Matt Pelletier 🇨🇦
@mattjpelletier.bsky.social
Making charts and breaking hearts 📊| YIMBY | views are my own
📍Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
📍Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
The Kettle Black Summit, c. 2025
July 28, 2025 at 3:58 PM
The Kettle Black Summit, c. 2025
The scenic route from PEI to Ottawa:
🚌 Maritime Bus from Charlottetown to Halifax
🚆 The Ocean from Halifax to Montreal
🚆 Corridor VIA Rail service from Montreal to Ottawa
🚌 Maritime Bus from Charlottetown to Halifax
🚆 The Ocean from Halifax to Montreal
🚆 Corridor VIA Rail service from Montreal to Ottawa
May 25, 2025 at 8:14 PM
The scenic route from PEI to Ottawa:
🚌 Maritime Bus from Charlottetown to Halifax
🚆 The Ocean from Halifax to Montreal
🚆 Corridor VIA Rail service from Montreal to Ottawa
🚌 Maritime Bus from Charlottetown to Halifax
🚆 The Ocean from Halifax to Montreal
🚆 Corridor VIA Rail service from Montreal to Ottawa
And thanks to advocacy from groups like Fusion Charlottetown, the province looks poised to walk back a proposal that would have undercut its own progress on housing supply.
Hopefully, the government can use today's CMHC numbers to come up with a new approach.
bsky.app/profile/matt...
Hopefully, the government can use today's CMHC numbers to come up with a new approach.
bsky.app/profile/matt...
May 15, 2025 at 4:05 PM
And thanks to advocacy from groups like Fusion Charlottetown, the province looks poised to walk back a proposal that would have undercut its own progress on housing supply.
Hopefully, the government can use today's CMHC numbers to come up with a new approach.
bsky.app/profile/matt...
Hopefully, the government can use today's CMHC numbers to come up with a new approach.
bsky.app/profile/matt...
New CMHC data show that the Charlottetown region saw an impressive 441 housing starts so far in 2025 - including over 160 starts in April alone.
We don't have local data for anything before 1990, but I bet that this will be one of the best housing years for the capital region.
We don't have local data for anything before 1990, but I bet that this will be one of the best housing years for the capital region.
May 15, 2025 at 4:05 PM
New CMHC data show that the Charlottetown region saw an impressive 441 housing starts so far in 2025 - including over 160 starts in April alone.
We don't have local data for anything before 1990, but I bet that this will be one of the best housing years for the capital region.
We don't have local data for anything before 1990, but I bet that this will be one of the best housing years for the capital region.
Two-thirds of PEI's investment properties are situated in unincorporated and rural communities that lack official planning.
A cabinet veto on property sales in cities and towns risks increasing this trend by pushing more investment out to areas that can't really sustain growth.
A cabinet veto on property sales in cities and towns risks increasing this trend by pushing more investment out to areas that can't really sustain growth.
April 24, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Two-thirds of PEI's investment properties are situated in unincorporated and rural communities that lack official planning.
A cabinet veto on property sales in cities and towns risks increasing this trend by pushing more investment out to areas that can't really sustain growth.
A cabinet veto on property sales in cities and towns risks increasing this trend by pushing more investment out to areas that can't really sustain growth.
It's frustrating to see a department explore adding more barriers to interprovincial trade and investment at a time when province as a whole is trying to lead a broader campaign to eliminate them.
If PEI is serious about ending the housing crisis, we need to get the focus back on building housing.
If PEI is serious about ending the housing crisis, we need to get the focus back on building housing.
April 20, 2025 at 1:05 PM
It's frustrating to see a department explore adding more barriers to interprovincial trade and investment at a time when province as a whole is trying to lead a broader campaign to eliminate them.
If PEI is serious about ending the housing crisis, we need to get the focus back on building housing.
If PEI is serious about ending the housing crisis, we need to get the focus back on building housing.
And because of how “non-resident” is defined in the Act, all property sales in larger urban centres could end up getting vetoed by Cabinet if the purchaser is a born-and-raised Islander who wants to return to PEI after living away. How would this make Islanders want to move back?
