A Special Weather Statement in effect for all of PEI now with 10 to 25cm of snow possible Friday night into Saturday.  We’ll also see winds gusting to 70kh.  

Environment Canada says an area of low pressure is expected to travel up the eastern seaboard  and track south of Nova Scotia on Saturday bringing snow to the Island Friday night into Saturday.  Snowfall warnings will likely be issued for some areas on Friday.

HANG IN THERE – WE’RE ALMOST THERE!

PEI WEATHER

TODAY:   Rain snow mix ending this afternoon with a chance of flurries or showers. NW winds gusting to 40 this afternoon. Steady near 2.

TONIGHT:  Chance of flurries or showers overnight. Low -4

TMR:  Cloudy. High -1

Special Weather Statement still in effect for tomorrow night into Saturday with significant snowfall expected for Queens and Kings counties.

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A 101-year-old P.E.I. woman had the time of her life when her wish to see a live skating show came true. Ferne Edgecombe was nominated to go see Stars on Ice in St. John's through an organization that grants wishes to seniors. CBC's Laura Meader has her story.

The RCMP held a recruitment session with the Abegweit First Nation to gather interest within the Indigenous community. Inspector Beryl Lewis says the RCMP is doing its best to attract more recruits.

Maritime Electric is looking to spend about $425 million on new equipment to generate more power.

P.E.I. reallocated federal money that was intended to be spent on mental health programs, a new report suggests.

Karla Bernard sits down with CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin in the third of our year-end interviews with leaders of P.E.I.'s political parties.

P.E.I. Premier Dennis King says Canada needs to "project stability" in the face of potentially devastating tariffs from the U.S. and not get distracted by the political upheaval in Ottawa.

The ferry service between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia will run for a few extra days beyond the usual end to the season. 

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for P.E.I.'s Kings and Queens counties lasting from Friday night into Saturday.

Charlottetown Police are increasing the frequency of Road Safety Check Points this Holiday Season.  Last Friday night, check points were conducted on Malpeque Road, St Peters Road and Water Street.  Approximately 500 vehicles went through the check points. Two vehicles were towed due to no registration and insurance and 3 Summary Offence tickets under the Highway Traffic Act were issued for driving without insurance and/or vehicle registration.  Police are reminding the public to plan ahead, designate a sober driver and never drive while impaired.

The Province says it has recruited 34 internationally educated nurses.  Health officials say the 34 nurses graduated through the P-E-I Transition to Registered Nursing in Canada program following a 14-week course.  Through the program, nurses receive a tailored education in Canadian nursing practices, regulations, and patient care standards.

A Special Weather Statement is in effect for Queens and Kings Counties with Environment Canada advising that significant snowfall is likely late this week.  The snow can be expected Friday night into Saturday.  Environment Canada says it is too early to give specific snowfall amounts as small changes in the track of the storm could dramatically alter the amounts but significant snowfall is possible for some or all of PEI, which could make travel difficult on Saturday.

It’s the FIRST EVER Christmas Pay for Play for Toys for Tots!

PEI WEATHER

TODAY:   Sunny.  High 2

TONIGHT:  Clouding over with rain starting overnight. Steady at 2

TOMORROW:  Rain mixed with snow ending in the afternoon with a chance of flurries or showers. Wind NW gusting to 40.  Steady near 1

Special Weather Statement for Queens and Kings for Friday night into Saturday.  Expecting a significant snowfall but the track 

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P.E.I. has 37 new nurses thanks to a pair of programs that train international nurses on how to practise in Canada.

P.E.I. powerlifter John MacDonald has lots to celebrate in 2024, including his second straight world championship. In October, he won gold in his division at the Commonwealth and World Masters Championships in South Africa. He was also just named Masters Athlete of the Year by Sport P.E.I. Nancy Russell headed to his garage/gym to find out more.

Documents show that sometime between the summer of 2021 and 2022, Colton Wesley David Chaulk allegedly accepted a $9,000 deposit to repair a cottage in Savage Harbour. The work was never completed.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mishandled the circumstances leading to Chrystia Freeland's resignation as finance minister Monday and should step down for the good of the country, say two Liberal MPs on P.E.I.

Inflation edged down slightly to 1.9 per cent in November as price growth continued to stabilize in Canada.  Statistics Canada’s consumer price index report released today shows inflation was down from two per cent in October.  Shelter costs increased at a slower annual pace of 4.6 per cent, while rent price inflation accelerated to 7.7 per cent.  Grocery prices continued to grow faster than overall prices, rising 2.6 per cent from a year ago.  PEI’s inflation rate in November stood at 1.8 percent.

It’s the final TURKEY TUESDAY OF THE YEAR on OCEAN 100!

