Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

What is the role of the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission in regards to land use and land ownership in PEI?

The Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC) is responsible for the general administration of the Lands Protection Act. The commission reviews and obtains pertinent information and makes recommendations to provincial government on applications for land purchases governed by the legislation. The Commission is also responsible to hear and decide matters relating to land use, which includes hearing appeals of the Planning Act.Learn more about the role of IRAC

How much land can an individual own on PEI? How much land can a corporation own?

An individual or corporation can hold an aggregate land holding of no more than:

  • 1,000 acres per person; and
  • 3,000 acres per corporation

Note: There are some exceptions to the maximum aggregate land holdings set out in both the Lands Protection Act and its regulations.

Why is land-related legislation unique for PEI?

It is generally understood that Prince Edward Island faces unique challenges with respect to land, including:

  • historical difficulties with absentee land owners, and the resulting problems faced by the inhabitants of PEI in governing their own affairs, both public and private;
  • the province’s small land area and comparatively high population density; and
  • the fragile nature of the province’s ecology, environment, and lands requires prudent, balanced, and steadfast stewardship to ensure the protection of the province’s ecology, environment, and lands.

What are Special Planning Areas?

Special Planning Areas are designated for special planning considerations, and currently include the following areas:

  1. Princetown Point – Stanley Bridge
    1. Princetown Point – Stanley Bridge Special Planning Area;
    2. Scenic Viewscape Zone
  2. Greenwich Special Planning Area
  3. Borden Region
    1. Borden Region Special Planning Area
    2. Confederation Bridge Development Corridor
    3. properties designated as science viewscapes and rural development areas
    4. properties designated for future residential/retail commercial/commercial service and commercial/light industrial purposes
  4. Stratford region, Charlottetown region, Cornwall region and Summerside region
    1. Stratford Region Special Planning Area
    2. Charlottetown Region Special Planning Area
    3. Cornwall Region Special Planning Area
    4. Summerside Region Special Planning Area
  5. Morell River Conservation Zone

How many acres of agricultural land exist on PEI?

On PEI, there are 594,324 acres of agricultural land, which represents 42.5% of the province's total land area of 1.4 million acres.

Who is responsible for land use planning in the province?

Twenty-nine municipal governments provide land use planning for about 10 percent of PEI's Land Mass.

For any other questions that do not appear, or are not answered on this page, please visit the contact page.