Watershed | ... 31 |
| 5.2.2. | 5.2.2. | 5.2.2. | Well Water Restrictions ... 32 |
| 5.3. Climate resiliency.. | 5.3. Climate resiliency.. | 5.3. Climate resiliency.. | 32 |
| 5.3.1. Climate Projections. | 5.3.1. Climate Projections. | 5.3.1. Climate Projections. | .... 32 |
| 5.3.2. | 5.3.2. | 5.3.2. | Flood and Erosion Risk. ..34 |
| 5.3.3. | 5.3.3. | 5.3.3. | Health Impacts of Climate Change .. 34 |
| Appendix A: Understanding Housing Needs in the Town of O'Leary .. ... 36 | Appendix A: Understanding Housing Needs in the Town of O'Leary .. ... 36 | Appendix A: Understanding Housing Needs in the Town of O'Leary .. ... 36 | Appendix A: Understanding Housing Needs in the Town of O'Leary .. ... 36 |
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## 1. CONTEXT
## 1.1. Introduction
This Background Study and Community Profile outlines the social, economic and environmental realities of the Town of O'Leary and identifies key areas of consideration as part of the 2022-2023 official plan review process, laying the groundwork for the Town's updated Official Plan and Bylaw.
## 1.2. Location
O'Leary is located in the south-central portion of West Prince at the intersection of the O'Leary Road and the Confederation Trail (former CNR rail lines) approximately 5 kilometers west of the Western Road (Rte 2). The Town is 60 kilometers north-west of Summerside and 130 kilometers west of the provincial capital, Charlottetown.
In terms of its physical size, O'Leary is relatively small, with a total area of 1.83 sq. km. This limited size has caused a considerable amount of development to spill over the municipal boundaries into adjacent unincorporated lands. Even the municipal sewage lagoon had to be located originally outside of the very constrained municipal boundaries. On September 24, 2016, the Town's boundary was expanded by 60 acres. An earlier boundary change in 2009 also added a small area of land. At the time of the 2022-2023 Plan Review, the Town had also initiated a process to annex approximately 37 acres to the east along Route 142, the majority of which being a large parcel owned by the Town, located adjacent to the Utility's lagoon.
As one of the three service centres in the West Prince region, the Town has a relatively high population density compared to its rural neighbours, at 479 people/sq. km.
Table 1: Background Data, Town of O'Leary
| | Area | 2021 Population | Population Density |
|------------------------|------------|-------------------|----------------------|
| O'Leary | 1.83 sq km | 876 | 479 |
| West Prince region | 1147 sq km | 14807 | 12.6 |
| O'Leary as % of region | 0.16% | 5.9% | |
The topography is relatively flat, with one small stream bisecting the Town in the eastern end.
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Figure 1: Regional Context
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## 1.3. Mi'kmaq History
Prince Edward Island is known as Epekwitk and is part of Mi'kma'ki, the traditional, unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq people for more than 12,000 years. The entire province, along with Nova Scotia, eastern New Brunswick, the Gaspé peninsula and southern Newfoundland, comprise Mi'kma'ki where oral tradition and historic record point to seasonal use and habitation of the region.
All of Mi'kma'ki is covered under Peace and Friendship Treaties which serve as a foundation for the relationship of the Mi'kmaq and all citizens of the region.
## 1.4. Settler History
The Village of O'Leary was born well over 100 years ago when the western Prince County rail system was laid. The O'Leary Station was built at the location where the rail crossed the O'Leary Road. That location has not changed to this very day, although the use has since changed to residential.
By the time the Island's 1880 Meacham's Atlas was being produced, the railway lands had been developed to include a siding and two spur lines opposite the main station. In addition to the station building, the railroad company constructed a coal shed and a water tank. All of these facilities were shown in the Atlas.
The Village quickly developed into a service centre for the area. The spur lines were used to serve James Barclay's stream-driven sawmill and warehouse north of the O'Leary Road. They also served the Post Office, then managed by John Frost. On the south side of O'Leary Road, Robert Ellis and a Ramsay-Barclay enterprises both built stores, and John MacDonald set up a cooperage. Thus began the first manufacturing, trade and commerce in O' Leary. The earliest residents of the Village came from a variety of places. Hugh and Charles Murray moved in from Bedeque, and David and Lorenzo Ramsay from Port Hill. O'Leary's first tailor was William Jelley. Robert Ellis moved in from Springfield West to open his store. Thomas Robinson came from Unionvale with his family, and the Dickens family came from the eastern part of the Province to open O'Leary's first blacksmith shop. Two names which are significant in the history of O'Leary Station are Peter N. Pate and James Barclay. Barclay came to O'Leary from Ellerslie and brought his bride from Bedeque. He owned a store in partnership with D.C. Ramsay and a railroad siding warehouse. He also built the Willow Hotel. Peter Pate moved in 1888 from West River. At various times he owned a store, cannery, machine shop and cooperage. He also served for a time as Justice of the Peace and Magistrate for Prince County. He opened the first bank in O'Leary - the Bank of New Brunswick. Entrepreneurs such as Barclay and Pate helped O'Leary to quickly establish itself as a robust new community. In addition to its entrepreneurs, O'Leary also had the good fortune to attract vigorous medical men. In 1886, Dr. Daniel McLaughlin came to O'Leary and built the Dr. George Dewar house. Later, Dr. H. E. MacEwen joined the practice, with A. J. Matheson dispensing drugs from a dispensary in Dr. McLaughlin's house. An impressive number of doctors have served in the community over the years since 1886. A wide business community continued to develop in O'Leary. In 1889, Swabey and John Jelley opened the Jelley Carriage Shop and Funeral Home. The funeral home operated until 1974, when its name changed to Ferguson Funeral Home. By the last year of the 19th Century, Thomas Turner was running a tannery, John Reilly was making boots and Phillip Evans was manufacturing harness. W.H. Dennis was competing with the Jelleys by making sleighs and carriages in his shop, while D.P. Campbell ran a store and George Bernard had a barber shop in his home. Later, Martin Griffin opened a photographic studio near the west end of Main Street. Every early community had its tinkers and O'Leary was no exception. In January 1938, Fred Champion threw the switch in his electrical power plant to light O'Leary's streets and the homes of his first customers. He wired buildings and expanded his electric power service for several miles around. In January 1949, his generating plant was lost in a fire. O'Leary was incorporated as a Village under the PEl Village Services Act in 1951. The first commissioners appointed were Alton Rayner, Ralph Adams and Bernard Shea. During the life of the Village Services Act, commissioners were elected at annual meetings. Under the Municipalities Act, the Community had a 6member Council, a full-time Administrator and a Recreation Director. Applied for change in status in X, became a town. Potato farming is obviously a large factor in O'Leary's commercial activity today. O'Leary is a recognized marketing place, and retails supplies, machinery and services to the industry. At one point three large companies packed and shipped potatoes in the Community -C.F. Willis & Son Ltd., O'Leary Co-op and SJ MURPH
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H.B. Willis Co. Ltd. These companies had large labour forces and channeled thousands of dollars in wages into the community annually. The CIL Fertilizer plant and the Massey-Ferguson machinery dealership were two other major farm- related businesses in the Village. The CIL plant has since been taken over by Cavendish Farms.
An important key to O'Leary's community growth is the spirit of co-operation by which people work together for the betterment of the community. One example is the O'Leary Farmers Co-op which at its peak operated a general store, a hardware and building supply store, a service station, a feed mill, and a potato warehouse. All of this was achieved on a "one member - one vote" basis. Another notable cooperative is the Central Credit Union, formed by a merger of the former Saint Mark's, Saint Anthony's and O'Leary Credit Unions.
The co-operative spirit already demonstrated will need to continue if O'Leary is to grow and prosper. It is expected that such co-operation will continue, not only among O'Leary residents, but also between the Community and its surrounding service area. The Official Plan for O'Leary will seek to build on the positive aspects of co-operation among people and communities.
## 1.5. Governance
The Town of O'Leary is governed by an elected Mayor and six Councillors for a four-year term in an open ward system. O'Leary was incorporated as a Village under the PEI Village Services Act in 1951. The Municipalities Act in 1983 resulted in a name change to the Community of O'Leary. The O'Leary Council formerly applied to the provincial government to change the status of the Community to a Town and the change took effect on March 11, 2014, a status that was retained through the transition to the Municipal Government Act in 2017.
The Town has a 6- member Council, and a full-time chief administrative officer, recreation director, and maintenance supervisor, with additional seasonal staff during the summer months for maintenance and recreation programs.
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## 2. SOCIAL
## 2.1. Population!
The Town of O'Leary is home to 876 residents as of 2021, an increase in population of 7.5% from 2016 and a large increase in the growth rate after a 0.4% growth from 2011 to 2016.
