Prime minister to visit P.E.I.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will visit P.E.I. on Thursday, and Island Senator Percy Downe says Islanders deserve answers about the high cost of the Confederation Bridge tolls.

Downe alerted media to the prime minister’s upcoming visit in a press release Tuesday, suggesting questions for the PM he says Islanders want answers to regarding the Confederation Bridge.

“Prime Minister Trudeau has acknowledged that Confederation Bridge is an ‘expensive bridge to cross’ and has committed to sharing concerns about the high cost of tolls with Island MPs,” Downe said in his release.

“Has this discussion with Island MPs taken place? And if so, what action have they jointly agreed to take?”

Trudeau made a campaign pledge during the 2015 federal election to lift the toll on the $5-billion Champlain Bridge in Montreal.

Residents and visitors to P.E.I., meanwhile, must pay $46.50 to leave the province via the $1-billion Confederation

Bridge.

Downe has been pushing for Ottawa to lift the bridge toll in P.E.I. in an attempt to see Prince Edward Islanders receive equal treatment as the citizens of Quebec.

He pointed to remarks Trudeau gave in a town hall in January when asked about the Confederation Bridge where he said he would “look at what can be done to make sure people are able to travel freely, travel efficiently and openly across this country at modest costs.”

“When can Islanders expect an announcement about bringing ‘modest costs’ to Confederation Bridge?” Downe asked.

Complete details of Trudeau’s visit to P.E.I. have not yet been released. However, he is scheduled to be in Montague at 9 a.m. on Thursday for a meet and greet at the Montague Curling Club.