Buddhist monastery will take 10 to 15 years to complete

Now that a Buddhist monastery in Brudenell, P.E.I.has been approved by the provincial government, construction will begin soon.

The entire project will take 10 to 15 years to complete, according to project manager Rob LeBlanc, but the first phase will be rolled out over the next year.

LeBlanc, president of Dartmouth architecture firm Ekistics, says the Great Wisdom Buddhist Institute will have three or four phases in total.

"It is a quite large project by any standard."

Will straddle Brudenell Road

The monastery still needs approval from Brudenell, as well as the fire marshal's office,and its wastewater system will have to get the green light from the province.

The grounds will span more than 120 hectares in totalon the north and south sides of Brudenell Road,with campuses on both sides.

It will eventually have space for 1,400 nuns, with teaching facilities, lecture halls, worship areas and recreation facilities. It will also have gardens, a greenhouse and both private and public walking trails.

'Dedicated zone'

Brudenell is working on updating its municipal planning strategy and zoning bylaws, LeBlanc said.

"My understanding is they're getting close to finalizing that. We need to create a dedicated zone for this type of use."

By next year, the project should be in the design phase for the north campus, and that's where approval from the fire marshalwould come in, LeBlanc said.

'Wonderful tourism draw'

That phase will include a parking lot, gardens, shelterbelt enlargement, a community trail network and a tree nursery, he said.

"There'll be a lot of activity in the next year or so."

The space will be open to the public most of the time and LeBlanc anticipates it will draw visitors tothe area.

"I think it will be a wonderful tourism draw for the east end of the Island."

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