Latest news with #BordenCarleton
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Islanders from east to west 'thrilled' about Confederation Bridge toll, ferry rate reductions
Friday marked the first day that Confederation Bridge tolls and ferry fares were reduced on Prince Edward Island, and local businesses are already feeling the excitement. Prime Minister Mark Carney visited the Island on Monday to announce that the bridge toll would go down to $20 from $50.25, and that rates to use the ferry would be cut by 50 per cent starting Aug. 1. Jared Murphy, CEO and co-owner of Lone Oak Brewing Company, said the change will help small businesses in the province. "$30 is $30.... If it's in somebody's pocket and they're looking to spend it, I really do think they'll spend more money in P.E.I. and it will help small business because of that," he said. "I think this will entice people to visit P.E.I. more often. Certainly coming from the mainland over here and making a day trip out of it, it's going to be more affordable for people to do that." Lone Oak operates multiple locations on the Island, including at the foot of the Confederation Bridge in Borden-Carleton. Murphy said the toll reduction will also allow him to sell more of his products off-Island. "We're getting our product over onto the mainland more and more now, and this is going to certainly make it more affordable." Cora Lee Dunbar, chief administrative officer for Borden-Carleton, said she noticed more traffic headed to the bridge on her way into work Friday. WATCH | Travellers and Islanders take advantage of reduced Confederation Bridge fee: Dunbar said having the bridge toll at $20 will help P.E.I. compete with other provinces as a tourism destination. "It's great news for the economy. It's great news for our town," she said. "I'm thrilled that they've decided to reduce the fee. It's something that's been we've been waiting for for a long time and we're going to see definitely an increase in traffic flow." There are seven years left in Ottawa's contract with the bridge's operator, Strait Crossing Bridge Limited. The federal government said it would revisit the toll cost when that deal expires. Excitement in the east In Wood Islands, on P.E.I.'s southeast coast, there were long lines of vehciles waiting to take the ferry across the Northumberland Strait to Nova Scotia on Friday. Treena MacLeod, owner of Treena's Takeout near the ferry terminal, said the fare reductions will be good for eastern P.E.I. WATCH | Spirits high in P.E.I. as ferry rates drop by half: "I think it will make a big difference" she said. "People who probably would have never have taken [the ferry might] make a day trip or a little weekend." The ferry service between Wood Islands and Caribou, N.S., has faced its share of struggles ever since the MV Holiday Island caught fire in 2022 and had to be scrapped. Reliability issues and frequent cancellations have plagued the service ever since. While MacLeod said the reduced fees may not make up for those past service issues, the lower cost should drive more people into the area. "We could use some good news," she said. "It will definitely increase traffic, and it's something positive that we all could use." Much like with the Confederation Bridge tolls, the fares for the Northumberland ferry route won't change for at least the next four years when the contract with the vessels' operator, Northumberland Ferries Limited, is up.
CBC
01-08-2025
- Business
- CBC
Travellers and Islanders take advantage of reduced Confederation Bridge fee
Friday was a busy day in Borden-Carleton, P.E.I. The toll to cross the Confederation Bridge is now down to $20, and it's a long weekend for some. Both the municipality and business owners hope it all means more people spending time and money in the area. CBC's Tony Davis reports.
CBC
04-06-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
P.E.I. drivers warned to be careful as work begins to replace Albany Y overpass
Social Sharing Work is underway to upgrade an overpass at one of the main highway interchanges on the way into and out of Prince Edward Island, so drivers will see a temporary redesign over the next several months. The so-called Albany Y intersection is where the Trans-Canada Highway intersects with Route 1A. Drivers coming off the Confederation Bridge in Borden-Carleton have the option to either take the overpass that leads them east toward Charlottetown, or veer right onto a ramp that takes them out under the highway and onto the 1A west toward Summerside. The overpass was built in the 1960s and needs to be replaced. At the same time that's happening, P.E.I.'s Transportation Department will shift it slightly further west, toward Middleton, to smooth out the tight curve that drivers headed east currently have to navigate. WATCH | Temporary roundabout coming to key intersection near Borden-Carleton for at least 6 months: Temporary roundabout coming to key intersection near Borden-Carleton for at least 6 months 2 hours ago Duration 1:35 Work has begun to replace the overpass at the intersection near Borden-Carleton known as the Albany Y. The P.E.I. government says traffic will be diverted in the meantime to a temporary roundabout. CBC's Nicola MacLeod explains. "We're going to change that to meet current highway design criteria," said Neil Lawless, the province's bridge engineer. "It's more the bend on the Borden-Carleton side of the site, which is… too tight of a curve, we'll say." Starting this week, all traffic going through the Albany area will be directed through a temporary roundabout with marked exits for each destination. The usual off-ramps that were always one-way exits will now see traffic flowing in both directions. Lawless said the temporary roundabout route will be in place until about the end of November, when the new overpass is expected to be open. Until then, the province wants drivers to pay attention and slow down at the construction site, though Lawless said the detours will be well-marked, with signage and lower speed limits. Lawless said the province's plan should be able to handle high volumes of traffic in the area, even during the popular Cavendish Beach Music Festival and Sommo Fest. "With all the diversions that we're going to do… with the temporary roundabout, the department's confident that converting both ramps to two-way traffic will certainly accommodate the traffic," he said. "During the Cavendish concerts, first in July and then in September, the department will be cognizant of the volume of traffic coming off the Confederation Bridge and then going back on after the concerts, so we'll work with our contractor to minimize the disruption."
