In a move echoing the Conservative election platform, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced his government will cut tolls on the Confederation Bridge to $20 starting in August.
The announcement drew comparisons to a long-standing Conservative campaign pledge to eliminate the toll entirely, a promise Carney’s plan fell short of matching.
“Effective August 1st, we’re cutting tolls on the Confederation Bridge from $50 to $20, and cutting fares on all interprovincial ferries in half in Atlantic Canada,” Carney wrote on X.
“Canada’s new government is bringing down costs and building one strong, Canadian economy.”
The toll cut marks a reduction from the current $50.25 charge for two-axle vehicles on the 12.9-kilometre bridge connecting Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.
Carney’s government says the measure will support affordability, trade, and tourism in Atlantic Canada.
The bridge, operated by Strait Crossing Bridge Ltd., carries 90 to 95 per cent of the island’s road traffic.
In 2024, nearly one million vehicles crossed the federally owned span.
The announcement was part of a larger transportation affordability package, which also includes a 50 per cent fare cut on federally supported interprovincial ferry services and a fare freeze on Marine Atlantic’s commercial freight rates.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said the measures would “boost interprovincial travel and tourism, support business growth, and strengthen cultural ties” across provinces.
However, Conservatives were quick to point out that party leader Pierre Poilievre had previously committed to eliminating the Confederation Bridge toll altogether.
A graphic circulated by Canada Proud highlighted the discrepancy, showing Carney’s $20 toll against Poilievre’s zero-dollar promise.
Poilievre first pledged during his leadership campaign and repeated it during the 2025 federal election.
Carney’s toll cut is the first reduction since the bridge opened in 1997.