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7 days ago
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Trouble on the island A Buddhist group on P.E.I. with ties to China has become a flashpoint in a battle over religion and land. Your browser does not support the video tag. Pause
By Brigitte Bureau and Rachel Dugas Jun. 14, 2025 Located deep in the countryside near Montague, P.E.I., Heatherdale Road is bordered by wooded areas, vast fields and a few tractors left idle as the day fades away. Amid this rustic setting, one entrance stands out with its iron gate, intercom and surveillance cameras. It's the home of Teacher Zhen-Ru, the controversial spiritual leader of the Bliss and Wisdom movement. Originally from China, Zhen-Ru (whose real name is Mengrong Jin) lives here with monks from her inner circle. Close by on the same road, an imposing Asian-style building with a high-pitched roof and curved tips emerges above the treetops. It's one of two sites belonging to the approximately 700 monks of the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society (GEBIS); the other is located at Little Sands. Around 600 nuns of the Great Wisdom Buddhist Institute (GWBI) live separately from the men elsewhere in eastern P.E.I., mostly in Brudenell but also in Vernon Bridge. All building entrances are equipped with surveillance systems and some display signs prohibiting access to unauthorized persons. Automatic lift gates occasionally let in white school buses. On the island, people have come to recognize them. They transport Buddhists from one site to another, including close to 150 pupils aged 12 to 17 enrolled in the private schools run by the monasteries. The children, like the monks and nuns, come largely from Taiwan, but also from countries such as China, Singapore and the United States. They are all under the spiritual direction of Teacher Zhen-Ru, a laywoman who has never been ordained. She leads a movement that claims to be in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition — but she isn't recognized by the Dalai Lama, an official spokesperson for Tibet's top spiritual leader told Radio-Canada. Zhen-Ru spends six months a year on P.E.I. The rest of the time, she travels around the world teaching her followers, according to the nuns interviewed by Radio-Canada. Monasteries, associations or businesses linked to Bliss and Wisdom can be found elsewhere in Canada, including Montreal, the Greater Toronto Area, British Columbia and Nova Scotia, as well as in the United States and several Asian countries. Bliss and Wisdom has ties to the Chinese government, according to information obtained by Radio-Canada, and these ties warrant an RCMP investigation, say two former federal investigators. On the island, the monasteries are already under a provincial investigation to determine whether they have acquired more territory than is legally permitted. Part 1: Links with China 'Canada! That's where Teacher Zhen-Ru lives!' exclaimed a volunteer at Bliss and Wisdom's Fengshan Temple in Hukou, Taiwan, where Radio-Canada went earlier this year. The elderly woman was proud to say she had made a pilgrimage to P.E.I. in honour of the spiritual leader. Praying before an altar decorated with flowers, candles and multiple golden statues of Buddha, a young woman who had travelled to Taiwan from Singapore said she, too, had made the journey to P.E.I., where her brother is a monk. She says she lived there for four years as a volunteer for Bliss and Wisdom. This religious movement, which has some 100,000 followers worldwide, comes from Taiwan, a small island separated from China by a strait only 180 kilometres wide. China has long threatened to invade independent, democratic Taiwan to achieve what it calls "national reunification." Chien Tuan-liang, an assistant professor of Buddhist studies at the National Yunlin University of Science and Technology in Taiwan, says this pressure is felt within the Buddhist community. 'Many Buddhist organizations in Taiwan have already been infiltrated by what we can call pro-PRC [People's Republic of China] force,' said Chien, who is a staunch defender of Taiwan's sovereignty. He says these associations believe that by supporting China, they will be allowed to continue practising their religion under a possible future communist government. Chien says you can see this when Buddhist organizations repeat mottoes from the Chinese government, such as the notion that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are "one family." This also holds true for Bliss and Wisdom, says Chien. Through research conducted in Mandarin on websites based in Taiwan and China, Radio-Canada found many examples of Bliss and Wisdom participating in religious meetings organized by Chinese government agencies. Controlled religious meetings In 2023, a high-ranking Bliss and Wisdom monk in Taiwan travelled between his home country, Prince Edward Island and China, according to the group's Taiwanese website. The article goes on to say the monk was invited by the Buddhist Association of China to give a lecture at a forum under the theme "One Chinese Family Hand in Hand to the Future." The Buddhist Association of China reports directly to the United Front Work Department, considered by numerous national security experts to be the Chinese Communist Party's main interference tool both at home and abroad. 