CTV News
27-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
P.E.I. premier asks federal government for timeline on bridge & ferry toll reductions
Traffic travels on the Confederation Bridge across the Abegweit Passage of the Northumberland Strait in Borden-Carleton, P.E.I., Friday, May 3, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese FREDERICTON — The premier of Prince Edward Island is asking Ottawa for an update on the federal plan to reduce tolls on the Confederation Bridge and fares charged by Northumberland Ferries. In a recent letter to federal Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland, Premier Rob Lantz says the fees are trade barriers that boost the cost of living and reduce the competitiveness of Island businesses. He says they also hinder off-Island access to essential services like health care and education. Lantz says his government has done its part to remove interprovincial trade barriers by passing the Interprovincial Trade and Mobility Act. During the recent federal election campaign, the Liberals led by Mark Carney promised to lower the bridge tolls by more than half, and to reduce the cost of certain ferry routes by at least half. A statement from Freeland's office did not say when the federal government would reduce the tolls and fares. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2025.
CBC
16-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Proposed 4th gas station for Borden-Carleton will now await IRAC decision
Social Sharing The future of a controversial development near the Confederation Bridge in Borden-Carleton, P.E.I., is now in the hands of the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission. Three days of hearings wrapped up Thursday in Charlottetown. Danny Murphy, president of D.P. Murphy Group of Companies, wants to build a 24-hour Irving gas station, Tim Hortons, convenience store and two 3,000-square-foot retail spaces in the town. The company needs IRAC's approval for a license to sell gas. It doesn't need approval to build the development itself. Chad Ceretti, owner of Ceretti's Grocery and Hardware, said he's relieved the hearings are over. He's fighting the planned development, which would be built next door to his business. "It's been a long couple of days, there's a weight that's been lifted, you know all the build up to it. It's been lifted, for now, until a decision is made," Ceretti told CBC News after the hearings wrapped up. "We have a tremendous amount of support, nobody wants to see the little guy go by the wayside. It's part of P.E.I.'s charm and they're with us. They tell us they're behind us." In a statement to CBC News, D.P. Murphy says the company maintains its "excitement regarding the proposed development in Borden-Carleton and is hopeful that the commission grants [it] the ability to serve the evolving needs of the community, Island and our valued tourists." WATCH | Fate of proposed Borden-Carleton gas station now in IRAC's hands as hearings wrap up: Fate of proposed Borden-Carleton gas station now in IRAC's hands as hearings wrap up 4 hours ago Duration 1:25 The future of D.P. Murphy's controversial development near the Confederation Bridge is now up to the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission after three days of hearings wrapped up this week. The 24-hour Irving gas station, Tim Hortons, convenience store and retail space would be built next to a store owned by Chad Ceretti, who's fighting the plans. CBC's Wayne Thibodeau reports. During the hearing, the three IRAC commissioners – Kerri Carpenter, Terry McKenna and Gordon MacFarlane – heard about the potential impact the development would have on Ceretti's. A report prepared for Ceretti's said the D.P. Murphy project would cost the family-owned business thousands of dollars, resulting in its "imminent closure." Chad Howatt of Howatt's Shell was an intervener in the case, but did not make a formal presentation during the hearing. Officials with D.P. Murphy argued its development would be providing a new service to the town, which is the gateway to the province. The company said its development would have lots of parking for cars, big trucks and RVs; bright, modern bathrooms; EV charging stations; and a place where motorists can stop 24 hours a day. 'The quicker the better' The Petroleum Products Act, which will guide IRAC in its decision, states that when issuing a gas station license, the commission should consider "demand for the proposed service, the location of the outlet, traffic flows and the applicant's record of performance." If either side is not happy with IRAC's ruling, they could appeal it to the P.E.I. Supreme Court. WATCH | Owner of Borden-Carleton store 'terrified' over prospect of 4th gas station in the town: Owner of Borden-Carleton store 'terrified' over prospect of 4th gas station in the town 1 day ago Duration 2:26 Hearings continued for a second day on a controversial development near P.E.I.'s Confederation Bridge where D.P. Murphy wants to build a 24-hour Irving gas station and Tim Hortons. Wednesday, IRAC commissioners heard what impact that development may have on another gas station in the community. CBC's Wayne Thibodeau has more. Ceretti said he doesn't know whether he would appeal the decision if it doesn't go his way, adding, "I'm not there yet." IRAC's decision could still be weeks away. "It's not going to be an overnight decision," Ceretti said. "Of course we would prefer that, but that's not the case. You know, the quicker the better."
