PCs promise to fill 'gaps in fertility services'

The P.E.I. Progressive Conservative Party is promising to recruit a fertility specialist to work in the provinceand provide better support to couples having trouble conceiving a child.

The Island lost its fertility specialist in 2014 and party leader Dennis King saidit was important to reinstate that service.

"What I hear on door stepsis you know, this is such an emotional journey for families and it's an incredible expense," he said.

"I mean, individuals have gone as far as California to seek assistance to either start a family or add to their family."

He said the Tories would also like to have a fund in place to assist parents who have to travel off-Island for IVF treatment.

"I would like to try to make that journey just a little bit more affordable."

He said if the PCs form government, $750,000 would be committed initially and the party would "see what the uptake will be on that and see the whole process evolve over time."

Community-based projects

Also Wednesday, the PCs said they would set up a new $1 million fund that Island non-profit groups could access to support community-based projects and programming.

The funding would be peer reviewed, competitively awarded and allocated proportionally among qualified groups in all three counties, the party said. Eligible projects would focus on community-based programming that advances the social, cultural and ecological well-being of P.E.I.

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