PEITourism operators near the P.E.I. end of the Confederation Bridge to New Brunswick say they are seeing more customers than other summers — and lower bridge tolls may be part of the reason. ‘They can spend more here and upgrade the scoops… [with] whatever they’re saving’Delaney Kelly · CBC News · Posted: Aug 29, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours agoAustin Keogh, who scoops ice cream at the Cows location in Gateway Village, says it has been busier than his previous two seasons in the job. (Wayne Thibodeau/ CBC )Tourism operators near the P.E.I. end of the Confederation Bridge to New Brunswick say they are seeing more customers than other summers — and lower bridge tolls may be part of the reason.Effective Aug. 1, the cost of a round-trip on the federally supported bridge fell from $58 per carload to just $20. That’s on top of polling suggesting more Canadians would vacation at home this summer rather than head south to the United States, and a federal move to remove entry fees at its parks and historic sites. Austin Keogh, who at 16 has been scooping out ice cream for three summers at the Cows location in Gateway Village, said this year has been the busiest yet. His arm has been getting sore from the increased business, he added.”Usually around this time of year, it cools off,” he said Thursday. But this year, “it keeps staying steady throughout.”Keogh said customers come in almost daily asking Cows staff whether such long lines at the bridge are normal. While they are there, they are not hesitating to splurge.There are seven years left in Strait Crossing Bridge Ltd.’s contract with Ottawa to operate the bridge between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. Over that time, the federal government has said it will cover the cost of keeping the return-trip toll at $20. (Aaron Adetuyi/CBC)”I just hear them talking amongst themselves about how they can spend more here and upgrade the scoops and get better cones… from the money they’re saving on the bridge toll,” he said.The downsides? Apart from scooping-arm pain, the teenager said he’s had to leave extra time to get from his home to the shop in the last four weeks. “A lot of people are happy about it. A lot of people [are] leaving the Island more, a lot of people coming here — it’s just great for the economy,” Keogh said.’Busier than last year’Linda Gilbert is one of the owners of Island Chocolates in Victoria-by-the-Sea, a short drive from the bridge. She said the shop has been doing well, but she is not sure if the reduced bridge toll is the only reason. “It’s probably been busier than last year. It’s growing each year, right? And some of it is because Victoria’s becoming better and better known. So we’re pretty happy with the volume,” Gilbert said. Linda Gilbert of Island Chocolates in Victoria-by-the-Sea says she expects to notice the impact of the lower bridge toll in the shoulder seasons, starting in September. (Wayne Thibodeau/ CBC)She expects the impact of the lower bridge toll will be more noticeable to businesses come fall. “We’ve certainly had a lot of talk about it and a lot of local people talking about going to New Brunswick,” Gilbert said. “I think we’ll see a lot more as we get into September, in the fall, when Maritimers can come over for a shorter time. It does make a difference.”Busy even before price droppedConfederation Bridge manager Alexis Reynaud said it was a busy summer even before the tolls were reduced, adding that bridge traffic is up 10 per cent compared to last year.”It’s been a busier summer than previous years — actually, the whole year, not just the summer,” Reynaud said. “So far it looks like we’re on the same trend as the beginning of the year, just more traffic in general.”Reynaud said it’s hard to say what impact the toll cut will have going forward, but he predicts more people will be taking day or weekend trips to and from the Island this fall.ABOUT THE AUTHORDelaney Kelly is a journalist with CBC P.E.I. who studied journalism at Concordia University. She was previously a reporter at Iori:wase in Kahnawake Mohawk Territory. With files from Wayne Thibodeau
Cheaper Confederation Bridge trips turning into traffic at businesses near Borden-Carleton
