The Canadian Potato Council says it’s pleased that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has completed its investigation in PEI.  Since fall 2021, almost 50,000 soil samples have been collected on the Island as part of Agency’s investigation to manage potato wart.  The thorough investigation unearthed only four finds of potato wart spores in fields that are associated with the same operation and in land that has part of the Potato Wart Long-Term Management Plan. The Council says investigation results indicate limited incidence in fields growing potatoes destined for the on-island processing market. The recent detections are within a distance of 12 km of each other and continue to be monitored and regulated under CFIA’s Potato Wart Long-Term Management Plan.

An exciting finish to the 64th Gold Cup and Saucer capped Old Home Week Saturday night with Covered Bridge capturing the big race at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.   American History and Dale Spence left hard to the front to lead the first half of the race, and then Funatthebeach N guided by Scott Young rushed to the front past three-quarters until Covered Bridge and Jordan Stratton shook off cover to track down the leader in the stretch to win in 1:50.3. Funatthebeach N was second while PL Ozzy was third.   The big race was part of a 14-dash card that set a new all-time record handle at Red Shores Charlottetown of $647,556, eclipsing the former record set in 1994.   Melissa Rennie won the Earl Smith Memorial Award for top trainer of Old Home Week.   The Francis McIsaac Memorial Award for top driver of Old Home Week went to multiple time winner Marc Campbell.  Brodie MacPhee was the top percentage driver of the week. 

The president of the P.E.I. Paramedics' Union is applauding the province's decision to pay the tuition of eligible Islanders who want to become paramedics. 

With less than three weeks before school begins, Islanders are being encouraged to donate lunch snacks, backpacks and other items for those in need.

Islanders who believe they have a swarm of honey bees on their property can call the P.E.I. Beekeepers Association to find someone to help safely take the swarm to a new home.

Climate change researchers gathered in P-E-I this week to see first-hand the damage caused by post-tropical storm Fiona.
Experts from across Canada and the U-S  have been taking part in a forum on climate hosted by U-P-E-I.
Visiting researchers have been touring the Island, visiting sites damaged by Fiona last September.
Forum participants have also discussed the challenges and opportunities for future climate research.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it has completed its investigation of two detections of potato wart in P-E-I in 2021. 

Officials say nearly 50-thousand soil samples were analyzed and potato wart was identified in four additional fields, an expected development in an investigation of this scale. 

The agency says land controls were put in place on individual fields to restrict the movement of potatoes, plants and soil that could spread potato wart. 

It says field surveillance will continue through this fall, although the risk of transmission of potato wart remains negligible when appropriate risk mitigation measures are in place and followed.

Cloudy skies and mild showers did not stop Islanders and visitors to P.E.I. from claiming a spot along the parade route in Charlottetown Friady.

CBC News went to Old Home Week in Charlottetown to test people's knowledge of some Island trivia.

The P.E.I. Highway Traffic Act says cars must keep at least one metre away when passing a cyclist. But some cycling groups say that's just not possible on some Charlottetown roads.

The number of days the emergency department has been affected by closures is now up to 22, including 14 full-day closures.

It's not the best of weather Friday morning, but the participants in Charlottetown's Gold Cup Parade are still tuning up their instruments and preparing the floats and inflatables.

American and Canadian climate change researchers are on P.E.I. this week to consider some of the complex issues raised by the impact of post-tropical storm Fiona on the Island.

After weeks of steady increases, the price of heating oil and diesel on P.E.I. was down Friday morning, but Islanders did not get so lucky with gas prices.

The PEI Humane Society says it’s getting harder for Islanders to afford having a pet.
A spokesperson for the society says they’ve recently seen an increase in surrenders, and it’s also taking longer to find new owners for the animals.
She suggests the increased cost of living is behind the trend as the costs of owning an animal, including vet care, food and housing, are simply out of reach for many people.

It’s Parade Day.  The Gold Cup Parade begins at 10am in the usual spot on North River Road at Queen Charlotte Intermediate School.  The Parade follows its traditional route until it gets to Grafton Street, and that’s when we’ll see some changes this year.  The parade will continue straight on Grafton instead of turning left to go down Queen Street.  The route will then be turning right on Rochford Street, and then left on Fitzroy Street where the parade will end with the Government Buildings parking lot off Terry Fox Drive will be the dismantling area.  North River Road, between Belvedere Avenue and McGill Avenue, and Kirkwood Drive, between Trafalgar Street and North River Road, closed as of 7 a.m., and the parade route will close to traffic at 9 a.m. Roads will reopen as the parade concludes. 

The theme of this year’s parade is “An Island Summer” and the Parade Marshalls are Arden Hopkin and Lucas Macdonald – our two Team PEI medalists from the 2023 Canada Winter Games.  Another highlight will be The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride leading the parade.

The Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission has approved an increase of 2.0 cents per litre in the price of gasoline.  The price of furnace oil decreased by 3.0 cents per litre, and the price of diesel went down Friday by 3.0 cents per litre.  Including taxes, pump prices for regular self-serve gasoline range from 188.1 to 189.3 cents per litre.  Diesel costs you between 199.4 and 200.6 cents per litre.  The maximum price for furnace oil is 153.6 cents per litre. 

Late blight is a disease that disfigures and destroys solanaceous — or nightshade — crops like tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplants. It presents as brown spots on the leaves or the fruit itself, eventually causing them to rot.

In 2021, Michelle Hughes was diagnosed with a rare kind of cancer that develops from the cells that make up blood vessels. She is not letting it slow her down — literally.

'You'll probably be hearing quite a few names coming up on the hurricane list this year,' says Chris Fogarty from the Canadian Hurricane Centre.

Despite inflation driving up food prices, P.E.I. residents have found a way to reduce their grocery bills, according to a report from Statistics Canada.

Holland College President & CEO Dr. Sandy MacDonald has signed a two-year contract extension.  Holland College Board of Governors Chair Jessie Inman says that under Dr. MacDonald’s leadership, there have been numerous, significant accomplishments for the  college and the province.  Dr. MacDonald is the college’s sixth president, and guided the college through the pandemic.  He was honored this past spring with the Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contributions.

The provincial government has signed an historic agreement with the Chiefs of Abegweit First Nation and Lennox Island First Nation for a housing project in Hillsborough Park in Charlottetown.  The agreement will provide land and opportunities to address the housing needs of First Nations urban community members and access to economic development.  The agreement allocates serviced land, including water, sewer and road access, to the PEI First Nations, to build housing amounting to 10 per cent of the total allowable housing units of the Hillsborough Park project. The province is also providing a financial support of $100,000 to L’nuey, the Mi’kmaq rights initiative under the authority of the two First Nations, to identify solutions for their unique housing needs on the parcels of land. The PEI Housing Corporation is proposing up to 1,200 units for the 85-acre property.

Members of P.E.I.’s legislative assembly will see their salaries go up both in September and April, and some government officials will get a big increase next month.

Take note that there will be some road closures and parking restrictions in Charlottetown Friday to allow for the Gold Cup Parade.  North River Road, between Belvedere Avenue and McGill Avenue, and Kirkwood Drive, between Trafalgar Street and North River Road, will close to traffic at 7 a.m., and the parade route will close to traffic at 9 a.m. Roads will reopen as the parade concludes. The Provincial Government parking lots located off Terry Fox Drive will be utilized as the parade dismantling area, and therefore will be closed to the public from 8:00pm Thursday until the conclusion of the parade. Parking is prohibited along the entire parade route from midnight Thursday night until the parade ends.  

Elections P.E.I. usually administers elections in five municipalities in the province, but now Charlottetown is off that list. The reason? The chief electoral officer has 'deep concerns regarding the councillors' understanding of the Municipal Government Act... and the principle of impartial elections.'

The society says pet adoptions are also a lot slower and the length of stay is increasing for animals across the board.

Some business and services will be closed on Prince Edward Island Friday for Gold Cup Day. If you're heading to the parade in Charlottetown, be aware the route is different this year.

Island MLA’s will see two increases in pay over the next 8-months.  The Indemnities and Allowances Commission, which determines pay for MLAs has announced a 2-percent raise for MLAs on September 1st.  Their current base salary is about $78-thousand.  There will then be a second pay raise of 2.5-percent, effective April 1, 2024.  The Commission points to inflation as the reason for pay increases.

The rising cost of living, specifically the costs Islanders are facing with the federal Liberals’ carbon tax, was a focus for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he visited PEI on Wednesday.  With a gas station in North River as the backdrop, Poilievre was critical of the carbon tax and says the Conservatives would instead work to lower the costs of low-carbon energy alternatives.  On Wednesday night, Poilievre held an Axe the Tax rally at the Cymbria Lions Club.

Pierre Poilievre says that if his party forms the government after the next federal election, he will introduce measures to bring down the costs of low-carbon energy alternatives rather than impose surcharges on fossil fuels as Justin Trudeau's Liberals have done.

Prince District RCMP arrested a 37 year-old Conway man for impaired driving on an ATV on Tuesday.  At approximately 7:00 p.m., police received a complaint regarding a man who was operating an ATV. Police attended and the man fled on the ATV.  A short time later he was located and was arrested for impaired driving. He was held overnight and will soon appear in court.

Community and not-for-profit organizations, and private developers can build new rental properties with provincial financial assistance.  The province says the Housing Challenge Fund pilot has been renewed to help fast-track new housing stock across the Island. With a 10 year 2 per cent interest rate over 25 years and property tax rebates, the Province is looking to grow housing supply in both urban and rural areas.  The Housing Challenge Fund will allocate $20M of the $50M available to rural housing starts, while the remaining $30M will be earmarked for developments in the Charlottetown, Cornwall, Stratford and Summerside areas.

