P.E.I.'s top news stories of 2016

Here's a look back at ten of the big stories in Island news this year.

Abortion services announced forP.E.I.

After decades of debate around abortion on the Island, 2016 was the year the P.E.I. government announcedthat surgical abortions would be performed on the Island after almost 35 years.

The move came after abortion rights activists gave the government notice they would be filing a lawsuitto force the province to provide full and unrestricted access to publicly funded abortion services on the Island.

Premier Wade MacLauchlan said his government felt it likely wouldn't have been able to defend itself against that suit.

• Abortion services coming to P.E.I., province announces
• Abortion, other services, coming to Women's Wellness Centre in Summerside

The new Women's Wellness Centre which, in addition to abortions, will also provide a number of other services to women will be part of the Prince County Hospital in Summerside, P.E.I.

Electoral reform

This is a story that will continue into 2017 and perhaps beyond the issue of electoral reform.

In the fall, the P.E.I. government launched a non-binding plebiscite, asking Islandersto indicate which of five electoral systems they would prefer.

• Voting options: The 5 choices in the electoral reform plebiscite

The final vote was 52.4 per cent in favour ofmixed member proportional representation (MMP) and 42.8 per cent in favour of first past the post.

• Islanders vote for mixed member proportional representation in plebiscite

But, the voting system won't change quite yet, as MacLauchlan called the results "debatable," due to the low turnout. Just 36.5 per cent of Islanders cast ballots.

• Premier calls plebiscite results 'debatable,' cites low turnout
• P.E.I. electoral reform: From plebiscite to binding referendum

MacLauchlan tabled a motion in the fall sitting of legislature to have a referendum on electoral reform tied to a general election. That motion has yet to go to a vote.

Province-wide school evacuation

Just a few weeks into the school year, all schools in P.E.I. were put under an evacuation order after RCMP received a bomb threat via fax inOttawa.

Similar threats led to evacuations at the Nova Scotia Community College that day as well.

• RCMP deem P.E.I. school threat 'not credible'
• P.E.I. school evacuation: School officials review flaws in plans

The threat was later deemed to be not credible, and prompted the P.E.I. Public Schools Branch to review its emergency procedures.

Police haven't made any arrests or laid any charges in connection to the threat.

"The bomb threat made towards the schools in P.E.I. is believed to have originated in the United States," said Staff Sgt. Kevin Baillie of P.E.I. RCMP in an e-mail to CBC News.

"The matter is still under investigation, and the RCMP is working with law enforcement counterparts in the U.S."

The Cornwall bypass

As you drive from Cornwall, P.E.I., to Charlottetown along the Trans-Canada Highway, there are now two new roundabouts. It's an early part of the construction for the Cornwall Perimeter Highway.

In 2016, the province announced the project, and the route. Construction on the new highway is set to begin next year.

• Cornwall highway bypass could happen this year
• Cornwall Perimeter Highway route chosen by P.E.I government

"Extremely limited access options on the existing Trans-Canada Highway have restricted development in the town for many years" said Cornwall Mayor Minerva McCourt in June, citing a 2003 plebiscite that found 80 per cent of the town's residents supported the project.

• Cornwall bypass frustrates nearby resident
• 'When are payments coming?': Landowner in path of Cornwall bypass wants answers from province

However, some residents raised theirconcerns at public information sessions, and in the media.

Hillsborough Hospital suicides

The inquest into Sherry JeanBall's death as a patient at Hillsborough Hospital, held in February and March of 2016, led to a number of recommendations to prevent future deaths.

• Hillsborough Hospital inquest: jury makes 14 recommendations

After the inquest wrapped up, CBC News learned of another suicide at Hillsborough Hospital in 2010 three years prior to Ball's death. No inquest had been held.

Ball's daughter Sophia later spoke out, asking if an opportunity had been missed to make changes that could have saved her mother's life.

• Daughter of suicide victim wonders if death could have been prevented

After CBC's interview with Ball aired, the government announced it would hold an inquest into that 2010 suicide.

