• P.E.I.'s mobile mental health program extended for another year

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-27 21:00:51.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Healthcare, Social Services, Finance]

  The federal and provincial governments have renewed funding for Prince Edward Island's mobile mental health program, extending the initiative through March 31, 2028. The program, operationally managed by Medavie Health Services, allows Islanders experiencing a mental health crisis to call and receive care from specialized professionals or dispatched mobile teams. Earlier in the year, provincial Health and Wellness Minister Cory Deagle noted that Ottawa was cutting over $29 million in health-care funding to P.E.I., which included $2.6 million for mobile mental health units and student well-being teams previously slated to end in March 2027. CUPE Local 3324 president Jason Woodbury praised the extension, noting the service helps reduce wait times for ground ambulances and emergency rooms.

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• Market diversification added to focus of renewed Atlantic Fisheries Fund

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-15 20:43:09.0
  Tags: [National, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Trade, Fisheries, Industry, Finance]

  The federal government and the Atlantic provincial governments are replenishing the Atlantic Fisheries Fund with more than $300 million over the next five years, funded 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially, in response to ongoing trade disputes and tariffs with the U.S. Federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson announced that market diversification has been added as a new funding pillar alongside innovation, infrastructure, and science partnerships to assist harvesters and processors such as Cooke Inc., the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association, Scotia Harvest, and Icewater Seafoods in entering new international markets. Over the past nine years, the fund has previously distributed $370 million to more than 1,300 projects across Atlantic Canada.

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• Atlantic Canadian businesses can now apply for nearly $40M in AI funding

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-14 18:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, National, Technology, Economy, Industry, Finance]

  The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency has launched a federal funding program offering nearly $40 million for small and medium-sized businesses pursuing large-scale artificial intelligence projects costing at least $1 million. The funding supports two primary tracks: adopting AI into internal business operations, such as proposal development tools utilized by Cabco Technologies, or developing new AI solutions to bring to market. Applications for the program remain open until November 20. The initiative aims to address a regional adoption gap highlighted by the Atlantic Economic Panel, which reported that approximately 15 per cent of Atlantic Canadian businesses with 10 or more employees use AI, compared to 20 per cent nationally.

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• How does P.E.I. decide which drugs to cover? It’s more complicated than you might think

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-10 09:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, National, Healthcare, Affordability, Finance]

  The federal government has renewed the Improving Affordable Access to Prescription Drugs program (IAAPD) for Prince Edward Island with $32 million in funding over three years. The program, which launched as a pilot in 2021, has helped add more than 100 medications to P.E.I.'s public formulary and lowered patient co-payments to $5 for many eligible drugs. In addition to the IAAPD, P.E.I. participates in the federal pharmacare program covering specific diabetes medications, supplies, and contraceptives. The multi-step drug coverage process involves Health Canada authorization, price reviews by the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, cost-effectiveness evaluations by Canada's Drug Agency, collective price bargaining by the Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, and final provincial formulary decisions.

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• P.E.I.'s deficit nearly double the amount projected in budget, audited financial statements show

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-02 20:00:25.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Finance, Healthcare, Agriculture, Economy]

  The Prince Edward Island government released its audited financial statements showing a fiscal year 2025-26 deficit of $355.5 million, nearly double the initial budget projection of $183.9 million. The higher deficit was driven by significant over-budget expenditures, including $127.1 million extra spent on health care and $64.1 million over budget in the Department of Agriculture primarily due to crop insurance claims for potatoes and soybeans following drought conditions. Consequently, the province's net debt reached $3.7 billion as of March 31, 2026, translating to roughly $20,224 per resident, while provincial tax revenues remained closely aligned with the original budget within a 0.3 per cent margin.