'Bliss and Wisdom, by participating in that event, especially with that kind of slogan, demonstrates that it's totally in agreement with the Communist Party,' said André Laliberté. A specialist in religions in Taiwan and China, Laliberté is a professor at the University of Ottawa's school of political studies, where his office is lined with books on religions and Asia, some of which he has authored. "The Buddhist Association of China is trying to convince Buddhists, particularly in Taiwan but also in Canada, that the Communist Party has the well-being of their community at heart," said Laliberté. As early as 2014, Bliss and Wisdom took part in a religious gathering in China organized by the Chinese government. At this meeting, the director of the State Administration of Religious Affairs of China, an agency that has since been absorbed by the United Front Work Department, said: 'Before the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are connected, religions are connected first; before religions are connected, Buddhism is connected.' Bliss and Wisdom published the director's remarks on its Taiwanese website. "It's a profession of faith by Bliss and Wisdom of its allegiance to the Chinese government," said Michel Juneau-Katsuya, a former chief of the Asia-Pacific unit of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). He said China expects this kind of public support from the people it controls. The organization vehemently denies this. While Teacher Zhen-Ru refused Radio-Canada's request for an interview, three GEBIS monks were delegated to speak on her behalf. We reached them by video conference in Singapore, where they were accompanying their leader on her Asian tour. One of them was Venerable Xing-En, known in P.E.I. as Walter Tsai, an English translation of his name. The monk is part of the leader's close circle and lives in the same house. He first denied all links to the Buddhist Association of China. "Bliss and Wisdom, I believe, has no connection with the Buddhist Association in China," he said. "No connection." When asked about the meetings that Radio-Canada dug up, Xing-En said they were simply religious exchanges, like many others the organization regularly participates in around the world. 'Using the exchanges as evidence to support or to claim that GEBIS, well, Bliss and Wisdom, is controlled or under the influence of the Chinese government or Chinese Communist Party, it's baseless,' he said. 'It's completely false." Xing-En, who is originally from Taiwan, would not say whether he recognizes his homeland's independence from China. 'Bliss and Wisdom is not involved in any political issues. We're purely a religious organization. So I cannot give you an answer to that,' said the monk. Michel Juneau-Katsuya isn't buying it. He says 'the arrival of an organization like Bliss and Wisdom is a Trojan horse coming to Canada manipulated by the Chinese government.' Juneau-Katsuya and Garry Clement, a former national director of the RCMP's proceeds of crime program, recently co-wrote Canada Under Siege, which deals with what the authors describe as Chinese interference in P.E.I. In the book, which is due out in July, they devote entire chapters to Bliss and Wisdom. He and Clement are calling on the RCMP to conduct a national security investigation into the religious group. The RCMP told Radio-Canada it does not comment on potential or ongoing investigations. China versus the Dalai Lama Four nuns in Brudenell, P.E.I., agreed to meet with Radio-Canada. They had coffee waiting in the visitor centre where the interview took place. Just behind them stood their vast monastery, a place of residence and study for the nuns. Radio-Canada was not allowed in, even without a camera. The nuns also reject having any links with the Chinese government. 'We're preserving Tibetan Buddhism and we are students of His Holiness the Dalai Lama,' insisted Venerable Jingli Wang. The Chinese government regards the Dalai Lama as an enemy, accusing him of promoting Tibetan independence and undermining Chinese unity. The exiled Dalai Lama, who currently lives in India, instead calls for Tibetan autonomy within Chinese territory. During the interview, the nuns suggested the political tensions with China contributed to Teacher Zhen-Ru's decision to settle on P.E.I. The GWBI spokespeople described this quiet corner of the Maritimes as the perfect environment for learning and practising Buddhist values. The nuns stressed that in order to propagate Tibetan scriptures, an important part of their work involves translating them into Mandarin. The Chinese Communist Party allows these organizations to exist on the condition they support the party's directives. Prof. Laliberté said it's "a bad-faith argument, pardon the pun.' He pointed out that China has a plan for the "Sinicization" of religions, which includes the translation of Tibetan scriptures into Mandarin, as a means of gradually erasing the language of Tibet. He explained that Buddhism — even Tibetan Buddhism — is permitted in China, where the government has realized it is easier to control major religions than to eradicate them. 'The Chinese Communist Party allows these organizations to exist on the condition they support the party's directives,' he said. Back in 2017, a number of monks left Bliss and Wisdom and publicly denounced Teacher Zhen-Ru's leadership. One of them was Venerable Fan-Yin, who long held the second-highest rank in the group. He accused Bliss and Wisdom of being infiltrated by the Chinese Communist Party — comments the monk repeated when Radio-Canada met him at the modest apartment he shares with his mother on the outskirts of Taipei. '[Zhen-Ru's] most important mission was to undermine Tibetan Buddhism and the faith in the Dalai Lama,' Fan-Yin said, noting she was very close to Buddhist leaders associated with the Chinese government. Prof. Chien Tuan-liang says he personally attended courses offered by Bliss and Wisdom for several months but quit because they didn't reflect Tibetan Buddhism. 'What's taught inside the Bliss and Wisdom system is very similar to what is being taught in a Confucius Institute,' Chien said, referring to the Chinese cultural body suspected by several governments of being a propaganda tool. The Chinese embassy in Ottawa did not respond to Radio-Canada's request for comment. 