PEI WEATHER

TODAY: Clouding over with a few showers. South gusting to 70 km/h then gusts to 50 km/h late in the day. High 8

TONIGHT: Partly cloudy with a chance of showers. Windy. Low 2

TOMORROW: Sunny. High 4

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Prince Edward Island had the fourth lowest child poverty rate in Canada in 2022, but the authors of the newly released child and family report card for the province say that is no reason to celebrate.

Gear tampering in the Gulf of St. Lawrence region off P.E.I. is more common than it used to be, according to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. When lobster fishing gear in particular gets cut adrift, there can be a high environmental cost.

Former Summerside City Councillor Barb Gallant has been sentenced to 90 days in jail.  In August, Gallant had pleaded guilty to a charge of theft over $5,000 in connection with money that was stolen from the Lest We Forget veterans group.  Gallant was serving as executive director of the group.  She was also ordered to pay almost $11-thousand in restitution to the Lest We Forget organization, and placed on three years probation.

Premier Dennis King says Canada’s efforts to push back on looming tariff threats by U-S president elect Donald Trump won’t be derailed by the resignation of one person.  King says while things seem chaotic in Ottawa in the aftermath of Chrystia Freeland’s resignation from Parliament, there is a really good case to put forward with a lot of people working on it.  His comments come after a meeting of provincial and territorial premiers Monday in Toronto, where one of the top agenda items was Trump’s tariff threats. Ontario Premier Doug Ford says now is the time for the premiers to step up and make sure that they tell the world there is stability in Canada. 

Government House Leader Karina Gould tabled the Fall economic statement document — hours after Chrystia Freeland’s resignation showcasing a deficit for 2023-2024 at 61.9-billion-dollars.  That’s almost 22-billion-dollars more than forecast last spring.   The deficit is projected to fall to 48.3 billion-dollars for the current fiscal year.  Among the highlights of new measures included in the plan is a decision to reinstate a temporary change to the capital cost allowance.  That allows businesses to make larger tax deductions for capital costs up front. 

Former Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc has been sworn in as the finance minister following Chrysita Freeland’s surprise resignation from her post Monday morning.  Freeland also stepped down as deputy prime minister, saying she and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau found themselves at odds for weeks about “the best path forward for Canada.”  The resignation has reignited calls for Trudeau to step down and call an election as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says Trudeau has lost control of the government and repeated calls for an election.  

Hal Perry sits down with CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin in the first of our year-end interviews with leaders of P.E.I.'s political parties.

The free-falling Canadian dollar may send shivers through snowbirds heading south this winter, but it’s good news for some exporters on P.E.I. and others who benefit from a stronger U.S. dollar.

The Liberal government unveiled $21.1 billion in new spending in its Fall Economic Statement, FES,  Monday detailing how it will invest new money in border security, the GST tax break and other measures. The FES also contained smaller nuggets of information regarding lesser known policy decisions and economic measures on a range of issues.

Barb Gallant, the former Summerside city councillor who stole thousands of dollars from a veterans’ group after getting caught up in an online romance scam, was sentenced Monday to 90 days in jail.

The case against a P.E.I. school guidance counsellor accused of sex crimes against a minor will be heard by a judge and jury in P.E.I. Supreme Court — if it goes to trial.

Ontario’s Doug Ford is playing host to the latest meeting of Canada’s premiers, including Premier Dennis King.  The main topic for today’s discussion is the looming threat by Donald Trump to slap 25 per cent import tariffs on goods coming from Canada and Mexico when he takes office.  While Ford has publicly talked about taking a retaliatory approach, other premiers, like Alberta’s Danielle Smith, say they would prefer a more diplomatic route that doesn’t include cutting off Alberta’s oil and gas exports. 

Federal Finance minister and deputy prime minister Christia Freeland is stepping down.   Just hours before the fall economic statement is set to be introduced Freeland announced that she will leave cabinet immediately. 

In a letter published on social media Freeland said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked her to step aside from the finance minister post late last week and offered her another cabinet post. She says she will stay on as a Liberal Member of Parliament and will run again in the next federal election.

A Prince County woman is dead after a head-on collision Sunday in central Prince Edward Island, police say. 

Queens District RCMP are investigating a fatal two vehicle head-on collision Sunday on Route 9 (Colville Road) in Hampshire.  It happened at about 5:00pm and involved an SUV and a pick-up truck.  The driver and lone occupant of the SUV, a 47-year-old Prince County woman, was pronounced deceased while being taken to the hospital. A youth from the truck suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, and a woman in the truck also suffered non-life-threatening injuries.  Police say no one else was seriously injured in this collision.  An RCMP collision reconstructionist attended the scene and the investigation is ongoing.

