Accusations that Buddhist groups own too much land leads to P.E.I. passing bill that makes investigations go public

P.E.I. Green Party Leader Matt MacFarlane walks the halls of the provincial legislature. (CTV News)

The P.E.I. legislature passed a bill unanimously Wednesday that would make land investigations public, amid allegations that Buddhist groups on the Island own too much property and may be violating provincial rules.

The Green Party bill, tabled last week by Leader Matt MacFarlane, would amend the Lands Protection Act (LPA) to require that final Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC) investigation reports and supporting documents be tabled in the legislature within 15 days of their completion.

This comes after a subpoena issued last month by a legislative committee revealed an IRAC investigation into several Buddhist monasteries’ land holdings was never completed.

“Public trust … is at an all-time low in the system,” said MacFarlane. “My hope is that … if Islanders can see that work is getting done, that the (LPA) is being properly administered and enforced, that will get some trust rebuilt in this body.”

Cory Deagle, the provincial minister of housing, land and communities, says he supports the bill.

“We do have concerns about some aspects of it, but the main principles of what you’re trying to achieve are a good thing,” he said. “We’ll pass this, see how it plays out.”

IRAC told CTV News in an email it can’t comment on specific investigations. However, its general process dictates that if sufficient information to continue an investigation emerges in the preliminary stages, then a full report is prepared. Earlier this year, the commission was directed to initiate a new investigation into land holdings.

The LPA regulates land ownership on P.E.I., limiting how much individuals, corporations and non-residents can acquire.

Two groups are at the centre of concerns: the Great Wisdom Buddhist Institute (GWBI) and the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society (GEBIS).

In a statement to CTV News, GWBI says it owns 670 acres of land, below the 3,000-acre limit for corporations under the LPA. The organization says it has asked individual nuns to disclose the properties they have purchased, and fewer than 10 nuns own a cumulative 270 acres.

“Like most of the P.E.I. community, we feel the controversy around our land has gone on long enough. These unfounded allegations have severe impacts,” a collection of spokespeople for GWBI wrote.

GEBIS shared similar information. Executive secretary Geoffrey Yang says the group’s land holdings total 576 acres, also well under the limit, and that the group is cooperating with the RCMP and provincial authorities.

“Much of this land is dedicated to educational, cultural and charitable activities that directly benefit the Island community, reflecting our commitment to stewardship and public engagement,” he added.

However, MacFarlane says GWBI and GEBIS, along with others, all fall under a larger organization called Bliss and Wisdom. He argues that their collective land holdings - which he claims could amount to several thousand acres - should be attributed back to one legal owner.

“That’s the concern, that our Lands Protection Act is being circumvented through parties operating in Prince Edward Island, who have indirect control and indirect interest and control over these land holdings,” MacFarlane said.

Beyond land limits, broader allegations triggered a renewed RCMP review earlier this fall.

In mid-October, the RCMP says it would review allegations of Chinese foreign interference and money laundering tied to Buddhist-affiliated groups on the Island. The move followed the province’s request for a federal investigation, which cited Oct. 8 remarks by a former RCMP superintendent Garry Clement on Parliament Hill, suggesting there may be new information that could provide grounds for a criminal investigation.

The RCMP says it’s been aware of the allegations since 2015, and that earlier investigations found no evidence of criminality, with all concluded as unfounded.