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QUESTION PERIOD — Infrastructure

Confederation Bridge and Bridge Tolls

December 13, 2023


Senator Gold, when Prince Edward Island joined Confederation, Canada made a commitment for continuous transportation. Over the years, that has evolved from seasonal ferries and iceboats in the winters to year-round ferries and now the joy of the Confederation Bridge, which we very much appreciate. It was a wonderful public-private initiative. However, the cost has become a problem. It costs over $50 for a round trip. It became a larger problem when the government changed the long-time user-pay infrastructure policy that required tolls on federally owned bridges when the Champlain Bridge was constructed. Can you update us — I asked you last week, and you were going to check — on whether the government is going to continue the initiative they enacted last year, which was a hold on the cost-of-living increase for the existing tolls?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) [ - ]

Thank you for your follow-up question. You are a persistent fellow, if I may quote you in a different context. But, unfortunately, no, I don’t have any further information, though I did make inquiries, Senator Downe. I hope any announcements in that regard will be forthcoming as soon as possible.

In the spirit of the season, I’ll try to be persistent without being aggressive, so let me word the follow-up question this way: Within the last year, the Minister of Transportation wrote to the Government of Prince Edward Island, indicating they would like to set up a joint committee between the federal government and the provincial government on how they can look toward the final solution of eliminating tolls. Can you give us an update on whether that committee has been set up? If it hasn’t, can you find out when it’s going to become active?

Senator Gold [ - ]

I don’t have an update on that. Thank you for the question. I’ll certainly make inquiries.

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