Figure 2 depicts population changes in the Town from 1966 to 2021, based on Census Canada figures. The trend from 1966 to 1996 was generally positive, with the exception of a significant downturn in the 1981 Census period. Very slight declines occurred between 1996 and 2006 with a larger decline between 2006 and 2011. Population numbers had rebounded by the time of the 2021 Census, reflecting growth in the West Prince Region and, to a larger degree, across the province.
Figure 2 - O'Leary population growth over time (Statistics Canada Census data and 2014 O'Leary Official Plan)
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## 2.1.1. Age Breakdowns
As illustrated in Figure 3-4 and Table 2, the population is slowly aging; in the last fifteen years, the median age increased from 46.3 to 51.2 years, while the Province's overall median age increased from 40.8 to 44 years.
[1 Census Profile. 2021 Census. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E)
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Figure 3: Median Age over Time - Statistics Canada
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In 2021, approximately 52% of O'Leary's population was over the age of 50 and 31.4% were over 65 years of age as compared to the provincial figures, where 43% were over the age of 50 and 21.2% were 65 years or older. Clearly O'Leary's population is aging and the number of younger families with children is declining. Shifts in age breakdowns notwithstanding, the percentage of households with 1-2 persons remained steady at 71% between 2016 and 2021.
Figure 4: Comparison of Age distribution in O'Leary from 2011 and 2021
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Table 2: Age characteristics, Town of O'Leary, PEI - Statistics Canada
| Age Characteristics | O'Leary 2021 | O'Leary 2016 | O'Leary 2011 | PEI 2021 |
|-----------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|------------|
| 0-14 | 13.7% | 14.1% | 20.4% | 15.3% |
| 15-64 | 55.4% | 52.8% | 50.9% | 63.5% |
| 65+ | 31.4% | 33.1% | 28.7% | 21.2% |
| Average age | 48.5 | 49.1 | | 43.1 |
| Median age | 41.2 | 53.3 | 50.2 | 44 |
| 50+ | 52% | 54.6% | 49.7% | 43% |
As with other communities facing an aging population, the community is likely to face an ongoing need to supply specialized health and social/recreational programming. Seniors' housing, long term care facilities, meals on wheels and mobility assistance will all likely face increasing pressures and pose challenges for Town Council, community groups and the community at large, although community efforts have made progress towards meeting some of these needs.
## 2.1.2. Household Make-up
The average household size in 2021 was 2.2, compared with 2.3 in Prince County and provincially, and up slightly from an average household size of 2.1 over the previous two census periods. This is reflective perhaps of the increasing number of newcomers moving to the region, many of whom share accommodations for a variety of reasons, as the development of new dwellings occupied by usual residents and dwellings overall did not keep pace with the population growth.
49% of households featured a single family, while 41% were made of single-person households. A further 5% involved one-census-family household with an additional person, 4% were non-census-family households with more than one person, and only 1% featured multi-generational households.
Table 3: Household Size Over Time
| Household size | O'Leary 2021 | O'Leary 2016 | PEI 2021 |
|------------------------|----------------|----------------|------------|
| 1 person | 40% | 39% | 29% |
| 2 persons | 31% | 32% | 38% |
| 3 persons | 13% | 18% | 15% |
| 4 persons | 8% | 6% | 12% |
| 5 or more persons | 8% | 6% | 7% |
| Average household size | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.3 |
| Households | 375 | 355 | 64,570 |
43% of households have a primary household maintainer aged 65 or older. 41% of primary household maintainers are 35-64 years of age, and 16% of householder have a primary household maintainer between 15-34 years.
Almost 55% of those living in private households were married or living common-law, while 10% were parents in one-parent families, and 35.4% were children. 71% of persons living in private households were in family households, while 29.4% were in private households other than a census family, with the majority of those living alone. 41% of couple families included children. The average census family was 2.7 people, while the average household size was 2.2.
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O'Leary has lower rates of household formation in relation to the rest of Prince Edward Island, particularly among the 14-24 year cohort, meaning that the impact of housing shortages is most acute among younger residents. Should housing supply continue to fall behind population growth, the resulting suppression of household formation could result in a declining population of children, young families, and skilled workers.?
Table 4: 2021 Household Characteristics
| Household Characteristics | O'Leary 2021 | PEI 2012 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------|-------------------|
| One Census Family Households without additional persons | 48.6% | 61.8% |
| Couple Families % couples with children % couples without children | 75% 40.7% 63% | 86.3% 45.1% 54.9% |
| One-parent Families | 25% | 15.9% |
| Multigenerational Household | 1.4% | 1.6% |
| Multiple-Census Family Households | 0% | 0.4% |
| One-Census Family Households with additional persons | 5.4% | 2.4% |
| Two+ person non-census family households | 4.1% | 5.0% |
| One-person Households | 40.5% | 28.9% |
| Total Private Households | 370 | 64,570 |
| % of population in private households | 91.3% | 97.5% |
Table 5: Size of Census Families
| Size of Census Families in Private Households | O'Leary 2021 | PEI 2021 |
|-------------------------------------------------|----------------|------------|
| 2 persons | 58.1% | 56.1% |
| 3 persons | 23.3% | 20.1% |
| 4 persons | 9.3% | 15.9% |
| 5 or more persons | 7.0% | 7.9% |
| Average size of census families | 2.7 | 2.8 |
| Total Census Families in Private Households | 215 | 43,530 |
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## 2.1.3. Future Population and Housing Needs
Recent growth trends would depend on the continuation of recent trends prompted at least in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, where virtually all areas of Prince Edward Island, and indeed the Canadian Maritimes, experienced unexpected population bumps with the immigration of young families and professionals who had the flexibility to leave their urban homes in western and central Canada and settle in seemingly safe and relatively affordable places away from large urban centres. PEI experienced the highest year-over-year increase on current record in 2021 where the growth rate was 3.0 per cent, the highest growth rate among provinces and territories. This compares to a rate of 1.2 per cent for Canada as a whole.3 The longer-term demographic impacts of the pandemic on migration patterns and economic activities, with all of the associated implications, will not be known for several more years; however, all indications are that the availability of affordable housing will be a significant factor in terms of retaining recent newcomers to the region and continuing that growth by being able to accommodate additional households.
Future population trends will be closely tied to the Town's ability to meet the housing needs and ensure the sustainability of services. Between the 2021 and 2041 census periods, O'Leary's population could grow by as many as 570 persons, with a net increase of over 260 households. 4 In order to keep up with the projected population growth, however, O'Leary will need to increase housing stock by at least 266 net units by 2041, meaning an increase of 13 units a year to keep page or 15 units per year to improve overall affordability. The annual rate of unit increase between 2016 and 2021 was 3 new units.
Failing to meet those dwelling unit targets would increase the likelihood that future growth may happen just beyond the town in the unincorporated O'Leary Fire District, which has a 2021 population of 2566 and saw a comparable rate of growth over the last census period of 7.2%. Growth beyond the town would serve to help sustain the commercial and institutional services but could put an additional burden on the Town's services being accessed by those beyond the Town's boundaries.
## 2.2. Cultural Diversity
The vast majority of residents (79%) currently living in the town are Canadian citizens, but this is much lower than the provincial figure of 92%, again reflective of the region's reliance on newcomer and temporary foreign workers in the labour force. Notably, Census data suggests that 85% of all immigrants arrived between 2016 and 2021. Given this relatively larger newcomer segment of the community, 23% of the population identified as visible minorities, 76% of which were Filipino (18% of the population in 2021). Only 5% of the population reported having ancestry of either Indigenous or Indigenous and nonIndigenous ancestry. More than 74% of the population characterizes themselves as third generation or more, while 22% characterize themselves as being first generation. Similarly, the vast majority of the population has ethnic origins from the British Isles or western Europe.
[3 https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/finance/pei-population-report-quarterly](https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/finance/pei-population-report-quarterly)
4 Pelletier, Matthew. Understanding Housing Needs in the Town of O'Leary. July 2023. See Appendix A.
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Tables 6 & 7- Immigrant and Mobility Status - Statistics Canada
| Immigrant Status | 2021 | 2016 |
|------------------------|--------|--------|
| Non-immigrant | 78% | 98.7% |
| Immigrant | 13% | 1.3% |
| Non-permanent resident | 9% | 1.3% |
The shift in immigrant status may have an impact on the types of housing needed, depending on cultural and economic preferences for multi-generational or shared accommodations.
| Mobility Status (2021 Census) | 1 year ago | 5 years ago |
|---------------------------------|--------------|---------------|
| Non-mover | 83% | 44% |
| Moved within Town | 7% | 5% |
| Internal Migrants within PEI | 6% | 31% |
| Internal Migrants within Canada | 3% | 7% |
| External Migrants | 1% | 14% |
## 2.3. Education
Higher education is often associated with higher household incomes which has an impact on development and housing composition, employment flexibility, transportation preferences and desired services. The Town has a lower-than-average education level as compared to the province as a whole.
