Latest news with #LoneOakBrewing
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
16-05-2025
- CBC
Brewery hopes for changes to P.E.I.'s liquor rules after being fined
Lone Oak Brewing Company was fined for having minors in the restaurant during a recent trivia night. Officials with the province say people under legal drinking age are allowed in bars if they are eating and are with someone over the age of 19. Now, the owners of the brewery would like to see the province's liquor laws updated. CBC's Tony Davis has more.
CBC
15-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
P.E.I. considers updating 'outdated' liquor laws to let minors stay during entertainment
Prince Edward Island's finance minister says it's time to modernize the province's liquor laws. At the P.E.I. legislature on Wednesday, a question came up about the rules around families with young children being present in restaurants that serve liquor when live entertainment begins. "A local brewery was fined and a waitress lost her liquor serving privileges because the entertainment commenced before the family with a minor finished their meal," Liberal MLA Robert Henderson said to Finance Minister Jill Burridge. "Minister, do you think that is fair, and will you change the regulations so that they're the same [as] in every other province, as we're supposed to be doing with our internal trade mechanisms?" Burridge responded: "We are working through modernization of our Liquor Control Act, so that is something we can absolutely take back and bring into consideration when we're going through that review." Local brewery calls for change Though not mentioned by name in the legislature, the restaurant Henderson was describing was Lone Oak Brewing Co., with multiple locations across P.E.I. "There's what we would refer to as an outdated policy within the Liquor Control Commission that changes our licence as an operating restaurant whenever we have live music or trivia," Lone Oak co-owner Jared Murphy told CBC News. "And what happens is that minors are no longer allowed to be present while those events are taking place." Murphy believes these policies were established long ago, when the assumption was that live entertainment and trivia were linked to drinking. "We believe as operators that times have changed. A lot of local breweries now are supporting local artists. They're having live music during brunch. They're having live music in the evening as sort of background music, or, as you know, for our audience to listen to… And the same thing with trivia," he said. "This policy… it's created a bit of friction with consumers, because they don't quite understand why a family can't come in with their children to dine if our kitchen is open, and they're accompanied by a guardian." He added that the brewery had been fined a couple of times for having a minor present during live music or trivia events, resulting in one of their servers having their liquor serving licence revoked. "So not only were we fined for the situation, but our server had to retake their Safe Serve licence in order to be able to work again," he said. Murphy also pointed out that the policy applies all day, even if a live artist is performing during brunch, say at 11 a.m. In that case, a minor is technically not allowed in the establishment. "A change to this policy would be best for the operators, and I believe it would be best for the liquor commission as well, so they don't have to again, enforce something that just — again, doesn't make sense," he said.
CBC
10-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
A P.E.I. brewery has joined a cross-country beer collaboration for a good cause
The Lone Oak Brewing Company is one of about 40 brewers that have joined a national campaign to brew a beer made completely of Canadian ingredients. A portion of the proceeds from the beer are being donated to the Easter Seals charity, says co-founder Spencer Gallant (shown). The P.E.I. Brewing Company is also taking part. CBC's Aaron Adetuyi put together this story.