'Those who become monks in Bliss and Wisdom are mostly kind-hearted individuals. But even such good people can't always tell whether the system they serve is driven by an authoritarian power," Chien said. "The Canadian government should be concerned that their leader is building that same system in Canada." Vast business network Bliss and Wisdom is more than a religious group. From the peaceful capital of P.E.I. to the hectic streets of Taipei, one can find natural products sold by the Leezen chain. In downtown Taipei, Radio-Canada stopped in at one of these shops, located right next to a Bliss and Wisdom urban temple. Cranberry juice and blueberry powder from P.E.I. were displayed on shelves stacked with healthy foods. Also on view: Teacher Zhen-Ru's books. Bliss and Wisdom's foray into business dates back to its founder, the late Master Jih-Chang. A vegetarian, he believed in the need for a healthy diet aligned with Buddhist values of harmony with nature. In the late '90s, close disciples of the leader launched the Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation in Taiwan, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of the benefits of organic farming. Shortly after, they set up Leezen to bridge the gap between producers and consumers. Upon the founder's death in 2004, Teacher Zhen-Ru took over the reins of Bliss and Wisdom, claiming the responsibility had been entrusted to her by the founder himself. Zhen-Ru has never hidden her international ambitions. She proposed in 2013 to spread their Buddhist courses, because where they are 'deployed in the world, the corporate business will follow and so will the educational philosophy." In 2016, the Leezen banner expanded to Prince Edward Island. That same year, a first store opened in China, later replaced by the Yes Natural China chain. Zhen-Ru was one of the directors of the Chinese subsidiary in 2018 and a major shareholder for several years. 'Many Chinese people, and even Westerners, operate private companies in China. That doesn't mean they are funded or controlled by the Chinese government,' said spokesperson Venerable Xing-En. For its investigation, Radio-Canada conducted research in French, English and Mandarin, in business registries in Canada, the United States, Taiwan, Singapore and China, as well as in the charitable registries of the Canada Revenue Agency, the IRS in the United States and equivalent agencies in Asia. The Radio-Canada team also went to P.E.I. and Taiwan. But he did not explain why the leader continued to do business in China if she felt she had to leave the country, as the nuns suggested. In fact, from at least 2008 — the year she arrived in the Maritimes — until 2023, Teacher Zhen-Ru was part of the management of at least four other Chinese companies. The network of businesses associated with Bliss and Wisdom now extends well beyond natural products. On Prince Edward Island, leaders and supporters of the group are also involved in hotels, construction and travel agencies. Part 2: The battle over land Your browser does not support the video tag. Pause Bliss and Wisdom's expanding interests have many locals in P.E.I. worried. Douglas Campbell, the outgoing district director of the National Farmers' Union, is one of them. Standing on a red dirt road typical of P.E.I., he shared his concerns about the future of the province. 'As an island, you only have so much land. Land is a very, very sensitive issue,' he said. 'As a farmer, owning your own land is basically your security." On this beautiful day, tractors were zipping up and down large fields. But some farmers now struggle to purchase land, because the influx of wealthy buyers has contributed to a rise in prices, he says. He accuses the provincial government of having turned a blind eye for too long to the land being accumulated by Bliss and Wisdom followers. 'Who's buying the land, where is the money coming from, and is there direct and indirect control of what the Buddhist groups already own?' Campbell asked. While many island residents appreciate the Buddhists' presence, others have become disillusioned. 'In the early years, the Buddhists were welcomed by the community. They were seen as compassionate and a good fit into smalltown P.E.I.,' said a neighbour of one of the monasteries. Radio-Canada agreed to withhold his name because he says he fears for his safety. 'I still believe that the regular monks and nuns are sincere in their beliefs, but it has become apparent to me that, for their leaders, it's a big business. Bliss and Wisdom is a powerful group, with business links to China, that seeks to acquire more and more land through its followers,' he said. In the face of mounting discontent, the province ordered an investigation by the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC) on Feb. 4, 2025, to determine whether the two organizations that own the monasteries have acquired more land than permitted. IRAC, a provincial quasi-judicial tribunal, is charged with administering the Lands Protection Act. The Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society (GEBIS), which owns the monks' monastery, and the Great Wisdom Buddhist Institute (GWBI), which owns the nuns' monastery, have assets totalling over $434 million, including more than $162 million in land and buildings. Source: Canada Revenue Agency charity registry, 2023 filings In Canada's smallest province, the total amount of land a company can hold, directly or indirectly, is limited by law to 3,000 acres (1,214 hectares). 'They are well over 6,000 acres,' Campbell insisted. He arrived at this number by adding up the lots belonging to certain groups, leaders, monks and nuns associated with Bliss and Wisdom. Radio-Canada was able to confirm Campbell's math by using GeoLinc, the P.E.I. land registry. But the two Buddhist organizations claim to only control the land owned in their names, which is well below the authorized limit: 578 acres (234 hectares) for GEBIS and 670 acres (271 hectares) for GWBI. 'We have always said they are not over their land limits when it comes to the individual groups,' said Campbell. 