The town is home to the O'Leary Consolidated Elementary School, while students attend Hernewood Intermediate for grades 7-9 and Westisle Composite High School for grades 10-12
Table 8: Comparison of the Highest Level of Schooling (2021)
| Highest level of schooling | 15 years + | Town | Province |
|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|--------|------------|
| Less than high school | | 25% | 16% |
| high school or equivalent | | 38% | 25% |
| Post-secondary diploma, degree or certificate | Post-secondary diploma, degree or certificate | 38% | 56% |
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## 2.4. Income
Overall, total average individual incomes were 16.1% percent lower in the town compared to the provincial average. Disparities in income among males and females were less pronounced between the town and province, with income of females being 2.9% lower than that of males in the town compared to 2.2% lower provincially, while the disparity in income in Prince County was 9.2%. When it comes to household income, the town's median was 35.8% lower than the provincial median. Not only are the income levels in the Town lower than provincial numbers, they are also 32.1% lower than in the surrounding fire district and in the county as a whole and even in relation to the towns of Alberton and Tignish.
Table 9: Comparison of Total Average Income and Median Household Income (2020)
| | Town | Town | Town | Prince County | Prince County | Prince County | Province | Province | Province |
|------------------------------|----------|----------|--------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------|------------|------------|
| | Total | M | F | Total | M | F | Total | M | F |
| Average total income in 2020 | $33,6 00 | $34,0 00 | $33,00 | 38,040 | 40,00 | 36,32 | $40,0 40 | $40,4 80 | $39, 600 |
| Median household income | $47,2 00 | | | $69,50 | | | $73,5 00 | | |
Figure 5: Comparative After-Tax Household Income (2020) - 2021 Census
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Table 10: Prevalence of Low Income (based on the Low-Income Measure after tax) (2021 Census, %)
| O'Leary - 2021 Census | O'Leary - 2021 Census | O'Leary - 2021 Census | Prince County | Prince County | Prince County | Province | Province | Province |
|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------|------------|------------|
| Total | Male | Female | Total | Male | Female | Total | Male | Female |
| 30 | 25.6 | 33.5 | 14.2 | 12.8 | 15.6 | 13.8 | 12.8 | 14.7 |
The prevalence of low-income individuals as a proportion of total population is markedly higher for all age groups and both sexes within the town, compared to provincial rates. This coincides with lower education levels and lower incomes for both individuals and households in the town.
## 2.5. Institutions and Recreation
## 2.5.1. Heritage and Culture
As noted in the early historical context above, the land on which the Town was established was an area frequently used by the Mi'kmaq people. Local historical place names, which have generally gone unused in recent centuries, are being reintroduced across the Island to confirm the role the region played in human society prior to and at the time of colonial settlement.
There is one provincially-designated historic site within the town, being the O'Leary Railway Station. Three other properties are registered, including the Heritage Chapel, the Little Red School House, and the O'Leary Telephone Office, all on Dewar Lane adjacent to the Potato Museum.
## 2.5.2. Recreation and Parks
Communities are understanding more and more the critical nature of recreational facilities and programs in the life of a community. For communities like O'Leary, which provide a central service role for a large rural service area, recreation and recreational infrastructure play a particularly significant role. Given the capital and operating costs of many recreational facilities, they can often only be supplied on a regional basis. Recreational programs not only contribute to the social, physical and mental health of the community, they can also significantly compliment economic activities and can in fact represent a productive element of the local economy (as well demonstrated by the City of Summerside and other municipalities).
## Facilities in the Town include:
- O'Leary Community Sports Centre with rink
- Ellsworth Field (leased and maintained by the Town): softball and baseball fields
- Maple Leaf Curling Club - scheduled to be demolished shortly, to be replaced by a regional facility outside of the Town and owned by a community curling club
- Ellis Field Ball Diamond - softball and baseball, with bleachers, owned by the Town
- Soccer fields - part of the school property, although the Town offers programming.
- Centennial Park - located next to the Canadian Potato Museum. The park has been expanded in the last year, now containing a walking track with lights, splashpads, and a new play structure to be installed this spring. The park also features an outdoor rink facility (currently only used during winter months), washrooms and change rooms
- Other smaller parks are located along Main Street (including tennis courts and basketball nets)
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- Friendship Park -- a parklet with landscaping, now privately owned
- The Confederation Trail runs through the core area of O'Leary and provides both a tremendous pedestrian facility and also a significant green corridor.
- The former Multi-Generational Centre on Main Street is now privately owned and features a gym
## 2.5.3. Institutions and Community Services
The larger institutional facilities tend to be clustered primarily in the western portion of the Town. The two most prominent are the O'Leary Community Hospital and the O'Leary Consolidated Elementary School.
As one of the primary service centres for the West Prince region, O'Leary is home to the Community Hospital O'Leary (Health Centre), which has approximately 13 extended care beds for restorative, respite, convalescent and palliative care and provides laboratory, diagnostic imaging, pharmacy, physiotherapy and nutrition counselling, as well as clinics by visiting consultants in geriatrics and psychiatry. Emergency services are available in Summerside at the Prince County Hospital and at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown, or with more restrictive hours, at the Western Hospital in Alberton. Island EMS has a depot in the town.
The housing needs of seniors are served through the long term care beds in the Community Hospital and soon in the Willows, the new community care home currently under construction. O'Leary also has one pharmacy, dentist and a physiotherapy clinic in the Oulton Business Centre.
Community Inclusions provides support to adults in West Prince with intellectual disabilities, including employment programming, residential services and day services at the Maple House Centre, which houses a bakery and café in O'Leary. The O'Leary operations include residential supports for up to eight individuals.
Places of worship: O'Leary Baptist Church; O'Leary United Church; O'Leary Church of Christ; O'Leary Church of the Nazarene.
## Provincial government:
- Access PEI (Provincial Regional Services Centre)
- PEI Cannabis
- PEl Liquor
## Federal government:
- Post Office
- Service Canada Centre
## Shared Provincial/Municipal
- Library
Other community and institutional facilities include: the Community Complex and Fire Hall; Chances child care centre; Royal Canadian Legion; and the Canadian Potato Museum and O'Leary Community Museum.
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Government facilities felt to be at risk in 2023 include the Skills PEl and Career Development Services, set to move out of the Town to nearby Mill River.
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Figure 6: Public Land Ownership
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## 3. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
## 3.1. Current Land Uses
## 3.1.1. Corporate Land Use Inventory (2010)
Development in the O'Leary area tends to be largely strung along main roads in a pattern typically described as ribbon development. The primary exception to this is the town itself, which has a much more compact, 'village'-like nature.
Figure 7: 2010 Land Use Inventory (Province) - land use boundaries are approximate. While the Province has undertaken a more recent land use inventory process, the results were not yet available at the time of this assessment.
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Table 11: Land Use in O'Leary (2010)
| Use | Sq. M. | Acres | % of Land Base |
|---------------|----------|---------|------------------|
| Agricultural | 293,068 | 72.4 | 16.2% |
| Forest | 302,593 | 74.8 | 16.8% |
| Industrial | 40,871 | 10.1 | 2.3% |
| Institutional | 75,396 | 18.6 | 4.2% |
| Non - Evident | 154,118 | 38.1 | 8.5% |
| Recreational | 36,150 | 8.9 | 2.0% |
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| Residential | 55,087 | 13.6 | 3.1% |
|----------------|-----------|--------|--------|
| Transportation | 83,185 | 20.6 | 4.6% |
| Urban | 691,063 | 170.8 | 38.3% |
| Wetland | 72,671 | 18.0 | 4.0% |
| Total | 1,804,202 | 445.8 | 100% |
## 3.1.2. Farmland
As noted in Table 11, about 16% of the Town's land base is currently agriculture. Of the properties within the Town, there are 64.5 acres with a farm assessment, 45.6 of which are indicated as being bona fide farmland.
## 3.1.3. Food Security
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization suggests that "Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life." One of the common requirements of a community that has food security is a stable local food production base. With local access to a supermarket and food security has not been flagged as a concern, outside of challenges related to income. In 2015, a farmers market was also established in the O'Leary Legion Hall, opening during the Potato Blossom Festival and continuing through the fall depending on the availability of products but does not appear to remain in operation.
