P.E.I. Senator Percy Downe continues his fight against the tolls on Confederation Bridge.
Downe has written a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well as to the other major parties in the House of Commons, requesting they fix a problem Trudeau created.
That’s a reference to the decision the Canadian government made in 2015, to give Quebec a toll-free Champlain Bridge, but to continue to charge $47.75 to the people of P.E.I. — who have the lowest weekly wage in Canada — to cross the 13-kilometre marine span.
“It is unfair, fosters disunity in Canada and is financially reckless,’’ Downe said in his letter. “Given that both bridges are owned by the Government of Canada, the conclusion drawn by many Prince Edward Islanders is that you have favoured one part of the country by eliminating the toll on one bridge but not the other, and they wonder why Canadians are being treated differently on where they live.’’
The Confederation Bridge is owned by the federal government, which contracts operations out to Strait Crossing Inc. until 2032 when operations transfer to the federal government.
Trudeau did commit at a town hall meeting in January 2017 to “look at what can be done to make sure that people are able to travel freely, travel efficiently and openly across this country at modest costs.’’
No action has been taken in the intervening two years to fix the P.E.I. bridge toll, Downe said. In fact, the toll has risen twice since then.
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