The Charlottetown Fire Department responded about 4:45pm Sunday to a fire in a duplex on Upper Hillsborough Street.  There was heavy smoke when firefighters arrived but they were able to get the fire under control shortly after 5:00pm.  No word yet on the cause of the blaze.

Route 9 – the Colville Rd., between Route 225 (Kinkora Highway) and Route 235 (Kingston Rd.) was closed to all traffic for a couple hours Sunday night due to a 2-vehicle collision.  The RCMP advised for the collision and closure shortly before 6:00pm and the road was reopened after 8:00pm.  RCMP, Island EMS and the North River Fire Department all responded to the scene.  RCMP have not released any further details on the collision, including any word on injuries.

The Liberal government releases its fall economic statement today, but Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has already given a preview.

She’s said it will include tax reforms of a program that aims to encourage businesses to do research and development in Canada.

The government estimates those reforms will amount to 26-billion-dollars in tax incentives for Canadian businesses.

The statement is also expected to show a larger-than-promised deficit and offer details on how Ottawa plans to tackle threatened tariffs by incoming U-S president Donald Trump. 

Canadians should expect to start receiving their mail again this week.

Canada Post says operations will resume on Tuesday after the Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered some 55-thousand striking postal workers back to work.

The Crown corporation says it has agreed with the union to implement a five per cent wage increase, which is retroactive to the day after the collective agreements expired.

Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon directed the board to order the striking employees back to work if a deal wasn’t doable before the end of the year

Ron Matheson has celebrated a harness-racing milestone in October at Red Shores Racetrack in Charlottetown. According to the industry association, he is just the fourth person to surpass 1,000 wins as a trainer. People who know him hail his patience and his love of horses. Nancy Russell went to Matheson Stable to find out more.

LAST FULL WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS!!

PEI WEATHER

TODAY:   Sunny. Wind SW gusting to 40. High 0

TONIGHT:  Clear. Low -2

TOMORROW:  Clouding over with showers starting near noon. Windy. High 8

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The Occupational Therapist Assistant / Physiotherapist Assistant program at Holland College has received national accreditation.  

National accreditation serves as an assurance to students that they are receiving appropriate training, including at least 500 practicum hours, to prepare them to enter the health care field. The accreditation lasts for six years, at which time the program will undergo a review from the accreditation board to ensure that it is still meeting all the required standards.

A new program is aimed at helping PEI’s agriculture industry build capacity and improve training for those working in it.  Ottawa and the province are investing over $300-thousand in the Agriculture Labour Sub-Program. The new program stream will provide farmers and agricultural organizations with access to funding for initiatives focused on improving the workforce. Those initiatives could include Recruitment missions; Developing on-farm resources for employees with English as a second language; Workforce training and professional development opportunities; Developing models and strategies for employee childcare and transportation; and taking part in job fairs and trade shows.  .

A direct ATV trail will now connect the communities of O’Leary and Tignish allowing ATV club members to access 15 km of unpaved, low-volume provincial roads.  The trail will be open in summer, fall and winter, offering an extra six months of riding.   The provincial government and the federation started the pilot road project to expand safe and legal ATV trails. These pilot trails are on unpaved or decommissioned low-traffic roads, ensuring they are safe for both the public and the environment. PEI now has 65 kms of ATV pilot roads across the province. Overall, the federation and its clubs have over 650 kms of private ATV trails.

Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon has referred the month’s long Canada Post labour dispute to the Canada Industrial Relations Board.  The board has to determine if a deal is within reach between the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and Crown corporation before the end of the year.  MacKinnon says since a federally appointed mediator withdrew themselves two weeks ago the negotiations have been–quote– “going in the wrong direction.”  The ruling could send nearly 55-thousand workers back to work and extend their current contract until May of next year.

Canadians are expressing mixed feelings as the federal government’s two-month GST holiday kicked off Saturday.  Some retailers say it was not easy to figure out what’s covered with the GST break, calling it very laborious and quite ambiguous.  The goods and services tax is waived on restaurant meals, children’s clothes and toys, as well as wine and beer — but there are plenty of exemptions to the list.  Items like food and drinks from vending machines, magazines, clothing for sports activities, and some collectibles and toys did not make the cut.  The break is set to last until mid-February. 

Prince Edward Island had a record-breaking year for golf in 2024, according to Golf P.E.I., which represents 18 member courses in the province.

The powerhouse United States scored three unanswered goals in the third period to defeat Canada 4-1 on Saturday in the Para Cup hockey tournament's gold-medal game at Bell Aliant Centre in Charlottetown.

Demand on food banks and community fridges is up across P.E.I. this holiday season, but some organizers say Islanders’ generosity is keeping them going.

Two to three people come in each week looking for a warm coat, but right now there are fewer than 10 available, says John Burton, a corps officer with the organization.