## 3.2. Housing
Approximately one third of the Town's land base is currently developed for residential use. Over the various versions of the Town's official plan, different approaches were used to direct residential development, beginning with a two-zone approach (General Residential and a Mobile Home zone), shifting to a tiered exclusionary approach to zoning in keeping with more standard framework in 2014 with a stated objective of protecting housing values. The earlier approach led to a mix of housing forms in most neighbourhoods with many streets featuring a mix of single detached homes, duplex units and apartments. There were concerns during the 2014 review that there were few if any exclusively single detached residential neighbourhoods in O'Leary and potential impact on housing values and disincentivizing homeowners.
More recently, housing availability and affordability pressures are being experienced across Prince Edward Island and there is a shifting focus to complete communities, integration, and sustainability.
There are a range of seniors housing options in the Town but, as indicated in section 2.1, demand for affordable seniors housing continues to rise. Recent efforts in the community have led to the development of a new community care facility, under construction at the time of the 2022-2023 review.
There is also some lower income family housing in the western portion of the Town, but newer more innovative housing options and a range of options are required in order to entice additional young families into the Town. The one developed "mobile home" subdivision (most units are actually mini homes) on Maple Street is very attractive and might be a model for some future residential development. At the same time, interest in emerging housing forms such as tiny homes provides other options for consideration.
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According to Statistics Canada, there were 402 private dwellings in the Town of O'Leary in 2021, 93% (373) of which are occupied by full-time residents (compared to 86% provincially). There is a mix of housing types in the Town, with 52% being single detached, 7% semi-detached, 21% row houses, 17% apartment units, and 1% movable dwellings (2021) as indicated in the chart below. This is a slight decrease in the proportion of single-detached dwellings in relation to rowhouse dwellings from 2016.5
Figure 8: Dwellings by Type - 2021 Census
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Most residential development is clustered behind either side of Main St. The housing stock in the Town of O'Leary is in generally good condition and 89% of rated their housing as suitable and only in need of regular maintenance and minor repairs in the 2021 Census, although that is a decrease from 97% rating their housing as suitable in 2016. Only 18% of housing has been built in the last 20 years, with over 55% of housing in the town being constructed prior to 1980. The remaining housing stock (26%) was built between 1981 and 2000
The majority of units built since 2013 have been multi-family (28), with only three single detached and 3 duplex units being created over that time period. A number of new townhouse units are now available at the southern-most part of the town off the Barclay Road, developed as a form of clustered or grouped dwellings.
5 2021 Census
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Figure 9: Year of Construction of Housing in Town (2021)
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Based on 2021 Census data, almost 20% of private dwellings are 1 bedroom, 38% have 2 bedrooms, 22% have 3 bedrooms, and a further 17% have 4 bedrooms or more. Recent work on housing needs in the West Prince region has flagged both 1-bedroom apartments and 3-4+ bedroom units as being priorities, although O'Leary appears to have more of a balance in this regards. The ability to meet the housing needs of seniors, newcomers arriving without family and families accessing nearby schools are the priority areas for future work.
In 2021, 39% of households owned their homes while 61% were renting (compared with 46% and 54% respectively in 2016). Not surprising, more tenants (23.4%) were assessed as being in core housing need compared to owner households (13.8%), but the tenant group spending more than 30% of income on shelter decreased from 42.1% in 2016 to 23.4% in 2021 and was lower than both the county and provincial 2021 figures. This is possibly a reflection of the efforts of the provincial government to providing housing supports as well as a shift in demographics related to the recent population growth. Where 37.8% of tenant households were in subsidized housing in 2016, 44.7% of tenant households were in subsidized housing in 2021.
With Prince Edward Island leading the country in inflation rates in 2022 and even prior, and with the significant housing availability constraints, it is not surprising that monthly rental shelter costs have increased. What is difficult to assess is the cost of rentals for those looking to move to a new rental location, as rental rates and the cost of new construction tend to affect those seeking to move more than those staying in their existing dwelling.
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Table 12: Comparative Shelter Costs - Statistics Canada
| Shelter costs (2021 and 2016 Census) | 2021 | 2016 |
|----------------------------------------|----------|----------|
| Median monthly shelter costs Owned | $650 | $717 |
| Average monthly shelter costs Owned | $740 | $752 |
| Median monthly shelter costs rental | $660 | $646 |
| Average monthly shelter costs rental | $735 | $657 |
| Median value of dwellings | $150,000 | $100,059 |
| Average value of dwellings | $176,000 | $128,129 |
While the median value of dwellings in O'Leary in 2021 was 50% of that of the provincial value, it still represents a 50% increase in median value locally, while the average value of dwellings increased by 37%.
Table 13: Comparative Costs in Region
| | 2021 O'Leary | 2021 Prince County | 2021 PEl |
|------------------------------------------|----------------|----------------------|------------|
| Owners >30% on shelter | | 6.7% | 8.8% |
| Tenants ≥30% on shelter | 23.4% | 27.5% | 30.3% |
| Tenants in subsidized housing | 44.7% | 20.9% | 18% |
| Median monthly shelter costs Owned ($) | 650 | 735 | 860 |
| Average monthly shelter costs Owned ($) | 740 | 897 | 1031 |
| Median monthly shelter costs rental ($) | 660 | 840 | 940 |
| Average monthly shelter costs rental ($) | 735 | 875 | 996 |
| Median value of dwellings ($) | 150,000 | 230,000 | 300,000 |
| Average value of dwellings ($) | 176,000 | 253,400 | 313,200 |
| Owners core housing need | 13.8% | 3.7% | 3.8% |
| Tenants core housing need | 23.4% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
An estimate of parcels under 1 acre suggests there could be upwards of 80 parcels that could be developed, although the availability of many of those parcels for housing development could be restricted by a range of factors, such as availability for purchase, zoning, other uses on the site, site suitability, and mapping errors. 6
While the Town undertook its own subdivision in 2018, the Pate Garden Subdivision, only 9 of 17 lots have sold and no construction has begun - 6 lots were purchased by a single owner. The covenants and other requirements associated with the sale of lots may have played a role in this lack of movement and the covenants were reviewed and removed in 2023, given the current costs associated with construction and labour that have pushed home ownership out of reach for many young adults and young families. Residential properties were assessed at 19.3M in 2022.
6 Estimate is based on parcels of less than 1 acre with a non-commercial assessment of less than $25,000 but no residential assessment and may include parcel identified through mapping errors such as split parcels.
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## 3.3. Development Activity
Subdivision and development activity within the town since 2013 is shown in the Table below:
Table 14: Permits issued 2013 - 2021. Source: Town of O'Leary
| Building Permits | Number of permits | Subdivisions | Number of approvals |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|---------------------------------|-----------------------|
| New dwellings (mini home, replacement, new single detached, tiny home | 3 | Consolidations & Land Exchanges | 7 |
| Two-unit residential | 3 permits 3 units | New lot creation (residential) | 3 23 lots |
| Multi-unit residential | 6 permits 28 units | | |
| Commercial & industrial (new) | 2 | | |
| Institutional & Recreation (new and renovations) | 8 | | |
| Addition or renovation | 13 residential 7 Non-residential | | |
| Agricultural | 3 | | |
| Accessory structures (including fences & pools) | 33 | | |
| Other (including demolitions) | 6 | | |
| Total permits | 84 | | |
The majority of permits and subdivision approvals took place before 1993, with a slight uptake in the last 5 years. Perhaps the most encouraging element of the development activity since 2000 has been the number of commercial and multi-family residential units, a trend which has continued since the 2014 review. The cost of providing roads and central services has no doubt been a major factor in the very low number of new lots being created in recent years; however other factors are at play given the lack of movement on the Pate Subdivision, including, among other things, the cost of materials and the challenge in finding labour in the trades, and in some cases, additional requirements such as covenants on minimum dwelling size.
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Figure 10: Development Activity Over Time
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## 3.4. Energy
Electricity is provided by Maritime Electric, with one property featuring a larger ground-mounted solar array. While the 2014 Bylaw includes provisions for wind, there are no such similar regulations related to solar energy systems currently, although interest in both roof-mounted and ground-mounted solar arrays has increased quite a bit in the last few years across the province and municipalities are looking to update their regulations to address these.
## 3.5. Transportation & Infrastructure
## 3.5.1. Vehicular Transportation
The primary transportation route through the Town of O'Leary is Route 142 (Main Street) which bisects the Town from east to west. Also known as the O'Leary Rd beyond the Town's boundaries, this route connects to Route 2 to the east and to West Cape in the west. Traffic counts on Route 142 (between Route 2 and Route 148) have been relatively stable, with an average annual daily traffic count of 4,145 in 2016 and 4,240 in 2020.The other significant route is Route 148, which connects north to Howlan Road as the Gaspe Road, and which south to Buchanan Road as Barclay Road. Average annual daily traffic on Route 148 (between Route 142 and Route 140) were 1,326 in 2016, and 1,357 in 2020.
