Jamie Ballem's future is hanging in the wind, literally.

Ballem believed the wind presented a tremendous opportunity for Prince Edward Island while he was minister of Environment in Pat Binns Progressive Conservative government. He holds the same beliefs today, now as a private citizen.

After losing his seat on May 28, 2007, to Liberal Robert Vessey, Ballem started his own company called Island Green Power. It operates out of his family homestead in Marshfield, near Charlottetown.

Ballem is now working with a German developer on a massive wind energy project for western P.E.I.

The $200-million project could see as many as 50 additional wind turbines located in that part of the province. Those wind turbines will generate 100 megawatts of electricity - more than three times the amount of electricity that's being produced at the provincial government's wind farm in eastern P.E.I.

The land has already been identified and now the project is going through an environmental assessment.

"I think there's a tremendous opportunity, I always did," Ballem said in an interview from Ottawa.

This week, The Guardian checked in with some of the high-profile players in P.E.I.'s political scene who were not elected last May to see what they are doing now.

Former premier Pat Binns is now the Canadian ambassador to Ireland. His chief of staff, Peter McQuaid, is operating the family-owned business, Souris Petro Canada.

Mitch Murphy, who was provincial treasurer in the previous administration, now writes policy for the Western School Board. His colleague, Philip Brown, former minister of Tourism, is now project manager with MacArthur Group Inc., a consulting firm based in Charlottetown.

Former Transportation and Public Works minister Gail Shea remains the only one of the defeated candidates that remains in the public eye. Shea is the Conservative candidate in Egmont.

Chester Gillan, who served in a host of portfolios under Pat Binns' Conservatives, is now a private consultant.

Gillan was minister of Health and Social Services when Islanders went to the polls last year.

"I've welcomed partial retirement," said Gillan. "It's nice to get out of the spotlight for a while."

Gillan is part of a national group exploring the scope of learning by Canadians. He's also working with a group of private training institutions, like CompuCollege, to examine the potential to have students transfer between these private training institutions and publicly funded colleges and universities, like UPEI.

Gillan said after 11 years in the public eye, it is an adjustment to go back to private life.

Still, Gillan said he doesn't miss the constant list of issues he faced.
That being said, he still misses public office.

"I miss working with the people, for sure. That would include the civil servants as well as my political colleagues," he said.

"It's not a letdown for me. I felt that three terms, as far as I was concerned . . . I was looking towards an end at some point. So it's a mixed blessing, I guess."

Peter McQuaid, the premier's chief of staff, said he's enjoying reconnecting with his family, the family business and more importantly, his community.
McQuaid was the man responsible for ensuring the Progressive Conservative's agenda was delivered. That meant many days and nights locked in his office on the fifth floor of the Shaw Building in Charlottetown.
McQuaid left a note on his old desk for the new chief of staff, Chris LeClair, saying he hoped LeClair would enjoy the office as much as he did.

"I wouldn't have traded the experience for the world," McQuaid said.
"It's an experience very few will ever get to have, so I wouldn't have trade it for anything."

Back at Island Green Power, Ballem said he realizes he could move some of his projects forward faster if he was still in government.

Still, Ballem said there are benefits to no longer being in public office.
"People ask me if I miss politics and most of the time the answer is no," said Ballem.

"I'm pretty happy with where I'm at right now."