Welcome to PEI!
Here is a list of possible services and links to help you get around better.
Also, volunteers can help you with your questions.
Immigration
There are many ways to immigrate here, contact the Immigration Office for more information:
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/topic/office-immigration
Pre-Arrival
A list of documents/translations you will need to prepare before you arrive, and the new documents you will have to fill out here on PEI.
https://www.irsapei.ca/en/0300-first-things-to-do-when-you-arrive
https://www.irsapei.ca/en/pre-arrival-services-for-approved-immigrants-to-canada
Immigrant & Refugee Services Association PEI (IRSA)
Immigrant & Refugee Services Association PEI (IRSA) offers many services, and this should be one of the first places of contact you have. You can call them at (902) 628-6009 and make an appointment with a settlement worker. Settlement workers can help you with the following: Looking for a job, helping with your children’s school enrollment and vaccination, if you need an interpreter, if you need language testing, or attending any useful workshops about work or life in PEI.
To participate in any social activities organized by IRSA, you should register with your email address. They also have many volunteers who can speak many languages.
You can also get free English or French lessons, offered by Holland College and by volunteers.
https://www.irsapei.ca/en/guide-home
You can also send an email to info@irsapei.ca to get information and be directed to the right person.
Francophone
In PEI, you can have the same services as IRSA in French too:
https://www.upei.ca/programs/french
https://www.collegedelile.ca/en/
Housing
Short- and long-term rentals:
You can find a house or apartment for rent on the following sites:
https://www.kijiji.ca/b-for-rent/prince-edward-island/c30349001l9011
Buying a property:
On this site you will find all the real estate agencies available in PEI:
Health
One of the first few things you will need to do is obtain a health card for each family member. This will allow you access to PEI Healthcare at no cost. You can go to Access PEI, 33 Riverside Drive, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8 or send the application form (click on the link below to fill it) to Medicare Services PO Box 3000, 126 Douses Road, Montague, PE C0A 1R0.
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/forms/pei_health_card_application_form.pdf
https://www.irsapei.ca/en/0503-pei-health-card
If you have an emergency, you should call 911. For other non-urgent medical issues, you can call 811 and a nurse will direct you to the right place or ask you to visit a doctor.
Here in PEI, you can apply to have a family doctor, but it usually takes a few years to be assigned to one.
You can book a general practitioner appointment online only at the Downtown Clinic on Water Street to avoid waiting for a long time (it is about $6 to be paid online).
https://pe.skipthewaitingroom.com/city/Charlottetown
Also, see the general information for the clinics here:
https://www.irsapei.ca/en/1201-health-clinics
There are many government-funded programs that help by covering different medicines and health issues:
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/health-pei/drug-programs
You can also apply for private health insurance through different companies by searching online.
Schools
You will need to register your kindergarten, primary, elementary, intermediate, and high school children through the Association of Newcomers to Canada. They will get tested in English if they have not attended an English-speaking school in their previous country. They will be placed in the appropriate grade as per their birth date. The English public schools and the French public schools offer a free bus service to and from school. The kids will be registered for a school that is within proximity to the area you live. Before they start, someone will call you with the bus number and pick-up time for each kid.
Here is more information:
https://www.irsapei.ca/en/1302-schools
https://psbbusing.princeedwardisland.ca/
https://psb.edu.pe.ca/school-calendars
School delays and closures will be posted very early in the morning for storms or other weather-related causes on the home page of the Public School Branch:
Post-secondary Education
Here on the Island, we have different programs you can choose from the following institutions:
https://www.hollandcollege.com/programs/index.html
https://www.collegedelile.ca/en/
Daycare
Here in PEI, you need to register your children with a daycare centre as soon as possible, as many of them have waiting lists.
https://peichildcareregistry.com/
https://www.ecdaofpei.ca/registry.php
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/publications/eelc_directory_ecd_programs.pdf
Job Search
Here are the major sites you could search to find a job. You can also contact a career counselor at IRSA, and they can help you develop a resume and cover letter. If you are interested in changing your career, learning the Canadian culture, finding a job, or volunteering in a workplace, you can enquire about Career Bridges at IRSA.
https://www.kijiji.ca/b-jobs/prince-edward-island/c45l9011
https://employmentjourney.com/pei-job-opportunities/
Career Bridges | Taking you from where you are to where you want to be!
Halal Food
Here in Charlottetown, you can find a few places where you can buy Halal chicken, beef, and lamb:
More about Halal Food.
Recycling
You can download the free Recycle Coach App or check the details of the recycling on this site:
Government of Prince Edward Island (waste or recycling collection days for your address)
Driver’s License and Car Safety
You can apply for a Canadian driver’s license from Access PEI on Riverside Drive, Charlottetown.
Here in Canada all children and babies must have a car seat or booster by law, please see the details on the Driver’s License Handbook available in different languages:
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/publication/drivers-handbook
Entertainment and Sports
We have many different activities to do in PEI which vary depending on if it is summer or winter:
https://www.tourismpei.com/pei-activities
https://www.todocanada.ca/50-summer-activities-adults-pei/
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g155022-Activities-Prince_Edward_Island.html
https://www.discovercharlottetown.com/events/
https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/pe/pei-ipe
See the available sports associations and gyms in PEI:
https://www.localgymsandfitness.com/CA/Charlottetown-PE/31590
Schools also offer after-school activities, and they vary in each school. You should enquire at your local school.
PEI Connectors
This service presented by the Charlottetown Chamber of Commerce, offers many social activities and workshops to connect newcomers to the business community.
http://www.peiconnectors.ca/be-a-connector
Muslim Brothers and Sisters
If you would like to be added to the Muslim Society email list, get in contact with volunteers to answer your questions, or be added to the Viber and WhatsApp groups, please send an email to:
https://www.facebook.com/muslimpei
https://www.instagram.com/muslimpei
https://www.twitter.com/muslim_pei
You can also ask questions or get information from the Facebook page Ask PEI, PEI Weather Discussion, and PEI Road Condition.