'What took so long?' P.E.I. senator says Ottawa's bridge toll cut came a decade too late

Prime Minster Mark Carney's decision to cut tolls on the Confederation Bridge satisfied a Prince Edward Island senator's long-standing quest for equality — but it didn't come without a question. 

"What took so long?" said Percy Downe during an interview with CBC's Island Morning. 

Downe, who served as chief of staff to former prime minister Jean Chrétien before his appointment to the Senate in 2003, had long called the bridge tolls unfair to Islanders. 

His complaints began about a decade ago, when the previous Liberal government announced it was fully funding and removing tolls on Montreal's Champlain Bridge. Both that bridge and Confederation are assets owned by the federal government. 

"That was grossly unfair. It was unfair to Islanders," Downe said. "It was a problem that should have been addressed by prime minister [Justin] Trudeau. It was never addressed. I'm thankful Prime Minister Carney fixed the problem." 

Carney's announcement Monday saw the price of tolls on the Confederation Bridge, which connects P.E.I. with New Brunswick, fall to $20 from $50.25.

Prices for transport trucks fell to a flat rate of $20. And there was no change in the cost to cyclists, pedestrians, shuttles or motorcycles.

Those changes kicked in Friday. 

Island Morning9:02Ottawa follows through on promise to slash Confederation Bridge tolls

Ottawa has made good on its promise to reduce Confederation Bridge and ferry fees. But P.E.I. Senator Percy Downe says it’s long overdue. He’ll tell us why he says Islander have paid millions of dollars in unnecessary tolls over the last decade. 

Downe said he's OK with the $20 toll, saying that money can go toward the bridge's maintenance. 

But it took a decade for Ottawa to right a wrong, he said, and Islanders paid the price during that time.  

"In those 10 years... Islanders spent hundreds of millions of dollars in tolls," he said. 

More than 990,000 vehicles crossed the Confederation Bridge in 2024, many of them paying at least $50.25 to pass. 

Also in Carney's announcement, news that fares for passengers, cars and commercial traffic on ferry services in Eastern Canada that are federally supported would go down by 50 per cent.

The ferry service between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland also got a boost from Ottawa. Ticket prices were cut in half, though rates for commercial freight did not see a decrease. 

To make it all happen, it's estimated government will spend about $100 million of public money annually to offset the reduction of the bridge toll and ferry fares.

An economic and social boost

Despite the spending, the prime minister said the move will pump millions back into the Canadian economy.

"If we are going to build a stronger, more united economy, and we are doing that, we are going to need to make it more affordable to travel around this country, for people and for businesses," Carney said during the announcement. 

That need is something Downe has seen first-hand

"Just prior to the pandemic, I heard from an agricultural producer who spent $66,000 in bridge tolls that year — money that his competitor in Cap-Pelé, N.B., did not have to spend," Downe said. 

WATCH | Islanders and tourists excited about reduced price to leave P.E.I.:

Islanders and tourists excited about reduced price to leave P.E.I.

6 days ago

Duration 1:52

Starting Aug. 1, Islanders and visitors will save some money when they leave Prince Edward Island. The toll for the Confederation Bridge is being reduced to $20, while the cost to take ferries is being cut by half. CBC’s Tony Davis spoke with people in Charlottetown about what it means for their travel plans. 

In seven years, full ownership of the bridge will transfer back to the federal government from it's current operator, Strait Crossing Bridge Ltd. 

Downe said he is "not worried at all" about whether tolls will remain low after that deadline. 

But advocacy for equitable, reliable travel can't end, he said, especially as the ferry service between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia continues to face delays and disruptions this season. 

"It has to be addressed," he said. "I won't be in the Sentate for another 10 years."