• P.E.I. potato harvest shows significant rebound this season following ‘worst crop’ last year

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-11-01 10:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Agriculture, Economy, Trade]

  Approximately 95 per cent of Prince Edward Island's potato crop has been harvested for the season, with yields trending well above average after a major rebound from the 2025 historic drought. Statistics Canada reported that net farm income on the Island dropped 34 per cent from roughly $108.6 million in 2024 to $71.5 million in 2025 due to the drought and rising operating costs. Despite favourable growing conditions this season, heavy rainfall over Labour Day weekend—delivering 70 to 150 millimetres over four days—caused waterlogging and rot, leaving more than 600 hectares unharvested out of a total planted footprint of roughly 33,900 hectares.

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• P.E.I.'s deficit projection grows to nearly $460M in latest economic update

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-30 23:12:30.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Finance, Economy, Healthcare, Social Services]

  In its fall fiscal and economic update, the Government of Prince Edward Island increased its projected deficit for the 2026-27 fiscal year by nearly $50 million, moving from a spring budget projection of $410 million to $459.3 million. Operating expenses came in over $100 million above budget, primarily driven by spending on health care, social program funding, and rising fuel costs, according to Finance Minister Jill Burridge. Despite the increased deficit, the province's net debt is forecast to decrease by $101.8 million compared to spring estimates due to improving revenues, supported by a 3.1 per cent increase in average monthly employment, a drop in the unemployment rate to 7.4 per cent, a 7.2 per cent rise in international goods exports, and a 3.5 per cent increase in farm cash receipts.

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• P.E.I. will not renew nearly $8M deal with the NHL

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-22 20:05:10.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Tourism, Economy, Governance]

  Prince Edward Island Tourism Minister Ernie Hudson announced that the province will not renew its three-year, $7.75 million tourism marketing partnership with the National Hockey League when the contract expires on December 31, 2026. Despite opposition criticism regarding costs and accountability, the government defended the deal by citing a commissioned report showing it reached over 8.5 million Canadians, brought 315,000 new visitors, and generated $95 million in visitor spending. The province stated that tourism marketing investments will continue at the same funding level next year through alternative strategies.

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• Atlantic Fisheries Fund Renewed, Applications Being Accepted

  Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
  Date: 2026-10-15 17:40:13.0
  Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, National, Fisheries, Economy, Industry]

  The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Canada, and the provincial governments of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island have jointly renewed the Atlantic Fisheries Fund (AFF) with an investment of more than $300 million. The fund supports fishing and aquaculture projects across the Atlantic region to drive innovation, enhance market development, and ensure industry sustainability. The renewed program operates under four distinct pillars: market diversification, innovation, infrastructure, and science partnerships, with applications currently being accepted by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and partner jurisdictions. This funding launch follows a record-breaking performance in 2025 where Newfoundland and Labrador's fisheries and aquaculture sector generated $2.11 billion in market value.

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• Fisheries sector fund gets $300 million extension from Ottawa, Atlantic provinces

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-15 17:07:20.0
  Tags: [National, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Fisheries, Economy, Trade]

  Federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson announced a five-year, $300 million extension of the Atlantic Fisheries Fund, aimed at supporting the fish and seafood sector across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The federal government is contributing 60 percent of the funding, with the four Atlantic provincial governments providing the remainder. Originally introduced in 2017, the renewed fund will invest in industry research, infrastructure, advertising, industry branding, and market research to help harvesters and growers expand global markets and improve resilience against international trade disruptions.

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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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• P.E.I. fibre artisans rely on locals amid U.S. trade rules

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-03 21:03:04.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Trade, Economy, Industry, Agriculture]

  Changes in U.S. trade policy, specifically the implementation of 50 per cent tariffs in August and the removal of the $800 US duty-free exemption threshold, have significantly impacted small Canadian fibre businesses such as Fleece and Harmony in Belfast, P.E.I. Kim Doherty-Smith, owner of Fleece and Harmony and chairperson of the P.E.I. Fibre Festival, reported that retail shipments to the U.S. plummeted from 40 per cent to 10 per cent of her business before ceasing entirely due to unpredictable brokerage, duty, and tax fees imposed on American consumers. Consequently, local artisans and vendors like Fleece and Harmony and Louis & Jane are increasingly relying on domestic consumer support and alternative regional sourcing from Ontario and the United Kingdom to sustain operations.

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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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• Ottawa provides $6.9M to 17 P.E.I. businesses and organizations affected by U.S. tariffs

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-01 17:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, National, Trade, Industry, Economy]

  The federal government, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency's Regional Tariff Response Initiative, is providing more than $6.9 million in non-repayable funding to 17 businesses and organizations across Prince Edward Island to mitigate the impacts of U.S. tariffs. Notable recipients include Trout River Industries, which received $987,625; P.E.I. Brewing Company, which received $790,000; Somru BioScience Inc., which received $747,500; and the P.E.I. Bag Company, which received over $260,000 for new manufacturing equipment and digital technologies. This federal funding forms part of a broader $7.5-billion national package aimed at supporting Canadian workers and businesses affected by ongoing trade tensions.

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• Minimum wage hikes set to begin across 5 provinces

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-01 12:34:05.0
  Tags: [National, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Labour, Economy, Affordability]

  Minimum wage increases ranging from 25 to 40 cents take effect in Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, bringing their respective rates to $17.95, $17.30, $17.00, $16.40, and $15.70 per hour. Ontario has tied its adjustment directly to the rising cost of living. With these changes, Alberta maintains the lowest minimum wage in the country at $15.00 an hour, having not increased it since 2019, while Nunavut leads the country at just over $20.00 an hour following an increase at the beginning of September.