'However, it's when you do the connecting of the dots that shows where they are all connected to the one group, Bliss and Wisdom. That is what puts them over their limits." The investigation hinges on this key question of indirect control. WATCH | A look at one of the companies with links to Bliss and Wisdom: The law states that 'two or more corporations that are directly or indirectly controlled by the same person, corporation, group or other organization are deemed to be one corporation." A corporation that contravenes the act can be forced to divest the excess land and its directors may be fined. But untangling the ramifications between different leaders and groups associated with the island's Buddhists, and the land they purchase, can be mind-boggling. Your browser does not support the video tag. Pause The monks and nuns argue that Bliss and Wisdom is a 'community' that shares the same values, with no control over affiliated groups, which are independent from one another. Bliss and Wisdom 'is a loose term," said Venerable Xing-En. 'GEBIS has no director overlap nor is it funded by any organization that's associated with Bliss and Wisdom Taiwan. So we are an independent organization that operates from Bliss and Wisdom.' Official documents contradict this statement. GEBIS's certificate of registration in 2016, obtained from the province of P.E.I., describes the organization as "an overseas operation of Bliss and Wisdom Monastery Corporation in Taiwan." Bliss and Wisdom in Taiwan has also been closely involved in the construction of the nuns' monastery in P.E.I. Announcing the completion of the first phase in 2017 on its website, Bliss and Wisdom in Taiwan wrote, 'Expenditures totaling roughly CAD11.3 million covered the first set of dormitories for monastics, sewage plants, fire ponds, roads, electricity and other infrastructure needs.' The exchange of funds and directors is also common practice between the different components of Bliss and Wisdom. For example, Venerable Joanna Ho, one of the nuns Radio-Canada interviewed, is the former president of GWBI California. During her tenure, she approved nearly $200,000 in donations to GWBI P.E.I. before moving to Canada. Minister wants to 'close the doors' The man who ordered the investigation into the two Buddhist organizations' properties is Steven Myers, the provincial minister of Housing, Lands and Communities. In an office in Charlottetown's historic district, he spoke to Radio-Canada about the pressure he feels not to get this file wrong. 'I don't think we've ever questioned that [the groups and their followers] are all linked to one another. We question whether or not the law governs it the way we want it to,' he said. Under the law, the decision to issue an order requiring a corporation to divest excess land rests with him. 'Obviously there's people with lots of money, because they bought lots of land. They can afford lots of lawyers, go to court, have my ruling struck down. Then the doors are wide open and Islanders have absolutely no protection," he said. "That's what I'm up against," he stated candidly. 'Do I want to be the guy that opened the doors wide open [to greater land purchases], or do I want to be the guy who closed them?" he said. "I want to be the guy who closed them.' The minister promises to make IRAC's report public once the investigation is completed. An initial investigation into five Buddhist groups, including the two targeted by the current investigation, ended in 2018 without the results being made public. Myers wrote to IRAC in November 2024, shortly after taking office, to request a copy of their report. Seven months later, he's still waiting. Meanwhile, IRAC refuses to comment on the scope of the ongoing investigation. It won't say, for instance, if the individual properties of Buddhists are included. The three venerable monks we interviewed all own land in P.E.I. None of them sees this as a contradiction of their Buddhist vow to renounce material possessions. Xing-En said he acquired a property for his parents in Taiwan, who plan to retire in P.E.I. Xing-Chang (Dan Huang) said he bought farmland to convert it to organic farming. And Xing-Shu (Eli Kingston) said he already owned a house on P.E.I. before becoming a monk and sees no reason to give it up. "I find that a bit astounding," said Prof. André Laliberté. "What I've encountered over the years is that when you're a monk, nothing belongs to you. Everything belongs to the community." The monks and nuns insist that the monasteries have no control over their land. However, Radio-Canada has obtained numerous emails indicating the monasteries have often taken charge of purchasing and maintaining properties on behalf of members and their relatives. 'There are lots of rumours just because we look so foreign and it's a completely different religion,' said Venerable Xing-Chang. 'A lot of people do have their concerns, and we hear that." The allusion to xenophobia doesn't sit well with Douglas Campbell. 'We have always been shot down with the word racism. This has never been about race. It's always been about the land. It doesn't matter who owns it,' he said. 'The law states a corporation can have 3,000 acres. Whether it's the Irving Group or whether it's the nuns and the monks, we're just asking that the law be followed.' 'If a charge is not laid, the floodgates are going to open here,' Campbell warned. The Buddhists are thinking big. The GWBI nuns want to turn their monastery into an international site for religious tourism. 'Religious centres such as Jerusalem, Rome, Tibet and Mecca continue to attract millions of visitors each annually,' the group wrote in a plan it submitted to the province in 2018, which is still in effect. The plan highlights the billions of dollars generated annually by this type of tourism. 'The proposed GWBI monastery has the potential to significantly increase PEI tourism from Asia and from other Buddhist locations,' it says. The plan calls for the construction of dormitories with a capacity of 1,400 people, as well as parking lots to accommodate 300 vehicles, all in quiet Brudenell. Dalai Lama does not recognize Zhen-Ru Teacher Zhen-Ru has already attracted many international followers to P.E.I., where they dream of catching a glimpse of their leader. Yet she does not have the approval of the Dalai Lama. The head of Tibetan Buddhism does not recognize her as the spiritual leader of the Bliss and Wisdom group, says Kelsang Gyaltsen, the official representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Taiwan. 