P.E.I. could be doing more to help homebuyers understand the risk of flooding on properties they are buying, says an expert in climate resilient infrastructure.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will be on Prince Edward Island Wednesday.  Poilievre is here to take part in an Axe The Tax Rally being held at the Cymbria Lions Club.  This will be Poilievre’s first visit to PEI since taking over as Conservative Leader.  Meanwhile, Mark Holland, the federal Minister of Health, will be In Charlottetown as well.   His office says he’ll be announcing improved affordability and accessibility to medication for Islanders.

A reminder from the Gold Cup Parade Committee about the changes to the Gold Cup Parade route this Friday.  The changes will impact the second half of the parade’s traditional route in an effort to alleviate negative traffic impacts and ensure easy access to the core of downtown Charlottetown,  the changes will also allow for a safer and more seamless parade dismantling area. The first half of the parade will follow the traditional route from Queen Charlotte Intermediate School on North River Road, but after it gets onto Grafton it won’t be turning left on Queen Street and continuing on Water Street to Prince Street.  Instead, the parade will travel straight on Grafton Street, turning right on Rochford Street, then left on Fitzroy Street where the parade will end.

A veteran from Birch Hill, P.E.I., will be competing in three sports as Team Canada heads to Germany for the 2023 Invictus Games next month.

A new $63-million residence was built at UPEI to serve as the athlete’s village for the 2023 Canada Winter Games. Those 376 new residence spaces are opening to students for the first time at the end of this month, and clearing up the waitlist.

Local volunteers are giving fellow Prince Edward Islanders a memory they won't forget at a time when they need it the most.

An increasing number of Prince Edward Islanders are looking for help with their debt problems, some P.E.I. debt advisers say.

The national inflation rate rose to 3.3 per cent in July, after tumbling to 2.8 per cent in June.  Statistics Canada says the increase is due to gasoline prices that fell less dramatically from year-ago levels.  Grocery prices rose 8.5 per cent, which is more slowly than they did in June.  That was mostly due to smaller price increases for fruit and bakery goods.   PEI’s inflation rate was 2.1 percent in July.  

Premier Dennis King says National Acadian Day on Tuesday is an incredible opportunity to celebrate the rich and vibrant Acadian culture of PEI.  He says that from the joyous cheers and noisemakers of the tintamarres to the sharing of delicious Acadian food and traditional music, there is truly something for everyone to enjoy, with celebrations taking place across the Island.

In their investigation of a collision last Friday afternoon on St Peter’s Road, Charlottetown Police are asking anyone who may have video that captured the collision to contact them.  It happened at 3:40 pm on Friday.  Along with Charlottetown Police, Queens District RCMP were also on scene as they had been responding to a complaint about an erratic driver that was heading from Mount Stewart to Charlottetown on Route 2.  Charlottetown Police say it was determined that vehicle was involved in the collision as the driver attempted to pass a van and collided with it near Bridle Path Lane. The van ended up in the ditch and the driver was shaken up but uninjured.  The car passing the van ended up hitting a culvert, causing it to flip and roll before coming to rest on its tires.  The driver, who was the only occupant, was extracted from the car by Charlottetown Fire and was taken to the QEH by Island EMS with serious but non life threatening injuries.

The investigation is ongoing.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to meet with his reshuffled cabinet for a three-day retreat in Charlottetown next week.

There is also funding for a new centre of excellence in arts and culture, creating French cultural products in the region, and expanding the early years centre to provide more spaces.

P.E.I. MLA Gord McNeilly was part of a historic moment last week as Black politicians from across the country gathered in Ottawa.

The RCMP reports that four people were taken to hospital as a result of the two-vehicle head-on collision Saturday night in Milton Station on Route 2.  One car had three people inside, while the other car had just the driver.  Two of those involved have serious but non-life threatening injuries.   Along with the RCMP, Island EMS and the North River Fire Department responded to the scene.  Police continue their investigation and ask anyone who witnessed the collision to contact Queens District RCMP.

RCMP are looking for witnesses to an accident on Route 2 near Charlottetown Saturday night.

The accident that closed Confederation Bridge for a time Sunday afternoon was a head-on collision, say RCMP.

The Confederation Bridge was closed to all traffic for a period of time Sunday afternoon due to a collision on the Bridge.  The RCMP announced the closure shortly after 12:30pm, and by 1:10pm, the RCMP said one lane had been cleared on the Confederation Bridge and traffic was alternating in both directions.   At 2:20pm, RCMP reported that both lanes on the Confederation Bridge were open. The RCMP says there were no injuries in the two vehicle collision.