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• P.E.I.'s minimum wage rises 30 cents to $17.30 an hour as of Thursday

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-01 09:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Labour, Economy, Affordability]

  The provincial government of Prince Edward Island increased the minimum wage by 30 cents to $17.30 per hour, effective as of Thursday. This adjustment follows recommendations from the P.E.I. Employment Standards Board, which reviews the rate annually. The increase forms part of an established provincial plan to raise the minimum wage further to $17.60 by April 1, 2027. Meanwhile, advocacy organizations such as the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives have criticized the raise as insufficient, noting that estimated living wages in the province range from over $19 to over $23 per hour based on rental and everyday living costs.

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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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• What's the state of Canada's trade talks with the U.S.?

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-29 21:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Prince Edward Island, Trade, Agriculture, Economy]

  Federal Agriculture Minister and Prince Edward Island Member of Parliament Heath MacDonald returned to Parliament Hill to address ongoing trade negotiations and a trade war with the United States. In discussions with CBC News, MacDonald focused on the impact on the Canadian economy and the federal government's efforts to identify and establish new international partnerships. The developments come amid heightened bilateral tensions involving various tariff disputes and trade envoy communications between Canada and the United States.

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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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• Atlantic business leaders call for regional policies and more natural resource development

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-25 21:34:13.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Economy, Trade, Energy, Resources, Mining, Industry]

  The Atlantic Economic Panel, chaired by Don Mills and commissioned by federal Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) Minister Sean Fraser, released a strategic growth plan calling for the creation of a $1 billion Atlantic prosperity fund to help regional companies scale up. The report recommends greater regional integration, including the establishment of an independent electricity system operator across the four Atlantic provinces, the elimination of interprovincial trade barriers, coordinated immigration policies, and streamlined regulatory processes for major projects. Furthermore, the plan urges a 50 per cent expansion of the region's natural resources sector, bolstered by recent provincial policy shifts such as Nova Scotia lifting bans on fracking and uranium mining and approving five new mines.

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• Eastern Canada business leaders call for ‘single economy’ between Atlantic provinces

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-25 14:16:00.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Economy, Trade, Labour, Infrastructure, Energy, Immigration]

  The Atlantic Economic Panel, appointed by federal minister Sean Fraser and chaired by Crane Cove Holdings Ltd. president Don Mills, released a report calling for the creation of a 'One Atlantic Canada' single economy by 2035 across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. To combat low productivity, labour shortages, and regulatory barriers, the report outlines seven major recommendations, including a $1-billion Atlantic Prosperity Fund, a $25-billion integrated electricity system managed by a region-wide independent system operator, the removal of all trade and labour mobility barriers, and regional infrastructure partnerships. Additional targets include growing the region's population past 3 million with a 1.8 percent annual growth rate, doubling exports to Europe to over $30 billion, mobilizing $100 billion in new natural resource investments, and enhancing the aerospace, defence, shipbuilding, and artificial intelligence sectors.

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• Islanders will pay less at the pump starting Saturday as P.E.I. suspends provincial fuel tax

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-25 14:05:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Taxation, Affordability, Economy, Agriculture, Transportation]

  The Government of Prince Edward Island announced a four-month suspension of its provincial fuel tax on gasoline and diesel, effective from September 26, 2026, until January 31, 2027. The tax break eliminates the 8.47 cents per litre tax on gasoline and the 14.15 cents per litre tax on diesel, dropping both rates to zero to provide relief amid high global oil prices. Following the suspension, from February 1 to March 31, 2027, the tax will return at half its current rate (4.24 cents per litre for gasoline and 7.08 cents per litre for diesel) before being fully restored on April 1, 2027. The policy impacts provincial revenue previously budgeted at approximately $28.2 million in gasoline-tax collection for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, compounding existing concerns over P.E.I.'s projected $410 million deficit and growing debt.

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• Maximum rent increase for P.E.I. tenants set at 2.1% for 2027

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-23 23:30:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Housing, Affordability, Economy]

  The Prince Edward Island Director of Residential Tenancy has set the maximum allowable annual rent increase at 2.1 percent, effective January 1, 2027. The decision followed a review of 85 submissions from landlords and tenants, balancing tenants' cost-of-living concerns against landlords' rising operational expenses, maintenance costs, property taxes, and interest rates. Under provincial law limiting maximum increases to three percent, landlords may apply to the P.E.I. Rental Office for an additional increase of up to three percent above the baseline cap, permitting a maximum possible increase of 5.1 percent in 2027. Landlords are restricted to raising rent once every 12 months and must provide tenants with three months' notice.

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• P.E.I. government moves to break up IRAC into two new regulatory bodies

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-21 17:05:04.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Governance, Energy, Housing, Economy]

  The Prince Edward Island government announced it will dismantle the 35-year-old Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC) and replace it with two specialized regulatory bodies overseeing energy and utilities, and land use and appeals, respectively. Prompted by an interim independent review conducted by Rory Francis, the reform will establish a standalone Residential Tenancy Office reporting to the Minister of Housing and Communities, introduce a merit-based public appointment process for commissioners, mandate external reviews every six years, and create a public electricity consumer advocate. Legislation to enact these changes will be brought forward in the fall legislative session, with public feedback open until October 2, 2026, and the commissioner's final report due November 1, 2026.

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• P.E.I.'s new online database means it's now easier to verify tradespeople's credentials

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-19 09:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Labour, Trade, Economy]

  The Government of Prince Edward Island has launched a new online registry to streamline the credential verification process for tradespeople certified in other provinces. Maintained by the provincial workforce development office, the database includes around 3,000 registered workers as of September 17, allowing employers, contractors, and homeowners to instantly verify Red Seal certifications and Certificates of Qualification in real time. The initiative aims to reduce interprovincial barriers, improve labour mobility, and accelerate the recruitment of trade talent to address regional staffing shortages.

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