Outside of the Town's eastern boundaries, Route 142 is classed as arterial, but is classed as a local 1 within the Town. Gaspe and Buchanan roads are also classed as local 1, while all other streets are classed as residential. Local residential streets include Park Avenue, Ellis Avenue, Water Street, North Street, Kent Street, Willow Avenue, Lloyd Street, Stewart Lane, Dewar Lane, Centennial Drive, Parkview Avenue, Heritage Lane, Community Street, Beechwood Avenue, Maple Street, East Drive, Royal Avenue, Pate Gordon Drive, and Jubilee Avenue. One portion of Royal Ave at its very end, essentially the access road All roads in the Town are owned and maintained by the Province and are generally in good condition but, as with many Island municipalities, storm water management systems on some local streets are not well developed.
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Figure 11a: Road Network (source: PEI Government arcgis mapping - December 2022)
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Table 15: Number of metres and ownership of roads in O'Leary
| Road Jurisdiction | Length (m) |
|---------------------|--------------|
| Province | 12,992 |
| Private | 210 |
| Federal | |
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Figure 11b: Road Network (source: PEI Government arcgis mapping - December 2022)
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The Town is generally comfortable with the state of street within the community with the exception of Parkview Drive, where there has been a request to widen the street to accommodate extra traffic related to the adjacent park and museum.
## 3.5.2. Public Transportation
The Province's new rural transit system provides a new, albeit limited, option to provide alternate forms of transportation, with a route running between Tignish, Summerside, and Charlottetown, and another running between O'Leary, Alberton and Tignish. The routes are restricted in their frequency, however, and the lack of transportation options have been highlighted as a challenge in the region when it comes to finding accommodations and getting to needed education, health and other services, while work schedules and bus schedules do not always align.
In addition, Transportation West, a non-profit community organization provides accessible transportation within the region, with approximately 7 vehicles with the capacity to accommodate 5-15 passengers, with rides being booked in advance.?
## 3.5.3. Pedestrian and Active Transportation
Pedestrian facilities (sidewalks) in the core of the town are quite well developed, with almost 5 kilometers of paved sidewalks. The sidewalks will be expanded over time as the municipal budget allows - public engagement during the official plan review revealed interest on the part of some residents to see the sidewalks extended into the more residential areas of the community. In order to maintain the current high level of service, routine upgrading will be required on an ongoing basis. Expansion of the system should be undertaken as budgets permit but should be based on a long-term active transportation plan.
The Confederation Trail also bisects the town, running directly through the core area. It provides an exceptional pedestrian facility for local residents to enjoy and also provides a pedestrian and bikeway connection to many other points in West Prince and across the Island. Running through the centre of town, the Trail offers an excellent resource for walkers, joggers, cyclists. In 2021, the Province began allowing horses use the Confederation Trail from O'Leary north to Piusville in the summer months. While the use of the Trail over the winter months is dedicated to snowmobilers, some damage related to ATV usage has been recorded by the Province.
7 Information provided on transportationwest.com
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## 3.6. Municipal Services
## 3.6.1. Overview
Municipal services largely feature the sanitary sewer system, sidewalks, recreation, and land use planning, with the recent addition of bylaw enforcement.
## 3.6.2. Sanitary Sewer
The sanitary sewer system in O'Leary was started in the early 1950's. The Town of O'Leary Sewage Collection and Treatment Corporation was incorporated on March 8, 1988. Currently O'Leary is serviced by a two-cell sewage lagoon, upgraded recently with UV treatment, as well as one pumping station and approximately 10,800 metres of gravity sanitary sewer mains and 475 metres of forced main. All streets in the Town are serviced. The two cells were de-sludged in 2020, extending the life of the system. The Town is comfortable that the system has the capacity to absorb more connections.
## 3.6.3. Central Water
All properties in O'Leary are serviced by individual on-site wells. There has been some history of localized water contamination, primarily due to former petroleum facilities, but no wide-spread water supply problems have been noted and no plans are currently in place to provide a central water supply system.
## 3.6.4. Storm Water Management
Stormwater run-off in the Town is managed by the Province as part of the road network. Overland flooding has not been a significant concern in the Town.
## 3.6.5. First Responders
Ambulance - The Town is served by an Island EMS ambulance base, located on Willow St, although discussions are underway for a new base for Island EMS paramedics and potential opportunities within the community.
Policing - The Town of O'Leary receives police protection from the RCMP detachment located between Alberton and O'Leary on Route 2. Services are provided through a standard municipal policing contract.
Fire - The Town of O'Leary has its own Volunteer Fire Company, located on Community Street in the community complex. This fire company also provides fire protection on a fee for service basis to a large fire district surrounding the Town.
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## 4. ECONOMY
## 4.1. O'Leary and its Service Area
The Town of O'Leary has been known for many years as primarily an agricultural service centre. The surrounding rural areas have a very strong history in term of potato production and O'Leary, as the local rail head, has had a long tradition of servicing this local industry. The numerous large produce warehouses which remain in the Town provide clear evidence of this historic relationship. Other key agricultural services the ADL Dairy , the feed mill, and the Cavendish Farms Fertilizer plant, which sustained some fire damage in May 2023. The large surrounding agricultural region also depends on O'Leary for financial services, government offices, professional services, automotive supplies, gasoline and related services, and a wide array of daily needs such as food, pharmacy, convenience items, hardware, building supplies, etc. O'Leary is also the home of the elementary school and health clinic at the Community Hospital.
While this agricultural service role is widely understood and acknowledged, it is important to realize that O'Leary is also the centre of a significant tourism region and also provides key services to the local fishery. There is also a significant and growing manufacturing and processing sector in close proximity to O'Leary.
An important key to O'Leary's community growth is the spirit of co-operation by which people work together for the betterment of the community. One example is the O'Leary Farmers Co-op which at its peak operated a general store, a hardware and building supply store, a service station, a feed mill, and a potato warehouse. All of this was achieved on a "one member - one vote" basis. Another notable cooperative is the Provincial Credit Union which absorbed the Central Credit Union which had itself been formed by a merger of the former Saint Mark's, Saint Anthony's and O'Leary Credit Unions.
The co-operative spirit already demonstrated will need to continue if O'Leary is to grow and prosper. This co-operative spirit has extended to the new community care facility. It is expected that such cooperation will continue, not only among O'Leary residents, but also between the Town and its surrounding service area.
## 4.2. Labour force and industry characteristics
## 4.2.1. Occupational Characteristics
Manufacture and utilities at 37%, Sales and services at 19% and Trades, transport and equipment at 14% are the top three occupations of municipal residents, making up more than 70% of the occupations overall. According to the 2021 Census, 87% of municipal residents in the labour force are employed by someone else while 13% are self-employed, consistent with the provincial rates.
Figure 12 below outlines the occupational characteristics of Town residents based on the 2021 census.
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Figure 12: Occupations of Residents (2021)
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Of the total working age population, 56% worked and of those 33% worked full-time and 67% worked part year/part-time. Provincially, 67% of the population worked and the split of those who worked fulltime and those who worked part year and/or part-time was 50/50.
## 4.2.2. Industry Composition
Figure 13 outlines the range of industries that are represented by residents in the town. Manufacturing & utilities, Wholesale trade, and Health care and social assistance make up the bulk of industrial employment for the town.
Figure 13: Industry characteristics in the Town (2021 Census)
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## 4.2.3. Commuting to Work
As illustrated in Table 16, 67% of the workforce commute to a different census subdivision within the census division but most have fairly short commutes. 95% of workers commute by vehicle, with 78% of those as a driver in a car, truck or van, and the other 22% as a passenger.
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Table 16: Comparison of time spent commuting to work by percentage of employed labour force - 2021 Census
| Commute duration | Town | Province |
|----------------------|--------|------------|
| Less than 15 minutes | 48 % | 64 % |
| 15-29 minutes | 43% | 34% |
| 30-44 minutes | 5% | 12% |
| 45+ minutes | 6% | 8% |
## 4.2.4. Labour Force Participation
The participation rate in the workforce in town is approximately 53.4% in 2021. The employment for male workers is 49.2% compared to 48% for female workers. These numbers are lower than provincial participation and employment rates, which are 65.8% for participation%, and 62.2 and 56% respectively for male and female employment.