'Zhen-Ru is a layperson who has not undergone monastic ordination. Someone without formal ordination and precept training cannot be recognized as the leader of the monastic community.' Gyaltsen worked closely with the Dalai Lama in India, before becoming his special envoy to various countries. The interview in Taiwan unfolded under the gaze of a large photo of the Tibetan spiritual leader in a room decorated with lanterns, woven tapestries and depictions of Buddha. Zhen-Ru can still run the administrative side of Bliss and Wisdom and even teach if she has a solid base in Buddhism, he said. In the past, Zhen-Ru's supporters have accused her detractors of sexism. 'It's not that we don't recognize her because she's a woman,' said Gyaltsen. 'As a layperson, she cannot be the spiritual leader. This would be a violation of Buddhist religion.' Gyaltsen added that the Dalai Lama recognizes the nuns and monks of Bliss and Wisdom. Regarding religious exchanges with China, Gyaltsen treaded carefully. He said the Dalai Lama has always encouraged the spread of Buddhism in China, but condemns China's tight control over religious institutions. 'By controlling these organizations, they regulate not only religious activities, but also voices advocating for freedom and democracy," Gyaltsen said. One of the voices the Chinese government wants to silence is that of the Dalai Lama himself. The country has already announced that upon the death of the current spiritual leader, who is 89, it will appoint his successor. The nuns and monks Radio-Canada spoke to in P.E.I. expressed surprise at the disavowal of Zhen-Ru by the Dalai Lama's official representative. They also reiterated their commitment to the Tibetan spiritual leader. When asked whether the island's Buddhists will support or reject China's future replacement of the Dalai Lama, Venerable Xing-En again refused to comment. 'We will not be involved in any political issues. We are a pure religious institute that only focuses on Buddhist education," he said. The Dalai Lama has publicly said he has made detailed plans for the process of identifying his replacement. His official representative stressed that the head of Tibetan Buddhism has consistently urged the world to reject China's choice for his succession. Drone videos: Michel Aspirot/Radio-Canada | Editing: Andre Mayer Footer Links My Account Profile CBC Gem Newsletters Connect with CBC Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Mobile RSS Podcasts Contact CBC Submit Feedback Help Centre Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6 Toll-free (Canada only): 1-866-306-4636 TTY/Teletype writer: 1-866-220-6045 About CBC Corporate Info Sitemap Reuse & Permission Terms of Use Privacy Jobs Our Unions Independent Producers Political Ads Registry AdChoices Services Ombudsman Public Appearances Commercial Services CBC Shop Doing Business with Us Renting Facilities Accessibility It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. 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CBC
13-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
New dorm buildings for Buddhist nuns' campus get the go-ahead in Three Rivers
Social Sharing Three Rivers council gave final approval this week to a development application from Buddhist nuns to construct two new dormitory buildings on land the group owns in eastern P.E.I. The two buildings on the Great Wisdom Buddhist Institute campus in Brudenell total 88,000 square feet of living and instructional space, and can accommodate about 280 people. There has been some opposition from the community to the development, and five area residents spoke out against the proposal during Monday's council meeting. Those residents continued to call for a public meeting to allow GWBI to present the full scope of its plans for the campus. Motion to delay vote defeated At least one councillor was in favour of that idea, putting forward a motion to table the vote on the development application until such a meeting could be held. "I just feel that there has been a lot of questions asked, and this kind of growth is monstrous," Coun. Martina MacDonald said. But other councillors said they had no grounds to disallow the application, given that it meets all requirements in the town's official plan and development bylaws. The build has also received environmental approval from the P.E.I. government, having been outlined in GWBI's master plan for the site, which was approved in 2018. A Three Rivers official said during the meeting that the plans and related documents are publicly available on the provincial Department of Environment's website. MacDonald's motion to delay the vote was defeated, and council ultimately approved the development in a 6-2 vote. The development comes at a time when the province has ordered the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission to investigate the land holdings of both GWBI and the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society (GEBIS), an organization of Buddhist monks living on the Island. The significant land holdings of the two groups have been the topic of speculation and controversy for years. In recent months, that speculation has led to accusations against members of Three Rivers council and even safety concerns for council members, who have maintained all along that issues of land ownership fall within provincial jurisdiction. P.E.I.'s Lands Protection Act limits land ownership in the province to 1,000 acres for individuals and 3,000 acres for corporations, with exceptions for additional non-arable land or land that is leased out to other people and companies. According to provincial land records viewed by CBC News, GEBIS (at 578 acres) and GWBI (at 663 acres) are each well below their land limits.
