P.E.I. news: Small businesses call for bridge toll removal [Video]

Small businesses on Prince Edward Island are calling for the removal of the $50.25 Confederation Bridge toll.

In a news release sent Tuesday, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business [CFIB] launched the “Free the Bridge” awareness campaign, which is calling on federal officials and 2025 election candidates to eliminate the toll over the bridge that connects P.E.I. to New Brunswick.

Frederic Gionet, a senior policy analyst with CFIB, said 76 per cent of small business owners on the Island want the toll removed.

“Islanders generally, and small businesses especially, feel that it’s a tax on P.E.I. to put it bluntly,” said Gionet in an interview with CTV News on Tuesday.

Gionet said removing the bridge toll is not a new topic and the CFIB is not the first organization to tackle the subject, but more than 900 of their members on P.E.I. say increased business costs is one of the biggest factors limiting their growth.

The toll adds up over the year …