## 4.3. Commercial Activity
## 4.3.1. General Commercial
The Town of O'Leary has a reasonably well-defined commercial core area. Most commercial businesses are clustered along Main Street and Willow Street. Quite expectedly, the commercial core of the Town and its industrial facilities - focused primarily on the agricultural sector - tend to be clustered along or in close proximity to the former rail line. The intersection of the former rail line (now the Confederation Trail) and the O'Leary Road (Main Street) remains the focus or hub of economic activity in the Town.
Retail and other commercial services are well supplied in O'Leary and currently include: a food store; convenience store; bank; credit union; pharmacies; hospital with medical centre; hardware and building supplies; service station; restaurant; auto parts; liquor store and cannabis store; funeral home; computer services; quilt and fabric store; bakery; hair dressers and aesthetician; fitness club; flower shop; pet care services; small engine repair; and a range of professional and technical support services located in two separate office complexes. There are also a number of commercial operations located just outside the municipal boundaries including a flower shop, restaurant, automobile sales and a tire shop.
Several large potato and produce warehouses dominate the northern core area of the Town. Other potato warehouses related to the Town's largest farm are located along the former rail line in the southern core area of the Town. Other prominent industrial facilities include the ADL Dairy, the feed mill, the Cavendish Farms Fertilizer plant, which sustained some fire damage in May 2023, and a cabinet shop. More recent developments have included dog grooming and pet care businesses.
An expanded development of seasonal dwellings at the nearby Mill River Resort may provide an added customer base for town businesses but has also prompted the development of new commercial space just about 8 km away along the Veteran's Memorial Highway, presenting the potential for loss of businesses directly within the Town. The largest economic concern raised as part of the 2022-2023
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official plan review has been the need for additional commercial space within the Town, with most commercial properties being seen as being at capacity.
Commercially assessed properties were valued at $46.6M in 2022.
## 4.3.2. Tourism
Tourism development, while still highly seasonal in terms of economic activity and employment, has shown dramatic growth both provincially and in Prince County over the last 20 years. According to Tourism PEI®, tourism on the island increased significantly in the years leading up to the pandemic.
Table 17: Tourism Data over Time
| Traffic Source | 2009 - 2019 (Oct-April) | 2009-2019 (May to Sept) |
|------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
| Air | +12% to +50% | +41% to +57% |
| Bridge | +19% to +27% | +17% to +25% |
| Ferry | Off season | -7% to +14% |
The accommodation sector also reported year over year increases in overnight stays for both fixed room and campground accommodations leading up to 2020. As well, the number of visitors to PEI from 2005 to 2019 was increasing at 3.3% with over 1.6 million visitors coming to the island in 2019. As a result, provincial tourism revenues went from $342.3 million in 2005 to $486.5 million in 2019. Tourism groups have been organizing over recent years to invigorate the North Cape Coastal Drive as a tourism region. Increased tourism activity has been an objective in recent plan reviews and continues to be a focus, with the associated benefit of bringing people to the Town; the Town sees its role as largely being one of supporting tourism operations.
Information from the Province's Department of Tourism for 2022 indicates that there were only two licensed tourism operations within the Town, being a cottage and a vacation home. Tourism attractions within the Town are primarily focused around the Potato Museum, although sports facilities and other recreation infrastructure can serve as a draw the greater area.
[8 https://www.tourismpei.com/industry/research/tourism-indicator-dashboards](https://www.tourismpei.com/industry/research/tourism-indicator-dashboards)
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## 5. ENVIRONMENT
## 5.1. Natural Resources
The Provincial Government has taken over solid waste responsibility and uses a centralized solid waste management system. Prior to the introduction of the provincial Waste Watch system, the former municipal dump site was the destination for the majority of residents' garbage in the past. The site is now closed, and the sorted product is now trucked to a new recycling/composting site in Wellington Centre.
## 5.2. Sensitive and at-risk areas
## 5.2.1. Topography and Watershed
There is one relatively small creek running through the Town entering at the northern end adjacent to Ellis Field and running south-east toward the sewage lagoon. Given the area's relatively flat topography, there are some marshy areas associated with this creek but most lie outside of the municipal boundaries. Adequate buffers must be provided for any development in close proximity to designated wetlands. As a result, the Town has had limited involvement in wildlife and environmental groups or initiatives. The Town is wholly within the Trout River Watershed, which drains to the east.
Figure 14: Topography and Hydrology
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Given the fact that all properties in O'Leary are dependent upon individual on-site wells, protection of the Town's groundwater resources is of the utmost importance. There are two sites in the Town where abandoned petroleum sites create concern for adjacent properties. Long term monitoring of these sites will be necessary. Other localized well contamination events have been addressed and do not appear to present long term risks.
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There is one parcel listed as a registered contaminated site, PID 41830, located at 41 Willow Ave, related to the property's operation as a bulk plan (Imperial Oil Limited). The site was granted conditional closure in 2013 but a building exclusion zone limiting future building construction to slab on grade on a small portion of the property is in effect due to some remaining un-remediated contamination on-site.
Whenever municipalities have central sewer systems and on-site wells there is always concern about potential sewer main leakage and long term monitoring and maintenance programs related to the Sewer Utility must remain a high priority. Excellent progress has been made in recent years and this program should continue on a routine basis.
Other possible point sources of ground water contamination should also be closely monitored with the assistance of the Department of Environment.
## 5.2.2. Well Water Restrictions
There is one well-water restricted area covering much of the town, with implications for developments requiring large amounts of water. Those restrictions are managed by the Province's Department of Environment.
Figure 15: Province's Groundwater Well Restricted Area Mapping, November 2022
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## 5.3. Climate resiliency
## 5.3.1. Climate Projections
Being inland, the Town is protected from many of the climate change pressures being experienced by coastal municipalities. That being said, climate change will impact the town in a variety of ways.
Climate change may also impact the Town's groundwater supply and private wells as a result of potential increases in drought conditions. As well, property-level storm water management will be needed to deal with increased precipitation and extreme weather events resulting from climate change.
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Key climate change indicators and projections help us understand what changes can be expected in the future. The following projections are from the Climate Atlas of Canada for the Town of O'Leary and region.
Table 18: Comparison of recorded climate averages and future climate projections for O'Leary Region'
| Change in Climate | 1976-2005 recorded average | 2051-2080 projections* | Change |
|---------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|--------------------------|-----------|
| Mean Annual Temperature (°C) | 6.1 | 10.7 | + 4.6 °C |
| Mean temperature (spring) | 3.4 | 7.4 | + 4°C |
| Mean temperature (summer) | 18.2 | 22.9 | + 4.7 °C |
| Mean temperature (fall) | 9.1 | 13.1 | +4°C |
| Mean temperature (winter) | -6.2 | -0.5 | + 5.7 °C |
| Number of very hot days (+30C) | 3 | 35 | + 32 days |
| Hottest Day (median) | 32 | 36 | + 4°C |
| Number of tropical nights (night temp>18°C) | 8 | 57 | + 49 days |
| Number of winter days (-15C) | 22 | | - 22 days |
| Last day of spring frost | May 7 | April 7 | -30 days |
| Number of frost days (coldest temp is below 0 °C) | 156 | 134 | - 22 days |
| Total precipitation (annual) | 1,111 mm | 1,187 mm | +76 mm |
| Wet days > = 20 mm | 10 | 13 | + 3 day |
Table 18 illustrates that the temperatures will be getting warmer, with an expected increase of the annual temperature of more than 4.6 degrees Celsius by 2080 (the world is aiming for maintaining a 1.5C increase from baseline levels in the 2015 Paris Accord). The biggest increases are seen in the number of tropical nights, jumping from 8 days to 57 by 2080, and very hot days (days above 30C) in the area jumping from 3 per year in the recorded average pre-2005 to almost 35 days per year by 2080. The last day of spring frost also moves from around May 7 to April 7, which may have implications for agriculture (longer growing season), but also for invasive pests and allergens affecting both crops and people. Other impacts that might present as a result of shifting weather patterns is an increased risk of fire, particularly in scenarios such as is being experienced in 2022-2023 with accumulated post-storm debris and decreased rainfall.
9 Data taken from the Climate Atlas of Canada. https://climateatlas.ca/map/canada/plus30 2030 85#lat=46.76&Ing=62.31&z=6&grid50k=011L08 or https://climatedata.ca/
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## 5.3.2. Flood and Erosion Risk
As noted above, O'Leary is sheltered from coastal flooding and erosion risks, but remains vulnerable to increasing overland flooding with more intense precipitation events, which can have disastrous effects for people's properties.
## 5.3.3. Health Impacts of Climate Change
While more intense precipitation events will impact infrastructure and agriculture (and by extension, food supplies or affordability), heat stress and droughts will impact people and agricultural activities; extreme weather events (post-tropical storms and hurricanes) have and will require focused emergency management planning and the designation of community shelters; and climate impacts on biodiversity will influence tree stands and habitat. Given the age of buildings and the vulnerability of older populations to extreme heat events, cooling infrastructure may become as critical as warming shelters.