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• Opposition waiting for 'realistic plan' from province to address P.E.I.'s rising deficit, debt

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-30 13:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Finance, Economy, Governance]

  Prince Edward Island's projected deficit for the fiscal year climbed by $30.5 million to reach $440.4 million, driven by pressures in healthcare, rising fuel costs, and capital infrastructure needs. In response to mounting debt concerns, opposition parties including Liberal MLA Carolyn Simpson and Green MLA Tayte Willows are demanding a realistic financial recovery plan ahead of the province's fall capital budget. The government has introduced measures such as the Comprehensive Expenditure Review Targets aiming to cut spending by roughly 10 percent over two years, a cabinet committee on fiscal responsibility, and the upcoming onboarding of an internal auditor in January to oversee departmental spending.

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• Health, higher fuel costs drive $440.4M deficit forecast in P.E.I.'s fiscal and economic update

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-28 22:25:02.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Finance, Healthcare, Economy, Affordability]

  The Government of Prince Edward Island, led by Finance and Affordability Minister Jill Burridge, released its first-quarter fiscal and economic update for 2026-27, projecting a deficit of $440.4 million. This represents a $30.5 million increase from the operating budget tabled in April, driven by an additional $53.4 million in spending primarily directed toward healthcare, social program funding, and higher diesel and heating fuel costs. Despite the increased deficit and spending pressures, the province reported improving economic indicators, including a 7.1 per cent year-to-date growth in labour income and retail sales, alongside a 24.6 per cent increase in housing starts.

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• P.E.I. restores full funding for child-care support workers through March 2027

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-14 17:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Education, Social Services, Labour, Finance]

  The Government of Prince Edward Island reversed its previously planned 25% funding cut to pedagogical support workers in child-care centres, fully funding the positions through the end of March 2027. Education and Early Years Minister Robin Croucher stated that the province reallocated money within its existing budget to maintain the roles while negotiating longer-term support under the federal $10-a-day child-care program. Introduced in 2022, the pedagogical support funding helps early-years centres hire additional staff to mentor educators, support new graduates, and assist with planning. Additionally, the province and the Early Childhood Development Association of P.E.I. collaborated through a working group to establish a new operational policy defining the scope of these support positions, which is set to take effect on April 1, 2027.

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• Critics question $31M in extra spending for P.E.I. health care

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-01 22:15:46.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Healthcare, Governance, Labour, Finance]

  The Prince Edward Island government approved nearly $31 million in extra spending for Health P.E.I. through a cabinet special warrant without a legislative debate, drawing criticism from opposition parties over transparency. The funding breakdown includes $12.9 million for hospital overcapacity, overtime, and travel nurses, $12.25 million for collective bargaining wage increases, and $5.76 million for medical supplies, out-of-province care, and increased MRI services. Opposition health critics Gordon McNeilly (Liberal) and Tayte Willows (Green) are demanding a comprehensive long-term health care plan and a full financial breakdown from Health and Wellness Minister Cory Deagle.

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• Is P.E.I. doing enough to help businesses weather the U.S. tariff storm?

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-08-28 22:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Trade, Economy, Industry, Finance]

  The Government of Prince Edward Island rolled out a $12.5 million support package to assist local businesses impacted by U.S. tariffs. Bianca McGregor, CEO of the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce, discussed the evolving Canada-U.S. trade war and the challenges businesses face due to economic uncertainty surrounding 50% United States tariffs.

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• P.E.I. rolls out $12.5M in support for businesses hit by U.S. tariffs

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-08-28 16:19:32.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Trade, Economy, Finance, Industry, Agriculture]

  The Prince Edward Island government is rolling out a $12.5 million financial support package to assist businesses impacted by newly imposed 50 percent U.S. tariffs affecting roughly $10 million in provincial exports like agriculture products, dairy, and refrigeration equipment. Administered by Finance P.E.I., the initiative reopens the Tariff Working Capital Assistance Program with $10 million in loans featuring a maximum of $500,000 per borrower, an extended seven-year repayment term, and a doubled two-year interest-only period. Additionally, the province launched the $2.5 million P.E.I. Tariff Impact Relief Fund, providing non-repayable grants of up to $50,000 for capital expenses, supply chain diversification, and market intelligence. This provincial relief complements the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency's Regional Tariff Response Initiative and a $3.1-million Canada-P.E.I. workforce tariff response administered through Skills P.E.I. to fund worker retraining and employment services.

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