Opening date for Province House still unclear as P.E.I.’s fall legislative sitting approaches

PEI·NewRenovations are starting to wrap up at Province House after more than a decade, but it’s not clear yet if the work will be complete by the time the P.E.I. Legislative Assembly begins its next session in November.Some plans are being made in case the historic building isn’t ready on timeRyan McKellop · CBC News · Posted: Oct 01, 2025 6:53 PM EDT | Last Updated: 37 minutes agoRenovations to Province House, seen in this 2023 file photo, that began more than a decade ago are now nearing completion. (Kirk Pennell/CBC)Renovations are starting to wrap up at Province House after more than a decade, but it’s not clear yet if the work will be complete by the time the P.E.I. Legislative Assembly begins its next session in November.Parks Canada is overseeing the renovations, which began in January 2015 and have cost $138 million, and the goal is to open the doors by late fall. The next legislature session begins Nov. 4.Chantelle MacDonald, acting project manager with Parks Canada, said the work has been complex, so it’s hard to determine an exact completion date.”There’s many moving pieces, and every day on site is crucial at this point,” she said. “It’s very hard to pinpoint a day.”WATCH | Plan B in place for P.E.I. Legislature’s move back to Province House as fall sitting approaches:Plan B in place for P.E.I. Legislature’s move back to Province House as fall sitting approachesAfter 10 years of renovations, historic Province House is set to open this fall — but it’s not clear exactly when that will happen. That’s leaving staff with the P.E.I. Legislature coming with some “just in case” plans with the fall sitting about a month away. CBC’s Wayne Thibodeau has more. In a statement, Parks Canada said updates about when P.E.I.’s MLAs can move back into the historic building have been provided to the clerk of the legislative assembly.”It’s important to reiterate, we are striving to finish the construction of the building at the earliest opportunity. With a project this complex, it’s difficult to provide an exact date,” the statement reads.”We’re looking at a project completion date of late fall and will continue to provide information regarding reopening of the building to the public in 2026.”Since the renovations began, legislative proceedings have been held in the nearby George Coles Building.Sidney MacEwen, a Progressive Conservative MLA and Speaker of the legislature, said officials are preparing to move back into Province House — whenever that may be.He said it could take some time to disassemble the Coles Building setup and move everything back into Province House after they’re given the go-ahead. Sidney MacEwen, Speaker of the P.E.I. Legislative Assembly, says staff decided not to not move the legislature back into Province House until it’s ready for the public and the media. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)”To be comfortable, we probably need a month…. I’m pretty sure if push comes to shove we could try to do it in a few weeks,” MacEwen said. “We’re ready to go here for the fall sitting. If we’re notified in time that we can get in, the staff here will work as hard as they can to get back over into Province House.”MacEwan said the decision was made that the legislature would not resume in Province House until the building is ready to open to the public.’It’s got so much feeling’Only three of the 27 current MLAs sat in the Province House legislative chamber before renovations on the building began.One of them, Georgetown-Pownal MLA Steven Myers, said things will be much different once they move back.Steven Myers, MLA for Georgetown-Pownal, says those who have not sat in the legislative assembly in Province House may feel intimidated by the historic building’s chamber. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)”The gallery is above you and they look right down on you. It’s much more intimidating,” he said. “Your voice sometimes gets swallowed up in the vastness of it. It’s just a total different beast from what we’re using as a temporary one.”While it might be intimidating, Myers said Province House has a lot of history in its walls. “It’s got so much feeling and, you know, there’s been so many people sat there before you,” he said.”Canada was founded there, so there are so many components that go along with it.”ABOUT THE AUTHORRyan McKellop is a graduate of the Holland College Journalism program and a web writer at CBC P.E.I.With files from Wayne Thibodeau and Nancy Russell