Here's a look back at ten of the big stories in Island news this year.

Abortion services announced for P.E.I.

After decades of debate around abortion on the Island, 2016 was the year the P.E.I. government announced that surgical abortions would be performed on the Island after almost 35 years.

The move came after abortion rights activists gave the government notice they would be filing a lawsuit to force the province to provide full and unrestricted access to publicly funded abortion services on the Island.

Premier Wade MacLauchlan said his government felt it likely wouldn't have been able to defend itself against that suit.

The new Women's Wellness Centre — which, in addition to abortions, will also provide a number of other services to women — will be part of the Prince County Hospital in Summerside, P.E.I.

Anti-abortion protesters demonstrated outside the Prince County Hospital in Summerside in December to protest abortion services that will be offered there. (Sarah MacMillan/CBC)

Electoral reform

This is a story that will continue into 2017 — and perhaps beyond — the issue of electoral reform.

In the fall, the P.E.I. government launched a non-binding plebiscite, asking Islanders to indicate which of five electoral systems they would prefer.

Islanders were asked to weigh in on which voting system they prefer in a provincial plebiscite on electoral reform. Whether the electoral system changes on P.E.I. will be a story for a different year. (Stephanie Brown/CBC)

The final vote was 52.4 per cent in favour of mixed member proportional representation (MMP) and 42.8 per cent in favour of first past the post.

But, the voting system won't change quite yet, as MacLauchlan called the results "debatable," due to the low turnout. Just 36.5 per cent of Islanders cast ballots.

MacLauchlan tabled a motion in the fall sitting of legislature to have a referendum on electoral reform tied to a general election. That motion has yet to go to a vote.

Province-wide school evacuation

Just a few weeks into the school year, all schools in P.E.I. were put under an evacuation order after RCMP received a bomb threat via fax in Ottawa.

School buses pull away from Spring Park School in Charlottetown following an order to evacuate all P.E.I. schools on Sept. 21. (CBC)

Similar threats led to evacuations at the Nova Scotia Community College that day as well.

The threat was later deemed to be not credible, and prompted the P.E.I. Public Schools Branch to review its emergency procedures.

Police haven't made any arrests or laid any charges in connection to the threat.

"The bomb threat made towards the schools in P.E.I. is believed to have originated in the United States," said Staff Sgt. Kevin Baillie of P.E.I. RCMP in an e-mail to CBC News.

"The matter is still under investigation, and the RCMP is working with law enforcement counterparts in the U.S."

The Cornwall bypass

As you drive from Cornwall, P.E.I., to Charlottetown along the Trans-Canada Highway, there are now two new roundabouts. It's an early part of the construction for the Cornwall Perimeter Highway.

In 2016, the province announced the project, and the route. Construction on the new highway is set to begin next year.

"Extremely limited access options on the existing Trans-Canada Highway have restricted development in the town for many years" said Cornwall Mayor Minerva McCourt in June, citing a 2003 plebiscite that found 80 per cent of the town's residents supported the project.

However, some residents raised their concerns at public information sessions, and in the media.

Ellen Jones' land and home, where she also runs a riding stable, will be expropriated to make way for the Cornwall bypass. (Brian Higgins/CBC)

Hillsborough Hospital suicides

The inquest into Sherry Jean Ball's death as a patient at Hillsborough Hospital, held in February and March of 2016, led to a number of recommendations to prevent future deaths.

After the inquest wrapped up, CBC News learned of another suicide at Hillsborough Hospital in 2010 — three years prior to Ball's death. No inquest had been held.

Sophia Ball wonders if her mother's suicide at Hillsborough Hospital in 2013 could have been prevented. (Al MacCormick/CBC)

Ball's daughter Sophia later spoke out, asking if an opportunity had been missed to make changes that could have saved her mother's life.

After CBC's interview with Ball aired, the government announced it would hold an inquest into that 2010 suicide.

Syrian refugees arrive

An international story became local as many Syrians fled their home country as refugees — with 235 refugees coming to P.E.I. from Syria to make a new life for themselves on the Island in 2016, and 252 having arrived in total.

Throughout the year, we reported on a number of the newcomers, and how they are settling into life in P.E.I. — from volunteering at the Farm Centre Legacy Garden in Charlottetown, to how students are adjusting to life at school, how they're teaching Islanders about the life they left, and their search for work in a new county and new language.

Just as the war in Syria hasn't found a resolution, this story continues, as new refugees continue to arrive on P.E.I.

In 2017 many will mark one year of living in Canada, which means they will no longer receive a monthly stipend from the federal government, and will have to find new ways of supporting themselves on the Island.

Fayyad Abdulhi used to do a lot of gardening back in his war-ravaged town in Syria. Now he's volunteering at the Legacy garden in Charlottetown. (CBC)

Monks release lobster

Another story about the changing demographics of P.E.I. this year involved a group of Buddhist monks who live on P.E.I. along with one of the Island's main industries.

Monks from the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society in Little Sands, P.E.I., purchased 600 live lobsters, and released them back into the ocean.

"This whole purpose for us is to cultivate this compassion toward others. It doesn't have to be lobsters, it can be worms, flies, any animals, drive slower so we don't run over little critters on the street," said Venerable Dan, one of the monks.

He said they received support from locals, including from the fishermen.

"Fishermen actually found us a better place to release lobster so they won't be captured again," he said.

School reform

2016 paved the way for a major review of P.E.I.'s public schools.

Some schools have utilization rates below 65 per cent — with others well over capacity.

Birchwood School uses just 41% of its capacity and, if left unchecked, will remain virtually unchanged, as Charlottetown's downtown population gets older. (Brian Higgins/CBC)

This year the Public Schools Branch held a series of meetings with parents — the beginning of an extensive consultation process.

School reconfigurations, rezoning and school closures are all possible outcomes of the review — which are expected to roll out September 2017.

Amish arrive on P.E.I.

Another set of newcomers arrived on P.E.I. in 2016 — Amish people from Ontario.

Two different groups moved to Summerville, P.E.I., near Montague, and to the Dundas area, lured by affordable farm land.

"The Amish people and the Islanders are not a lot different," said Tony Wallbank, who has worked with the Amish for years in southern Ontario, and helped them with the move.

Amish people began to settle on P.E.I. in early 2016. (Janet Sanderson)

"Here on the Island, there are still lots of older folks that remember the good old days of farming, and relate to the Amish coming here."

GM salmon approved

After years of review, the first genetically modified food animal was approved for sale in Canada — salmon, with an Island connection.

AquAdvantage Salmon grow twice as fast as conventionally farmed Atlantic salmon.

The fish was developed by AquaBounty Technologies, a Massachusetts-based company, with a plant in P.E.I. The company also plans to expand on the Island.

AquaBounty's modifications allow the fish to grow twice as fast as conventional salmon. (AquaBounty)

A final round of thorough and rigorous Canadian scientific reviews found that AquAdvantage Salmon is as safe and nutritious as conventional salmon, according to technical briefing documents provided by Health Canada. The fish was also approved by the FDA in the U.S. last year.

The decision is not without controversy — the FDA's decision is being challenged by environmental, consumer, and commercial and recreational fishing organizations.

In Canada, environmental groups also challenged the decision. That challenge has been rejected twice — once in 2015 by the Federal Court and once in Oct. 2016 by the Federal Court of Appeal.