April 20, 2025 at 12:49 PM
And because of how “non-resident” is defined in the Act, all property sales in larger urban centres could end up getting vetoed by Cabinet if the purchaser is a born-and-raised Islander who wants to return to PEI after living away. How would this make Islanders want to move back?
Ostensibly, the change is being made to address housing speculation and investment.
But when looking at resident occupancy and investor ownership of PEI’s housing stock, it's more of an issue in rural and non-planning communities – where the Cabinet veto wouldn’t even apply.
But when looking at resident occupancy and investor ownership of PEI’s housing stock, it's more of an issue in rural and non-planning communities – where the Cabinet veto wouldn’t even apply.
April 20, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Ostensibly, the change is being made to address housing speculation and investment.
But when looking at resident occupancy and investor ownership of PEI’s housing stock, it's more of an issue in rural and non-planning communities – where the Cabinet veto wouldn’t even apply.
But when looking at resident occupancy and investor ownership of PEI’s housing stock, it's more of an issue in rural and non-planning communities – where the Cabinet veto wouldn’t even apply.
It’s currently illegal for non-residents to hold 5+ acres of land in any type of community. This change would Cabinet allow cabinet to veto non-resident purchases of any property of an acre or less munis with official planning (in green), but not for the rest of PEI.
April 20, 2025 at 12:49 PM
It’s currently illegal for non-residents to hold 5+ acres of land in any type of community. This change would Cabinet allow cabinet to veto non-resident purchases of any property of an acre or less munis with official planning (in green), but not for the rest of PEI.
This consultation flew under the radar for a lot of people, but the idea being proposed is concerning.
Basically, the government is proposing to give Cabinet the power to veto non-resident property purchases for smaller lots in municipalities with planning areas. 🧵
Basically, the government is proposing to give Cabinet the power to veto non-resident property purchases for smaller lots in municipalities with planning areas. 🧵
April 20, 2025 at 12:49 PM
This consultation flew under the radar for a lot of people, but the idea being proposed is concerning.
Basically, the government is proposing to give Cabinet the power to veto non-resident property purchases for smaller lots in municipalities with planning areas. 🧵
Basically, the government is proposing to give Cabinet the power to veto non-resident property purchases for smaller lots in municipalities with planning areas. 🧵
It's actually so fascinating to see the drop in Canadians travelling to the US in 2025 compared to the same time in 2024.
20% fewer Canadians have taken road trips to the US this year - and things started diverging after the first round of tariff threats in early February.
20% fewer Canadians have taken road trips to the US this year - and things started diverging after the first round of tariff threats in early February.
April 13, 2025 at 2:59 PM
It's actually so fascinating to see the drop in Canadians travelling to the US in 2025 compared to the same time in 2024.
20% fewer Canadians have taken road trips to the US this year - and things started diverging after the first round of tariff threats in early February.
20% fewer Canadians have taken road trips to the US this year - and things started diverging after the first round of tariff threats in early February.
I could be wrong about this, but I think next week's housing start numbers will show very strong momentum for PEI in the first quarter of 2025.
Looking at StatCan permit totals, PEI approved over 1,800 units in the past twelve months - something that hasn't been seen since 2021!
Looking at StatCan permit totals, PEI approved over 1,800 units in the past twelve months - something that hasn't been seen since 2021!
April 11, 2025 at 1:53 PM
I could be wrong about this, but I think next week's housing start numbers will show very strong momentum for PEI in the first quarter of 2025.
Looking at StatCan permit totals, PEI approved over 1,800 units in the past twelve months - something that hasn't been seen since 2021!
Looking at StatCan permit totals, PEI approved over 1,800 units in the past twelve months - something that hasn't been seen since 2021!
The West and the rest of Atlantic Canada appear to be the prime destinations for interprovincial outmigration - particularly to communities where homebuilding has been strong like Calgary, Edmonton, Moncton, and Halifax.
March 24, 2025 at 1:38 PM
The West and the rest of Atlantic Canada appear to be the prime destinations for interprovincial outmigration - particularly to communities where homebuilding has been strong like Calgary, Edmonton, Moncton, and Halifax.