Long term considerations for climate change adaptation for municipal infrastructure may include cooling shelters and other shade features in any expansion or development of community facilities and any municipal infrastructure, the promotion of more dense development, and adaptation in the design and placement of municipal infrastructure. Likewise, proper stormwater management will assist in slowing or retaining runoff during extreme events, which in turn will protect waterways and infrastructure.
## Climate Change Mitigation Energy
The province-wide adoption of the National Building Code in 2020 promises to improve the standards for new construction. Although the town has the option to adopt enhanced or more stringent energy efficiency requirements, this would place an added administrative, inspection, and enforcement responsibility on the town and the town has opted to enter into an agreement with the Government of Prince Edward Island for provincial administration of the building code. As building energy-efficiency advances, however, the Town may wish to consider mechanisms to encourage additional energy efficiency features in new buildings or renovations, which could be tracked through development permit applications or incentivized or promoted through programs and partnerships with other levels of government. Several EV charging facilities are available in or near O'Leary, with more expected in the near future.
In particular, there has been a growth in demand for renewable energy generation over the last 5 years across the province, a trend that will likely continue. Meeting the demand for new renewable energy may occur at different scales, from single-detached dwellings, multi-unit dwellings, or larger commercial applications. These systems may also include energy storage systems of varying scales. It is becoming increasingly important to balance the need for, and facilitation of, renewable energy options and climate change mitigation against the potential concerns regarding and resistance to changing technology and their impacts on the landscape in the community.
## Transportation
Given the nature of the town and the fact that most residents drive outside the town for work and other activities, the community remains heavily dependent on fossil-fuel powered vehicles for transportation. Given the Town's more urban nature, existing subdivisions and the built form generally are already fairly compact and there is limited space for new growth. That being said, a continued focus on compact, walkable neighbourhoods connected to existing transportation networks will be important to continue to minimize the need to drive, at least locally, thereby reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions somewhat, although to have a more significant impact, local employment opportunities would be needed to shift dramatically from the existing travel patterns. As the COVID-19 experience has demonstrated, however, working from home is an option for many types of work, provided that the regulatory structure is set up to support this. Promoting more flexibility in working from home allows for the reduction in vehicular travel, a significant factor in GHG emissions in Prince Edward Island.
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As noted above, the Province's new rural transit system provides a new, albeit limited, option to provide alternate forms of transportation, and Transportation West provides some options for regional movement, but neither are robust or frequent enough to substitute entirely for passenger vehicles.
## Carbon Sequestration
The amount of agricultural and forested land in the town, offer carbon sequestration opportunities as another mitigation opportunity for consideration. The promotion of reforestation and afforestation efforts through the local watershed groups and in other appropriate areas, both to act as carbon sinks as well as to promote ecological health within the watershed, are positive mitigation strategies.
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## Appendix A: Understanding Housing Needs in the Town of O'Leary
## Matthew Pelletier, July 18, 2023
## Summary
- Between the 2021 Census and 2041, O'Leary's population is expected to grow by around 570 persons. This will result in a net increase of over 260 new households.
- O'Leary generally has lower rates of household formation than the rest of PEI, meaning that it is comparatively difficult for individuals to form their own households. The household formation rate among 15 to 24 year-olds is 0%, suggesting that the impact of housing shortages is most acute among younger residents.
- This means that the town's housing stock will have to grow by 13 net new units each year to ensure that household formation rates do not fall further among the rest of the population. For the town to obtain a formation rate equal to the rest of PEI, the housing stock will have to grow by at least 15 net new units annually.
- According to the 2021 Census, O'Leary's housing stock only grew by 3 net new units a year since 2016. The current rate of housing stock growth is below what is required to keep up with the town's growing population.
- If housing supply continues to fall behind population growth, household formation will become even more suppressed. This could result in a declining population of children, young families, and skilled workers on whom the town depends.
## Population assumptions
PEl's population is expected to grow by 43% between 2021 and 2041. Across each age cohort, around 0.6% of the province's population has been situated in the Town of O'Leary for the past four censuses. However, the share of the provincial population is generally higher among older cohorts.
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From: Appendix /
If these proportions of the provincial population are assumed to remain constant relative to the PEI Government's 2041 forecasted population growth, then O'Leary's population will reach around 1,450 people in the next 20 years.
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From: Appendix /
A recent CBC PEI piece notes that the provincial government's new population forecast has already significantly undercounted the Island's population for 2023. As a result, the figures presented in this report should be interpreted as a conservative estimate of O'Leary's growth.
## Household formation assumptions
To predict how this population growth will translate into housing demand, we must first determine how household formation changes between age cohorts. The rate of household formation is calculated by dividing the number of primary household maintainers (formerly referred to as heads of households) by the number of residents aged 15 and up. Data for both of these variables can be found through the 2021 Census of Population.
O'Leary has a lower rate of household formation (48.7%) than the rest of PEI (49.4%), suggesting it is comparatively difficult for the town's residents to form their own independent households. However, the rate varies significantly across different age cohorts.
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From: Appendix I/
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To calculate the number of households expected to be situated in O'Leary in 2041, the forecasted amount of residents must be multiplied by the corresponding rates of household formation from the 2021 Census of Population. The delta between the 2041 and 2021 amounts represents the net change in housing stock required in the town over a 20-year period. For the most accurate estimates, it is recommended that these calculations be conducted across age cohorts rather than in a single lump sum count.
Table 1: Forecasted number of new households in O'Leary, based on current rates of household formation (from Appendix |I)
| Age cohort | 2021 Census population | 2021 households by age of maintainer | 2021 household formation rate (Maintainers divided by Population) | Forecasted 2041 population (derived from PEI Government) | 2041 households (forecast x 2021 formation rate | Delta (2041 households minus 2021 households) |
|--------------|--------------------------|----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 15-24 | 85 | | 0.0% | 120 | | |
| 25-34 | 95 | 50 | 52.6% | 144 | 76 | 26 |
| 35-44 | 95 | 45 | 47.4% | 191 | 90 | 45 |
| 45-54 | 65 | 50 | 76.9% | 136 | 105 | 55 |
| 55-64 | 140 | 65 | 46.4% | 138 | 64 | |
| 65-74 | 120 | 75 | 62.5% | 151 | 95 | 20 |
| 75+ | 160 | 85 | 53.1% | 389 | 206 | 121 |
| | | | | | 20-year total: | 266 |
It is estimated that O'Leary will need to increase its housing stock by 266 net new units over 20 years just to keep up with population growth. However, the town has low rates of household formation, include a rate of 0% among 15 to 24 year-olds. The town should consider adopting the higher provincial rates of household formation as a benchmark within growth planning to ensure that access to housing isn't suppressed among residents, especially younger members of the working age population. To meet the higher target, O'Leary's housing stock will need to increase by 301 units over 20 years.
Table 2: Forecasted number of new households in O'Leary, based on province-wide rates of household formation (from Appendix |I)
| Age cohort | 2021 households by age of maintainer | 2021 province- wide household formation rate | Forecasted 2041 population (derived from PEI Government) | 2041 households (forecast x 201 province-wide formation rate | Delta (2041 households minus 2021 households) |
|--------------|----------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 15-24 | | 12.9% | 120 | 15 | 15 |
| 25-34 | 50 | 44.2% | 144 | 64 | 14 |
| 35-44 | 45 | 52.7% | 191 | 100 | 55 |
| 45-54 | 50 | 56.2% | 136 | 77 | 27 |
| 55-64 | 65 | 58.1% | 138 | 80 | 15 |
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| 65-74 | 75 | 61.3% | 151 | 93 | 18 |
|---------|------|---------|-------|----------------|------|
| 75+ | 85 | 62.4% | 389 | 242 | 157 |
| | | | | 20-year total: | 301 |
Considering the range of these two totals as annual construction objectives, O'Leary should be increasing its housing stock by 13 net new units per year to keep up with growth, and 15 or more per year to improve overall affordability. Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, the total number of private dwellings in O'Leary grew from 387 units to 402 (an annual rate of 3 net new units). If this rate of housing stock growth is to hold over the coming years, O'Leary will likely build 10 to 12 fewer units than needed on an annual basis.
## Policy implications
O'Leary's housing shortage is not as proportionally severe as the ones being observed in major Atlantic urban centres such as Halifax or Moncton. However, O'Leary has fewer dwellings per capita than the rest of PEI. The town has also one of the highest shares of renter households on the Island (including one of the highest shares of renters living in subsidized housing), and as such would be impacted by the province's low rental vacancy rate of 0.9%. The gap between O'Leary's housing needs and projected housing stock growth is expected to widen unless homebuilding keeps up with demand.
