Prince Edward Island (PEI) is one of eastern Canada’s maritime provinces, off of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The island is marked by red sand beaches, lighthouses, farmland and is known for its seafood and quiet lifestyle.
PEI is the least-populated province in all of Canada, making it a region where newcomers can largely avoid the bustle of Canada’s metropolitan cities. PEI is known for its quieter and more intimate communities, and the province has a very low crime rate, making it a great place to settle.
If you are planning to settle in PEI or are looking for more information about living in the province, this article will outline topics from housing to taxation.
Housing
Due in large part to PEI’s small population of just 170,000+, the housing market in PEI is quite small. There are just over 64,000 housing properties across the province.
Although newcomers to Canada usually settle in a region’s two or three largest Census Metropolitan Areas, PEI does not have any CMAs. Instead, PEI has two Census Agglomerations (CAs), which are the capital city of Charlottetown and Summerside.
Commuting
Statistics Canada indicates that more than 90% of residents in both of PEI’s CAs use a car, van or truck as their main form of commuting.
Employment
In PEI, the three industries that employ the most people are The Trade, Public Administration, and Healthcare and Social Assistance sector.
Healthcare
Healthcare across Canada is funded through the universal healthcare model using public tax dollars.
Education
In PEI, children enter the mandatory portion of the Canadian education system around the age of six when they begin kindergarten. Parents may also choose to send their child to a private or independent boarding school.
Taxation
In PEI, the sales tax on goods and services is 15%. This is the province’s Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), which combines PEI’s Provincial Sales Tax (PST, 10%) with a Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5%.
Newcomer services
Newcomers in PEI can use the province’s Immigrant and Refugee Services Association (IRSA), which provides newcomer settlement services ranging from the pre-arrival stage until the newcomer is ready to take the Canadian citizenship test.
For any further information about Canadian immigration, you can always click “Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration.”
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