P.E.I. land saga: Buddhists, big investments, and investigations

Premier Rob Lantz speaks at Government House where Cory Deagle was sworn in as housing minister on Oct. 10. Photo by Stu Neatby

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