PEI’s non-permanent resident population fell by over 500 people in 2024 mainly due to cuts in international student and temporary worker numbers. Although the non-permanent resident share of PEI’s population is falling, interprovincial outmigration will make that target harder to reach.
March 24, 2025 at 1:38 PM
PEI’s non-permanent resident population fell by over 500 people in 2024 mainly due to cuts in international student and temporary worker numbers. Although the non-permanent resident share of PEI’s population is falling, interprovincial outmigration will make that target harder to reach.
In 2024, PEI’s population grew by half the amount it did in 2023. Permanent immigration was PEI’s only positive growth component, with the Island seeing more deaths than births, interprovincial out-migration, and significant reductions in non-permanent numbers.
March 24, 2025 at 1:38 PM
In 2024, PEI’s population grew by half the amount it did in 2023. Permanent immigration was PEI’s only positive growth component, with the Island seeing more deaths than births, interprovincial out-migration, and significant reductions in non-permanent numbers.
And if you look at the year-to-date progress for purpose built rental construction, the 2025 Jan-Feb number of rental starts in the region is more than that of the nine previous years combined.
If this momentum continues, it will be a record year for housing in Charlottetown.
If this momentum continues, it will be a record year for housing in Charlottetown.
March 17, 2025 at 1:00 PM
And if you look at the year-to-date progress for purpose built rental construction, the 2025 Jan-Feb number of rental starts in the region is more than that of the nine previous years combined.
If this momentum continues, it will be a record year for housing in Charlottetown.
If this momentum continues, it will be a record year for housing in Charlottetown.
The Charlottetown area is seeing the best year-to-date progress on housing starts since at least 1990.
The region's year-to-date progress for 2025 (259 starts in January and February) is more than that of the four previous years combined (233).
The region's year-to-date progress for 2025 (259 starts in January and February) is more than that of the four previous years combined (233).
March 17, 2025 at 1:00 PM
The Charlottetown area is seeing the best year-to-date progress on housing starts since at least 1990.
The region's year-to-date progress for 2025 (259 starts in January and February) is more than that of the four previous years combined (233).
The region's year-to-date progress for 2025 (259 starts in January and February) is more than that of the four previous years combined (233).
Excited to share that I'll be serving as the Vice President of
Fusion Charlottetown for the coming year! Fusion is an advocacy group for young adults in PEI's capital region. We have some great events coming up, including our Fusion Flavours culinary showcases in March (details below).
Fusion Charlottetown for the coming year! Fusion is an advocacy group for young adults in PEI's capital region. We have some great events coming up, including our Fusion Flavours culinary showcases in March (details below).
March 2, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Excited to share that I'll be serving as the Vice President of
Fusion Charlottetown for the coming year! Fusion is an advocacy group for young adults in PEI's capital region. We have some great events coming up, including our Fusion Flavours culinary showcases in March (details below).
Fusion Charlottetown for the coming year! Fusion is an advocacy group for young adults in PEI's capital region. We have some great events coming up, including our Fusion Flavours culinary showcases in March (details below).
So, the Charlottetown Area just had its best month for housing starts in almost four decades. 🏗️🏘️
With 199 starts, January 2025 was the best for any month in the region since at least 1990. It was also the best month for apartment unit starts and for purpose-built rentals.
With 199 starts, January 2025 was the best for any month in the region since at least 1990. It was also the best month for apartment unit starts and for purpose-built rentals.
February 17, 2025 at 3:30 PM
So, the Charlottetown Area just had its best month for housing starts in almost four decades. 🏗️🏘️
With 199 starts, January 2025 was the best for any month in the region since at least 1990. It was also the best month for apartment unit starts and for purpose-built rentals.
With 199 starts, January 2025 was the best for any month in the region since at least 1990. It was also the best month for apartment unit starts and for purpose-built rentals.
Sad to hear about the passing of Donald Shoup, the man who made the public start to care about parking reform.