CBC
06-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Calculation of Buddhist land holdings could lead to better enforcement of land limits, group hopes
An investigation into Buddhist land holdings in P.E.I. ordered by Minister of Land Steven Myers could provide the first legal test of measures in the Lands Protection Act meant to prevent concentration of land ownership across multiple linked corporations. It could also peel back the curtain to provide Islanders with a glimpse into how that landmark piece of legislation is being enforced — something that hasn't been made public for more than a decade. On Feb. 4, Myers directed the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission to investigate the land holdings of the Great Wisdom Buddhist Institute (GWBI) and the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society (GEBIS) "to determine whether the corporations have contravened the [Lands Protection Act] or regulations." In his letter to IRAC, Myers referred to a specific amendment to the act from 2022 that refers to direct and indirect control of land, representing the latest attempt by Island lawmakers to prevent large corporations with deep pockets from getting around the intent of the act. The Lands Protection Act is a unique piece of legislation first introduced in the 1980s that sets limits on the amount of P.E.I. land that individuals and corporations can own. It also requires corporations and non-residents to apply and receive cabinet approval for any land purchase of more than five acres. Myers wants review of Buddhist land holdings in P.E.I. to include indirectly controlled parcels 21 days ago Duration 3:02 P.E.I.'s minister of housing, land and communities has ordered a new investigation to look at the land holdings of Buddhist organizations in the province. Steven Myers said he hopes this will address years of questions, speculation and innuendo. The announcement was welcome news to the municipality caught up in the middle of it all — and to the Buddhists themselves. CBC's Kerry Campbell reports. "We've been speaking for generations now of loopholes in the Lands Protection Act," said Boyd Allen, a member of the grassroots Coalition for the Protection of P.E.I. Lands. The coalition has been calling for a much wider review of corporate and non-resident land ownership in the province, but has welcomed the current smaller-scope review into Buddhist land holdings. Allen said a thorough investigation in this case "would provide a clear snapshot of where we need to bolster the LPA," which he hopes leads to more proactive enforcement of the land limits for all parties — not just the two groups named by the minister for the current review. Buddhist groups welcome chance to end 'speculation' Both GWBI and GEBIS have denied suggestions that they own more land than allowed by law, and say they welcome the investigation. "There's so many rumours going around. I'd much rather have everything out in [the] clear … just base everything on facts," said Sabrina Chiang with GWBI. "Speculation… it's not a healthy way to live and it's not good for the community." Provincial land records show that both organizations are well below the ownership limit of 3,000 acres for corporations. The records show GEBIS owns 30 parcels of land, totalling about 580 acres; GWBI owns 22 parcels totalling 663 acres. Charitable tax filings from the two corporations show they claimed a combined $161 million in assets in 2023, including $78 million worth of land and buildings. Both groups also say their land holdings should be counted separately, and not combined as part of the larger Taiwan-based Tibetan Buddhist movement called Bliss and Wisdom, with which both are associated. There's no way to know if IRAC will consider each corporation's holdings separately, or whether it might consider other corporations related to Bliss and Wisdom. A previous investigation conducted by IRAC that concluded in 2018 included GEBIS, GWBI and three other corporations: Moonlight International Foundation, Grain Essence Garden Inc.; and Splendid Essence Restaurant Inc. The results of that investigation have never been made public. Drilling down into publicly available information on any of those corporations can lead a person down a rabbit hole of corporations which seem to bear some commonalities — though that's not to say they would be deemed to be under the same control. New report on P.E.I. Buddhist organization land holdings will be made public, minister says 21 days ago Duration 7:55 Minister of Housing, Land and Communities Steven Myers has ordered IRAC to launch a new review into the land holdings owned and/or controlled by two Buddhist organizations in P.E.I. While the result of a previous investigation from 2018 was never released to the public, Myers says that won't be the case this time. For example, land titles owned by Moonlight International link back to the Charlottetown address of the Splendid Essence Restaurant, owned by Splendid Essence Restaurant Inc. In the P.E.I. government's corporate registry, Splendid Essence lists the same shareholders as Grain Essence Garden Inc. The corporate mailing address for Grain Essence Garden leads to the Leezen organic food store in Charlottetown, on land owned by Canada Prajna Wisdom Co. Ltd., a federally registered corporation. One of the directors listed by the federal government for that corporation owns a parcel of land in Cornwall that also comes up as the corporate address for yet another corporation: Moonlight Charities Inc. But even if all these were counted together, their land holdings would still fall below the limits set out in the Lands Protection Act, totalling 2,275 acres. Other land holdings that might also be considered as related to the Buddhist expansion into P.E.I. include 504 acres owned by Hopetown Development Company, which is linked to a proposed residential development, along with 499 acres held by the spiritual leader of Bliss and Wisdom, Master Zhen Ru, under her birth name Meng Rong Jin. All these land holdings taken together amount to 3,278 acres — still within the limits of the Lands Protection Act when exemptions for non-arable land are factored in, and well short of the 17,000 acres the Coalition for the Protection of P.E.I. Lands has suggested is controlled by Bliss and Wisdom. That 17,000-acre figure was included in a 2023 story published by the Toronto Globe and Mail, though that story made it clear the Globe had not confirmed the figure. GWBI and GEBIS have both asked the coalition for a list of land parcels it used to arrive at the figure. CBC News has also asked for that list, but the coalition has said it's not able to provide the information. "Numerous media outlets have attempted to investigate these claims, but none have been able to obtain any evidence to substantiate them," GEBIS said in a Feb. 6 statement. "The overly inflated figure has caused fear and division within our community." 