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CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Canada slashes Confederation Bridge toll to $20 starting Friday
Prime Minister Mark Carney is seen next to the Confederation Bridge in this image collage. (Image sources: The Canadian Press) The federal government is cutting tolls on the Confederation Bridge – the only road connection between Prince Edward Island and the rest of Canada – from just over $50 to $20 beginning this Friday, Aug. 1. Fares on ferry routes between the province and Nova Scotia are also set to drop by 50 per cent. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the changes Monday morning during a visit to Albany, P.E.I. It's a major shift for Islanders, businesses, and tourists who rely on the crossing to travel on and off the Island. 'By cutting tolls on the Confederation Bridge and ferries in Atlantic Canada, Canadians and businesses will save millions of dollars,' said Carney. 'That means more travel and trade between provinces, a stronger, more united economy, and more prosperity and opportunity for Canadians.' The long-anticipated changes are in line with campaign commitments Carney made earlier this year to make transportation more affordable across Atlantic Canada in the face of a trade war with the U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on Canadian goods are expected to increase from 25 to 35 per cent on Friday. P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz has called the Confederation Bridge tolls a trade barrier. Nearly one million vehicles cross it every year. Business leaders say every truckload of supplies drives up the cost of operating on the island. The province's potato industry is one of the hardest hit with up to $7 million in toll-related costs. For Islanders who travel frequently for medical treatment, especially in New Brunswick, the cuts could save hundreds of dollars a year. Currently, the toll for a standard two-axle vehicle to cross the Confederation Bridge is $50.25. It's even higher for trucks or bigger vehicles. While the toll reduction is expected to be popular, critics have raised concerns about whether it will simply shift the financial burden onto taxpayers. The Confederation Bridge stretches 12.9 kilometres and is billed as Canada's longest bridge over ice-covered waters. It's a federally owned asset, built at a cost of $1 billion and opened in 1997. In July, frustration was growing over the lack of a firm timeline to deliver on the promised toll cuts. Egmont MP Robert Morrissey, who served in the provincial government that oversaw the bridge's development, said negotiations between the federal government and the bridge's operator Strait Crossing Bridge Limited would be required.
CTV News
03-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
‘I'll believe it when I see it': Islanders frustrated over wait to lower Confederation Bridge tolls
Frustration is growing over a lack of a firm timeline for when the federal government will drop tolls at the Confederation Bridge. Maria Sarrouh has more. Frustration is growing over a lack of a firm timeline for when the federal government will drop tolls at the Confederation Bridge. Maria Sarrouh has more. People on Prince Edward Island are eager to see the federal election campaign promise to lower tolls at the Confederation Bridge fulfilled. Every time a vehicle crosses from P.E.I. to New Brunswick, the driver pays $50 and some change, despite a campaign promise from Prime Minister Mark Carney to cut the toll to $20. But with no firm timeline to change the cost , frustration is growing. 'I'll believe it when I see it,' one man told CTV News. 'Not gonna happen, that was just an election promise, in my opinion,' said another. For some tourists, the toll is a small price to pay to see P.E.I. 'I think, to be honest, it's fair enough,' said one woman. 'It's beautiful over here, we're staying on a little farm, it's so nice,' said another. Trailers and commercial trucks pay a higher toll, and it adds up for big businesses on the island and across the East Coast. 'There's probably 40-to-50 trucks a day for the same company going back and forth; it's a lot,' said one truck driver. Nearly one million vehicles cross the Confederation Bridge every year and business leaders say every truckload of supplies drives up the cost of operating on the island. The province's potato industry is one of the hardest hit, with up to $7 million in toll-related costs. Small and medium-sized businesses could be more competitive if the tolls are cut, according to the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce. 'I think it is really needed at this point. You know, get people looking out there and starting to choose the Atlantic option opposed to the Amazon option,' said Mitch Martin, the chamber's executive director. CTV News reached out to the prime minister's office for comment on his commitment to cutting P.E.I. bridge tolls and ferry prices but didn't get a response by deadline. P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz has called the issue a trade barrier and local politicians pushed for the drop to be done by Canada Day. Egmont MP Robert Morrissey was one of them. 'I have every confidence that the prime minister will deliver on the commitment that he made on behalf of us, and I'm in contact with his office on a regular basis. In fact, I spoke to them yesterday,' he said. Morrissey adds the bridge is federally-owned, but operated by a private group, so lowering the toll means negotiations. He hopes for movement by the end of the summer. For more P.E.I. news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
