PEI MLAs will return to the Coles Building when the fall sitting of the legislature begins, as the historic seat of the P.E.I. Legislature remains closed for renovations. ‘It’s a bit of a disappointment,’ says clerk of the legislative assemblyMarilee Devries · CBC News · Posted: Oct 23, 2025 5:14 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesRenovations to historic Province House began in January 2015. The work has cost more than $138 million. (Gwyneth Egan/CBC)Province House will continue to be the scene of hard hats instead of debates when the fall sitting of Prince Edward Island’s Legislative Assembly begins on Nov. 4. The historic seat of the P.E.I. Legislature will remain closed for renovations, so MLAs will instead return to the George Coles Building next door.Parks Canada has been renovating Province House for more than a decade. Earlier this month, officials said it was set to open in the fall, and there was some hope it would be ready in time for the fall sitting. But MLAs and staff with the legislature will have to go with plan B.Joey Jeffrey, the clerk of the P.E.I. Legislative Assembly, says he thinks Islanders will be impressed with the renovations that have been done to the historic building. (Gwyneth Egan/CBC)“It’s a bit of a disappointment,” said Joey Jeffrey, clerk of the legislative assembly. “But we’re just going to continue on like we have been. We have our chambers set up here [in the Coles Building], as we have for the last 11 years.”The last time MLAs sat in Province House’s legislative chamber was fall 2014. Renovations began in January 2015, and carry a price tag of more than $138 million.Jeffrey said he thinks Islanders will be impressed when they see the finished product.“The work that’s going on in Province House is beautiful. It’s exceptional work,” he said. WATCH | ‘On the home stretch:’ P.E.I.’s historic Province House set to reopen after 10-year renovation:’On the home stretch:’ P.E.I.’s historic Province House set to reopen after 10-year renovationProvince House is scheduled to reopen later this fall after 10 years of renovations, and a price tag of more than $138 million. There have been some surprises as the project starts to wrap up, but the historic building is starting to take shape. CBC’s Nancy Russell got a look inside. In fact, one part of the renovations that stands out most to Jeffrey is the loo.“The bathrooms have actually moved down to the basement…. There’s work done to cut the tile that’s in the bathrooms around the hand-carved Island stone that’s in the basement and it’s actually scrolled around that,” he said. “It really fits the character of the building.”Jeffrey said the hope is that renovations will be done by the end of the year, and that MLAs can be back in Province House for the spring sitting of the legislature. ABOUT THE AUTHORMarilee Devries is a journalist with CBC P.E.I. She has a journalism degree from Toronto Metropolitan University. She can be reached at marilee.devries@cbc.caWith files from Gwyneth Egan
MLAs won’t be back in Province House for fall legislature sitting after all, as renos continue
