Prince Edward Island

has long welcomed investment by a pair of well-funded Buddhist organizations from Taiwan that bought land, built monasteries and pumped millions into the local economy.

But there have also been accusations that the groups were, directly or indirectly, skirting provincial laws that limit how much farmland one group or individual can own and there were rumours of even worse violations.

The long-simmering land ownership controversy hit full boil last week after P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz formally asked federal authorities to investigate allegations of foreign interference and

money laundering

connected to land purchases by the Great Wisdom Buddhist Institute (GWBI) and the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society (GEBIS).

Lantz sent letters to both the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the

Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC)

urging them to assess whether “information exists that could provide grounds for a criminal investigation” into the groups’ financial and property activities on the Island.

The request came just 10 days after a press conference on Parliament Hill where former solicitor general Wayne Easter and former RCMP officer Garry Clement warned that P.E.I. could be serving as a “forward-operating base” for Chinese government influence in Canada.

They also accused both provincial and federal institutions of failing to act on years of documented concerns.

The finer details of the accusations are still murky, but here’s what we know and don’t know.

Who are the groups?

Bliss and Wisdom is a large, Taiwan-based Buddhist organization with a global following and significant financial reach. It is reportedly the spiritual umbrella for GWBI in Brudenell, P.E.I., where there is a monastery for roughly 200 nuns from Taiwan, and GEBIS in Little Sands and Heatherdale, P.E.I., which combined house about 600 monks.

Bliss and Wisdom and its affiliates have ties to businesses in jewelry, electronics and agriculture, and hundreds of millions of dollars have reportedly flowed into Canada from overseas donors and operations in Taiwan and China.

The groups were initially drawn to P.E.I. through the Provincial Nominee Program, a federal–provincial immigration initiative that fast-tracked permanent residency for wealthy newcomers willing to invest in the province.

The program, since overhauled by Ottawa, brought millions of dollars in new investment to P.E.I. during the last decade.

How are the groups responding?

The GEBIS said it welcomes the provincial call for an RCMP and FINTRAC investigation.

“We understand the public’s concern about foreign interference, but such concern cannot justify speculation or unfair accusations against immigrant or faith-based communities,” it said in a statement. “Any investigation must be based on solid evidence, not rumours or discrimination.”

The GWBI issued a similar statement, calling the inquiries “an opportunity for clarity and truth” and it said its members have always acted in good faith and complied with provincial laws.

Both groups say they have been unfairly targeted and that they’ve brought jobs, development and cultural diversity to a province that has struggled to attract new investment.

What are the issues in play?

At the heart of the controversy is beneficial ownership: who controls the land being purchased.

P.E.I.’s Lands Protection Act limits ownership to 1,000 acres for individuals and 3,000 acres for corporations, but some reports allege up to 17,000 acres may now be linked to Buddhist organizations or their affiliates.

“It’s not simply a matter of who owns what, but who controls what,” said Boyd Allen of the Coalition for the Protection of P.E.I. Lands, a grassroots organization formed in 2018 in response to the rapid pace of land sales and growing suspicions that many of those transactions weren’t entirely legal.

Concerns first surfaced in the mid-2010s, particularly in the eastern part of the province, where land was being quickly bought, allegedly through cash transactions accompanied by non-disclosure agreements.

Local residents and land protection advocates began questioning how such acquisitions could happen without breaching the act.

Did anyone investigate before?

The Prince Edward Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (

IRAC) — the provincial body responsible for enforcing the Lands Protection Act — launched an internal investigation in 2016.

But by early 2018, the probe was halted and its findings were never released, prompting more concern and speculation.

This past February, Steven Myers, then P.E.I.’s housing, land and communities minister, ordered IRAC to reopen the investigation, saying the lack of transparency around the first one had eroded public trust. His directive covered “land holdings — both directly and indirectly — of GWBI and GEBIS” under the rules of the act.

Myers later resigned, but his involvement reignited public scrutiny of the regulator’s handling of the issue. Several attempts were made to reach Myers, but he did not respond by the time of publication.

Why has nothing been done before?

Critics say successive governments have lacked the political will to act. Rapid development in rural P.E.I. was often celebrated as economic progress, and many stakeholders — from developers and realtors to lawyers — financially benefited.

Internal documents shared with legislators, including emails allegedly from within the GWBI, outlined strategies to circumvent land ownership limits.

In 2020, MLA Cory Deagle presented some of these emails at a legislative committee, but no action followed. He has since replaced Myers as the minister of housing, land and communities.

The Coalition for the Protection of P.E.I. Lands has long called for a public inquiry with subpoena powers, but the government has consistently not followed through on that.

Why is an investigation needed?

There are growing concerns about financial transparency and land ownership in P.E.I. Complex corporate and religious structures make it difficult to trace funds or identify who really owns land, raising governance and accountability issues.

P.E.I.’s laws limiting non-resident and large-scale land ownership are meant to protect local interests, but critics say they may be circumvented through shell companies or connected individuals, undermining fairness and public trust.

The risk factors for illicit finance, such as unclear money trails, poor financial oversight and complicated real estate deals, suggest a need for stronger oversight, even if no illegal activity is proven.

Locally, residents say these purchases drive up land prices, reduce housing supply and alter rural communities.

Investigations have happened, but a lack of transparent findings has created suspicion that regulators lack independence or that political decisions may override enforcement.

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Lantz’s government may be looking to step back from what’s become a political hot potato. Federal investigations by the RCMP or FINTRAC often move slowly and there is no guarantee that their results will ever be made public.

The key questions now are whether the RCMP or FINTRAC will pursue a criminal or financial investigation, whether P.E.I. will finally launch a public inquiry and whether anyone will address the regulatory loopholes that allowed these acquisitions to happen in the first place.

• Email: arankin@postmedia.com