3 months ago Duration 2:54 Buddhist monks and nuns who have set up monasteries in eastern P.E.I. have become worried about their safety, after recent online rhetoric has stirred up public backlash against their organizations and supporters owning more than 1,200 acres of land. CBC's Wayne Thibodeau reports. In announcing the new investigation, Myers said this: "What it comes down to — and this is the concern that you will hear around the area that we're standing [in] here now, in Three Rivers — is the link[s], and who is connected to who, and are all the connections together one entity and are they over their land holdings? "I think that's what this investigation is going to find out." Should individual land holdings be included? Questions have also been raised as to whether corporations falling under Bliss and Wisdom have been involved in land purchases made by individual monks, nuns, lay people or their family members. At a standing committee meeting in October 2020, Cory Deagle, then a backbench MLA and chair of the legislature's standing committee on natural resources, brought forward multiple internal emails he said were from GWBI. One email, relating to the potential purchase of a home, included a suggestion to "pretend that the lay people are buying first for better negotiation and then transfer to GWBI later before closing." Another email included a list of 12 residential properties, whether they were winterized, and what they might be used for. At the committee meeting, it was disclosed that some of the properties belonged to GWBI while others were owned by individuals. Another email posed a question: "The land holding of one monk exceeds 750 acres. Should he file a report with IRAC as prescribed in LPA right now?" Yet another email disclosed that a house purchase would include "five buyers to hold title to avoid IRAC application" — apparently in order to reduce the number of acres per buyer to five or less, below the threshold at which a non-resident must apply for and receive cabinet approval to purchase property in the province. CBC News has found other titles where land purchases were similarly able to go forward with multiple buyers, including two parcels of land in Valleyfield that in 2017 were sold to a group including 15 non-resident buyers, all from the same province in northern China. The next year, the combined 75 acres of land were sold to a single resident land owner. "We're not perfect and we made some mistakes but we never have the intention to lie or to avoid or to cheat," Yvonne Tsai, a nun with GWBI, said at the 2020 committee meeting. GWBI does not control, or we have no interference in the land or the personal activities of individual nuns. — Joanna Ho "In the first few years, maybe we were lacking of local knowledge and we were advised by some people [on] what things can be done locally, but later on, we realized maybe that's not the correct way to do it and we fixed it." Joanna Ho also attended that 2020 meeting on behalf of GWBI. In an interview with CBC News last week, she said that at the time of those emails, the organization was helping to bridge language and cultural barriers with individuals in purchasing or maintaining properties on the Island. She said that assistance has since stopped. "GWBI does not control, or we have no interference in the land or the personal activities of individual nuns," Ho said. Concerns about Irving land holdings too Concerns have also been raised about other corporations that could own more land than allowed under the Lands Protection Act. A CBC News investigation last fall found that 20 corporations with ties to the Irving family own more than 12,000 acres on Prince Edward Island. In the legislature last November, Myers said concerns about Irving-related land holdings had "been fabricated by the Green Party." In February, he provided a more nuanced response to the question of the Irvings, saying public pressure and threats against municipal council members in Three Rivers, where GWBI and GEBIS own land, made those groups' holdings a bigger priority. After that investigation, Myers said, "The door is open for us to investigate whatever entities we need to to satisfy the public that we've done everything we can do to protect the land in P.E.I." A key to addressing the public unrest that has surfaced at public meetings of Three Rivers council will be to make the findings of the new investigation public, which Myers has pledged to do. The minister and a legislative standing committee have both recently requested IRAC provide a copy of the report from its 2018 investigation, to no avail. In both cases, the commission responded with a letter saying it was in contact with legal counsel over the matter. When CBC News requested a copy of that report through freedom of information legislation, IRAC responded by saying it could neither confirm nor deny the existence of the report. If public disclosure surrounding land holdings and the application and approval process is lacking, Islanders will never know if enforcement is needed, or has been needed. Similarly, the 2020 report from an investigation into the Brendel Farms land transaction involving a member of the Irving family has also never been made public. P.E.I.'s privacy commissioner said in 2021 that the report could be released in response to a freedom of information request filed by CBC News — but that still hasn't happened, four years later. The last time IRAC posted a public order involving an investigation under the Lands Protection Act was in 2014. Green MLA Matt MacFarlane said the level of transparency with regard to the act has been reduced to the point "that decisions made within it will always have a cloud of suspicion hanging over them."
