Visit

Where is the legislature?

The Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island meets in the Chamber of the Hon. George Coles Building at 175 Richmond Street, Charlottetown. The permanent home of the Legislative Assembly, Province House, is next door; it's currently closed for a major restoration project.

When does the legislature meet?

The public is welcome to attend a sitting of the legislature, which usually happens twice a year: February-April and November-December. During a sitting the legislature meets to debate issues on the following days and times:

• Tuesdays: 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
• Wednesdays: 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
• Thursdays: 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
• Fridays: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The Parliamentary Calendar provides an outline of when the legislature meets every year, though the length of each sitting depends on how much business the government has to complete. The Parliamentary Calendar covers a whole year from January to December and is issued each year in the fall.

How do I watch the legislature in person?

Visitors may watch proceedings from the public galleries inside the Chamber. To take a seat in the public gallery, all visitors must be screened by security.

The public entrance is through the lower level door of the Hon. George Coles Building, accessible by a ramp from Church Street. Once through security, visitors are directed to take the stairs or the elevator to the main level, where the Chamber is located. Visitors can take a seat in the Chamber once the Speaker calls for the doors to be opened, and visitors can enter or leave at any time during the proceedings.

What rules do visitors in the public gallery have to follow?

Visitors to the public gallery are subject to the following rules:

• no bags, packages, backpacks, food or drink are allowed in the Chamber
• no hats, hoods or offensive clothing are to be worn
• cellphones must be turned off and remain out of sight
• no speaking, clapping or noise making is permitted
• no recordings or photographs are to be taken

Please be aware that if you are sitting in the public gallery you may appear on the live stream broadcast on the Legislative Assembly’s website and social media platforms. Live-stream video broadcasts also remain publicly accessible in our video archive.

When does Question Period happen?

Questions by Members, also known as Question Period, usually begins within 20 minutes of the start of the day's meeting, but this varies according to how long the previous items of business take.

Question Period lasts about 40 minutes and is a chance for private Members to ask questions of cabinet members about government policy, programs, and spending.

Do I have to go in person to watch the debates?

Debates are live-streamed here on our website through the "Watch Live" link, which appears as a yellow bar when the legislature or a standing committee are meeting and the live stream is active. The live stream is also available on our Facebook  page and YouTube channel.

If there is a past meeting of the legislature or a standing committee you'd like to watch, videos of live streams are archived on all three sites, and transcripts are available in searchable collections on the Legislative Assembly site: Hansard covers the debates, and Committee Documents covers standing committee meetings.

How can I find out more about the daily sitting?

Learn more about meetings of the legislature:

• Speaker's Procession
• Symbols
• Daily business agenda

Reach out to us with questions!

Can I visit the Chamber if the legislature isn't meeting?

When the Assembly is not in session the public is welcome to visit the Chamber in the Hon. George Coles Building during business hours, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday-Friday.

Outside of the dates the legislature meets, Legislative Assembly staff may be available to meet visitors at the Chamber and provide an overview of the history, function and role of the Assembly. This must be booked in advance through the Office of the Clerk, and is subject to staff availability and other events  scheduled in the Chamber.