• P.E.I. to hold inquest examining 2010 suicide at Hillsborough Hospital

Syrian refugees arrive

An international story became local as many Syrians fled their home country as refugees with 235 refugees coming to P.E.I. from Syriato make a new life for themselves on the Island in 2016, and 252 having arrived in total.

Throughout the year, we reported on a number of the newcomers, and how they are settling into life in P.E.I. from volunteering at the Farm Centre Legacy Garden in Charlottetown, to how students are adjusting to life at school, how they'reteaching Islanders about the life they left, and their search for work in a new county and new language.

• Refugees from Syria find life on P.E.I. 'perfect'
• 11-member Syrian family finally arrives on P.E.I.
• P.E.I. Syrian refugees settling into new lives
• Syrian refugee already volunteering after just 3 weeks in Charlottetown

Just as the war in Syria hasn't found a resolution, this story continues, as new refugees continue to arriveon P.E.I.

In 2017 many will mark one year of living in Canada, which means they will no longer receive a monthly stipend from the federal government, and will have to find new ways of supporting themselves on the Island.

Monks release lobster

Another story about the changing demographics of P.E.I. this year involved a group of Buddhist monks who live on P.E.I. along with one of the Island's main industries.

Monks from the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society in Little Sands, P.E.I., purchased 600 live lobsters, and released them back into the ocean.

• P.E.I. monks buy 600 lbs of lobster to release them into ocean

"This whole purpose for us is to cultivate this compassion toward others. It doesn't have to be lobsters, it can be worms, flies, any animals, drive slower so we don't run over little critters on the street," said Venerable Dan, one of the monks.

He said they received support from locals, including from the fishermen.

"Fishermen actually found us a better place to release lobster so they won't be captured again," he said.

School reform

2016paved the way for a major review of P.E.I.'s public schools.

Some schools have utilization rates below 65 per cent with others well over capacity.

• School rezoning, possible closures, coming for next school year
• P.E.I. public schools, and whether they are part of the 2017 review

This year the Public Schools Branch held a series of meetingswith parents the beginning of an extensive consultation process.

• Road map for change: Consultations for P.E.I. school review begin
• Round 2: School review public meetings continue on P.E.I.

School reconfigurations, rezoning and school closures are all possible outcomes of the review which are expected to roll out September 2017.

Amish arrive on P.E.I.

Another set of newcomers arrived on P.E.I. in 2016 Amish people from Ontario.

Two different groupsmoved to Summerville, P.E.I., near Montague, and tothe Dundas area, lured by affordable farm land.

• Amish influx to eastern P.E.I. gets underway
• Amish 101: What Islanders can expect from their new neighbours

"The Amish people and the Islanders are not a lot different," said TonyWallbank, who has worked with the Amish for years in southern Ontario, and helped them with the move.

"Here on the Island, there are still lots of older folks that remember the good old days of farming, and relate to the Amish coming here."

GMsalmon approved

After years of review, the first genetically modified food animal was approved for sale in Canada salmon, with an Island connection.

AquAdvantage Salmon grow twice as fast as conventionally farmed Atlantic salmon.

The fish was developed by AquaBounty Technologies, a Massachusetts-based company, with a plant in P.E.I.The company alsoplans toexpandon the Island.

• Genetically modified salmon approved for sale as food in Canada
• AquaBounty, GMO salmon producer, applies to expand production on P.E.I.
• Groups challenge federal approval of genetically modified salmon in court

A final round of thorough and rigorous Canadian scientific reviews found that AquAdvantage Salmon is as safe and nutritious as conventional salmon, according to technical briefing documents provided by Health Canada. The fish was also approved by the FDA in the U.S. last year.

The decision is not without controversy the FDA's decision is being challenged by environmental, consumer, and commercial and recreational fishing organizations.

In Canada, environmental groups also challenged the decision. That challenge has been rejected twice once in 2015 by the Federal Court and once in Oct. 2016 by the Federal Court of Appeal.

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