CBC
01-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Buddhist nuns' request to build dorm buildings moves on to Three Rivers council for approval
A request by a Buddhist organization to build two new dormitory buildings for nuns on their compound in eastern P.E.I. will move on to Three Rivers council for approval, despite continued opposition to the development from some area residents. A group of five nuns from GWBI, the Great Wisdom Buddhist Institute, attended the town planning board's meeting Thursday night to explain the project. The application comes at a time when the province has ordered the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission to investigate the land holdings of both GWBI and the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society (GEBIS), an organization of Buddhist monks living on the Island. Residents who spoke against the nuns' dormitory development at the meeting expressed concern over the fact that council could approve the expansion at a time when the IRAC investigation has not finished. "I would have thought that the municipality would have suggested to the applicant that perhaps now is not an appropriate time to hear the application for expansion," said Victoria Cross resident Janice MacBeath. "The timing and size of this application is, in my opinion, a bold move." MacBeath asked the planning board to either defer its vote until after the IRAC investigation is complete, or hold a public meeting at which residents could get an idea of the full scope of the Buddhist organizations' future plans. The significant land holdings of the two groups have been the topic of speculation and controversy for years. In recent months, it's led to accusations against members of Three Rivers council and even safety concerns for council members, who have maintained all along that issues of land ownership fall within provincial jurisdiction. We have not bought land in almost six years. — Venerable Heather Chang, GWBI The two dormitories that were the subject of the planning board application Thursday would be built on the nuns' 319-acre compound on Brudenell Point Road. The new buildings would provide about 88,000 square feet of living and instructional space, and accommodate about 280 people. Venerable Heather Chang, who spoke on behalf of GWBI at the meeting, said the dorm buildings are part of the master plan for the compound that was approved in 2018. Chang said the group welcomes both constructive criticism about its projects and the IRAC investigation into the land holdings. "Just for records, we have not bought land in almost six years. To date, GWBI owns roughly 670 acres of land," Chang said. P.E.I.'s Lands Protection Act limits land ownership in the province to 1,000 acres for individuals and 3,000 acres for corporations, with exceptions for additional non-arable land or land that is leased out to other people and companies. The law makes the provincial cabinet responsible for approving applications from corporations to buy land. Non-residents also require cabinet approval to buy more than five acres of land or property that includes more than 165 feet of shoreline. On paper, GEBIS (at 578 acres) and GWBI (at 663 acres) are each well below their land limits. Myers wants review of Buddhist land holdings in P.E.I. to include indirectly controlled parcels 16 days ago Duration 3:02 P.E.I.'s minister of housing, land and communities has ordered a new investigation to look at the land holdings of Buddhist organizations in the province. Steven Myers said he hopes this will address years of questions, speculation and innuendo. The announcement was welcome news to the municipality caught up in the middle of it all — and to the Buddhists themselves. CBC's Kerry Campbell reports. Three Rivers Coun. Anne Van Donkersgoed, the planning board's chair, said she had no problem recommending that the dormitories be approved. "Let's suppose that investigation finds that they have too much land. This parcel is 319 acres. If they had to divest something, it wouldn't be this land," she said.
CBC
12-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
P.E.I. government orders new investigation into Buddhist land holdings in the province
P.E.I.'s Minister of Land Steven Myers has ordered the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission to launch a new investigation looking at the land holdings of Buddhist organizations in the province. In a media release issued Wednesday, the province pointed to two specific groups — the Great Wisdom Buddhist Institute (GWBI) and the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society (GEBIS) — both with significant land holdings in Eastern P.E.I. Those land holdings have been the topic of speculation and controversy for years. In recent months that's led to accusations against members of Three Rivers Council and even safety concerns for council members, who have maintained all along that issues of land ownership fall within provincial jurisdiction. "Islanders have valid concerns about who owns land and how it is being used, especially since we are a small province with limited land," Myers was quoted as saying in the media release. "But it's important too that these discussions are based on evidence, not assumptions." Myers said he will release whatever report IRAC produces to the public. 2018 investigation not made public It would not be the first time IRAC has conducted such an investigation. A previous investigation concluded in 2018, but the results have never been released to the public. When CBC News filed a freedom of information request seeking that report, IRAC replied that it could neither confirm nor deny the report's existence. That request has been appealed and is now before the province's privacy commissioner. Last week the province's Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability filed a request with IRAC to provide a copy of that report by Thursday, Feb 13. The committee also agreed to ask Myers to order a new investigation. New land ownership investigation needed, say P.E.I. MLAs 5 days ago Duration 2:24 Both motions were put forward by Green MLA Matt MacFarlane. "I'm continuing to be concerned with respect to what we are seeing in the community down east with the lands of the monks and the community organizations affiliated with the monks," MacFarlane said at the time. Based on a letter from Myers obtained by CBC News it appears his request for an investigation was made two days before the committee voted to ask him to request one. Law limits land ownership P.E.I.'s Lands Protection Act is a unique law that limits land ownership in the province to 1,000 acres for individuals and 3,000 acres for corporations, with allowances for additional non-arable land or land that is leased out. The law makes cabinet responsible for approving applications from corporations to buy land. Non-residents also require cabinet approval to purchase more than five acres of land or property encompassing more than 165 feet of shoreline. On paper, GEBIS (at 578 acres) and GWBI (663 acres) are each well below their land limits. But the legislation also includes a stipulation that multiple corporations under the direct or indirect control of the same owner be considered as one corporation in determining their land holdings. Myers referenced that section of the Act in his letter directing IRAC to conduct a new investigation. It's unclear whether that provision would apply in this case — that's one of the things the minister wants IRAC to determine. That part of the law was strengthened in 2022 following a controversial land acquisition involving a member of the New Brunswick-based Irving family, where land was acquired without receiving cabinet approval. An IRAC investigation into that transaction was completed in 2020, but has also never been made public. Some claim the groups control between 15,000 and 17,000 acres of land in P.E.I. Those claims have not been substantiated, and both GEBIS and GWBI have publicly refuted the allegations. "No evidence has been presented to support the assertion that GEBIS controls 17,000 acres of land," that organization said in a statement released last week. "The overly inflated figure has caused fear and division within our community." There was no immediate response from a request for comment from both organizations regarding the new investigation. On Wednesday the P.E.I. government also announced amendments to the LPA would be tabled during the spring sitting of the legislature "to enhance oversight of land holdings for non-residents." The province also released its State of the Island report, which the King government has identified as the first step toward developing a comprehensive land use plan for P.E.I., something that has been talked about for decades.