A few weeks back I was invited to comment on my city's parking strategy where I relayed Dr. Shoup's core ideas. May his legacy continue to make cities better for all ❤️
A few weeks back I was invited to comment on my city's parking strategy where I relayed Dr. Shoup's core ideas. May his legacy continue to make cities better for all ❤️
February 8, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Sad to hear about the passing of Donald Shoup, the man who made the public start to care about parking reform.
A few weeks back I was invited to comment on my city's parking strategy where I relayed Dr. Shoup's core ideas. May his legacy continue to make cities better for all ❤️
A few weeks back I was invited to comment on my city's parking strategy where I relayed Dr. Shoup's core ideas. May his legacy continue to make cities better for all ❤️
The loss of families with young kids to other parts of the country has been a chronic challenge for the Charlottetown area, but last year was one of the worst on record for net losses.
When housing remains scarce and vacancy rates low, families end up voting with their feet.
When housing remains scarce and vacancy rates low, families end up voting with their feet.
January 30, 2025 at 4:24 PM
The loss of families with young kids to other parts of the country has been a chronic challenge for the Charlottetown area, but last year was one of the worst on record for net losses.
When housing remains scarce and vacancy rates low, families end up voting with their feet.
When housing remains scarce and vacancy rates low, families end up voting with their feet.
This is about the third draft of the OP, but it has evolved in a really positive way when talking about housing, climate, and transportation. I hope folks can make it out to the Rodd on Feb 13!
Details can be found in the media release and this link: charlottetownhall.ca/official-plan
Details can be found in the media release and this link: charlottetownhall.ca/official-plan
January 29, 2025 at 12:22 AM
This is about the third draft of the OP, but it has evolved in a really positive way when talking about housing, climate, and transportation. I hope folks can make it out to the Rodd on Feb 13!
Details can be found in the media release and this link: charlottetownhall.ca/official-plan
Details can be found in the media release and this link: charlottetownhall.ca/official-plan
A new draft of Charlottetown's official plan was just released, proposing to allow:
-4 units as of-right in neighbourhoods;
-4 storey builds near Holland College, UPEI, and the QEH; and
-6 storey builds in corridors and 10 storeys at nodes
Public meeting scheduled for Feb 13!
-4 units as of-right in neighbourhoods;
-4 storey builds near Holland College, UPEI, and the QEH; and
-6 storey builds in corridors and 10 storeys at nodes
Public meeting scheduled for Feb 13!
January 29, 2025 at 12:22 AM
A new draft of Charlottetown's official plan was just released, proposing to allow:
-4 units as of-right in neighbourhoods;
-4 storey builds near Holland College, UPEI, and the QEH; and
-6 storey builds in corridors and 10 storeys at nodes
Public meeting scheduled for Feb 13!
-4 units as of-right in neighbourhoods;
-4 storey builds near Holland College, UPEI, and the QEH; and
-6 storey builds in corridors and 10 storeys at nodes
Public meeting scheduled for Feb 13!
Atlantic provinces are about to become a whole lot older due to federal immigration policy changes.
Reductions in newcomers will mean fewer children and working-age adults, with retirees accounting for up to a quarter of the population in provinces like PEI in the coming years.
Reductions in newcomers will mean fewer children and working-age adults, with retirees accounting for up to a quarter of the population in provinces like PEI in the coming years.
January 22, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Atlantic provinces are about to become a whole lot older due to federal immigration policy changes.
Reductions in newcomers will mean fewer children and working-age adults, with retirees accounting for up to a quarter of the population in provinces like PEI in the coming years.
Reductions in newcomers will mean fewer children and working-age adults, with retirees accounting for up to a quarter of the population in provinces like PEI in the coming years.
The M1 scenario (which the PEI gov tends to use as a benchmark for its population policy work) is expecting 2,000 PR immigrants in 2025 and net in-migration from other provinces. In reality, the feds just halved PEI's 2025 PR nominations, and we're seeing interprov outmigration.
January 21, 2025 at 2:57 PM
The M1 scenario (which the PEI gov tends to use as a benchmark for its population policy work) is expecting 2,000 PR immigrants in 2025 and net in-migration from other provinces. In reality, the feds just halved PEI's 2025 PR nominations, and we're seeing interprov outmigration.