From: Appendix III
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The exacerbation of this crisis will lead to supressed household formation - a phenomenon whereby individuals (especially young adults) continue to delay starting an independent household due to a lack of attainable housing options. Suppressed household formation could have significant economic, demographic, and political ramifications for O'Leary. For example:
- Aspiring homeowners forego buying homes due to a shortage of affordable options for purchase. They instead reside with roommates or continue to live with their parents. Young adult couples may end up delaying the formation of their own families, which could pose long-term demographic issues for both O'Leary and the rest of PEI.
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- Tenants and low-income families are crowded out from renter markets as higher income households compete with incumbents for scarce rental options. O'Leary's median household income is among the lowest in the province - a lack of new supply could make competition over rentals a highly visible issue.
- O'Leary loses its appeal to newcomers due to chronic housing shortages and skilled workers become more likely to move to more affordable jurisdictions, resulting in net outmigration.
To mitigate the suppression of households, adequate housing supply is needed. However, unlocking new supply requires consideration of issues pertaining to sustainability, labour constraints, local governance, and land use policy.
To maintain affordability, O'Leary should aim to increase its housing stock by 13 net new units each year so that the household formation rate observed in 2021 continues over the coming decade. But to improve affordability, the town should set an annual target of 15 net new units per year or more so that household formation increases among historically suppressed cohorts (e.g., young adults). This will make the town far more affordable and attractive to younger residents, especially those looking to start a family in a community that is receptive to their shelter needs.
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Appendix I: PEl and O'Leary population estimates Prince Edward Island 2026-2041 population estimate
| Age Cohort | 2026 | 2031 | 2036 | 2041 |
|--------------|---------|---------|---------|---------|
| Under 15 | 26,223 | 28,932 | 32,239 | 34,269 |
| 15-24 | 21,856 | 22,685 | 22,935 | 24,415 |
| 25-34 | 31,345 | 34,191 | 32,359 | 33,101 |
| 35-44 | 22,068 | 27,863 | 37,682 | 40,358 |
| 45-54 | 21,770 | 23,336 | 25,737 | 31,489 |
| 55-64 | 22,561 | 21,957 | 22,875 | 24,464 |
| 65-74 | 21,332 | 22,247 | 21,523 | 21,039 |
| 75+ | 17,689 | 21,315 | 24,380 | 26,418 |
| Total | 184,844 | 202,526 | 219,730 | 235,553 |
[From: Government of Prince Edward Island](https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/publications/pt_pop_proj.pdf)
O'Leary 2021-2041 population estimate
| Age Cohort | Historical share of PEl's population (last four censuses) | 2021 | 2026 | 2031 | 2036 | 2041 |
|--------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| Under 15 | 0.5% | 85 | 136 | 150 | 167 | 178 |
| 15-24 | 0.5% | 95 | 107 | 111 | 113 | 120 |
| 25-34 | 0.4% | 95 | 136 | 149 | 141 | 144 |
| 35-44 | 0.5% | 65 | 104 | 132 | 178 | 191 |
| 45-54 | 0.4% | 140 | 94 | 101 | 111 | 136 |
| 55-64 | 0.6% | 120 | 127 | 124 | 129 | 138 |
| 65-74 | 0.7% | 160 | 153 | 160 | 155 | 151 |
| 75+ | 1.5% | 85 | 260 | 314 | 359 | 389 |
| Total | 0.6% | 875 | 1,119 | 1,241 | 1,353 | 1,447 |
Note: 2021 population is derived from the 2021 Census, while 2026-2041 figures are derived by multiplying PEI's forecasted population by each age cohort's corresponding historical share of the provincial population situated in O'Leary (from the town's 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2021 census profiles)
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Appendix Il: Forecasted number of new households in O'Leary, based on the current and province-wide rates of household formation.
O'Leary's current household formation rate
| Age cohort | 2021 Census | 2021 households population by age of maintainer | 2021 household formation rate (Maintainers divided by Population) | Forecasted 2041 population (derived from PEI Government) | 2041 households (forecast x 2021 formation rate | | Delta (2041 households minus 2021 households) |
|--------------|---------------|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| 15-24 | 85 | | 0.0% | 120 | | |
| 25-34 | 95 | 50 | 52.6% | 144 | 76 | 26 |
| 35-44 | 95 | 45 | 47.4% | 191 | 90 | 45 |
| 45-54 | 65 | 50 | 76.9% | 136 | 105 | 55 |
| 55-64 | 140 | 65 | 46.4% | 138 | 64 | |
| 65-74 | 120 | 75 | 62.5% | 151 | 95 | 20 |
| 75+ | 160 | 85 | 53.1% | 389 | 206 | 121 |
| | | | | | 20-year total: | 266 |
## Province wide formation rate
| Age cohort | 2021 households by age of maintainer | wide household formation rate | 2021 province- Forecasted 2041 population (derived from PEl Government) | 2041 households (forecast x 201 province-wide formation rate | Delta (2041 households minus 2021 households) |
|--------------|----------------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 15-24 | | 12.9% | 120 | 15 | 15 |
| 25-34 | 50 | 44.2% | 144 | 64 | 14 |
| 35-44 | 45 | 52.7% | 191 | 100 | 55 |
| 45-54 | 50 | 56.2% | 136 | 77 | 27 |
| 55-64 | 65 | 58.1% | 138 | 80 | 15 |
| 65-74 | 75 | 61.3% | 151 | 93 | 18 |
| 75+ | 85 | 62.4% | 389 | 242 | 157 |
| | | | | 20-year total: | 301 |
Note: Maintainer and household formation data were derived from the 2021 Census of Population, while population projections were derived from Appendix l.
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| Year | Based on the 2021 provincial rate of household formation | Based on 2021 municipal rate of household formation | Historical trend (3 net new units per year between 2016 and 2021) |
|-----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2021 | 402 | 402 | 402 |
| 2026 | 544 | 519 | 417 |
| 2031 | 604 | 575 | 432 |
| 2036 | 659 | 623 | 447 |
| 2041 | 703 | 668 | 462 |
| Delta (2041 households minus 2021 households) | 301 | 268 | 60 |
| Net new units per year | 15.1 | 13.4 | 3 |
Note: 2021 private dwelling total and historical trend both derived from O'Leary's 2016 and 2021 census profiles. All other figures based on calculations from Appendix II.
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## Appendix B: Additional Data
Table 19: O'Leary Household Make-up over Time - Statistics Canada
| Household Size | 2021 | 2016 | 2011 |
|------------------|--------|--------|--------|
| 1 person | 40% | 39% | 38% |
| 2 persons | 31% | 32% | 35% |
| 3 persons | 13% | 18% | 14% |
| 4 persons | 8% | 6% | 7% |
| 5+ | 8% | 6% | 7% |
Table 20: Household Indicators Across Region - Statistics Canada
| | 2021 O'Leary | 2021 Prince County | 2021 PEI |
|------------------------------------|----------------|----------------------|------------|
| Owners >30% on shelter | | 6.7% | 8.8% |
| Tenants >30% on shelter | 23.4% | 27.5% | 30.3% |
| Tenants in subsidized housing | 44.7% | 20.9% | 18% |
| Median monthly shelter costs Owned | 650 | 735 | 860 |
| Ave monthly shelter costs Owned | 740 | 897 | 1031 |
| Med monthly shelter cos | 660 | 840 | 940 |
| Av monthly shelter costs rental | 735 | 875 | 996 |
| Ave value of dwellings | 176,000 | 253,400 | 313,200 |
| Median value of dwellings | 150,000 | 230,000 | 300,000 |
| Owners core housing need | 13.8% | 3.7% | 3.8% |
| Tenants core housing need | 23.4% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
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Table 21: O'Leary Age Characteristics over Time - Statistics Canada
| Age Characteristics | 2011 | 2016 | 2021 |
|-----------------------|--------|--------|--------|
| 0-4 years | 30 | 40 | |
| 5-9 years | 35 | | |
| 10-14 years | 50 | | |
| 15-19 years | 60 | | |
| 20-24 years | 35 | | |
| 25-29 years | 25 | | |
| 30-34 years | 25 | | |
| 35-39 years | 35 | | |
| 40-44 years | 45 | | |
| 45-49 years | 55 | | |
| 50-54 years | 55 | | |
| 55-59 years | 45 | | |
| 60-64 years | 60 | | |
| 65-69 years | 40 | | |
| 70-74 years | 55 | | |
| 75-79 years | 45 | | |
| 80-84 years | 40 | | |
| 85+ years | 65 | | |
| Total | 815 | | |
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