Industries in P.E.I. see positives in new federal budget, but workforce worries persist

Stephen Brun · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 06, 2025 10:23 AM EST | Last Updated: November 6

Prince Edward Island’s concern assemblage is cautiously optimistic astir investments successful the caller national budget, though determination are concerns astir uncovering capable radical to prolong the workforce.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s archetypal fund includes big-ticket items to combat a dismal economical outlook — unemployment is up, concern uncertainty has spiked and productivity is anemic crossed the country. 

Bianca McGregor, CEO of the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce, said it remains to beryllium seen whether the national authorities tin propulsion disconnected what it’s trying to execute successful what she called a “bold” budget. 

“We’re truly optimistic and excited to spot the defence spending and however our aerospace clump tin instrumentality vantage of that and enactment wrong the portion to benignant of leverage much enactment present connected P.E.I.,” McGregor said. 

“There’s tons of positives for [agriculture] and nutrient production, tons of infrastructure concern for things similar export diversification.” 

The 406-page fund calls for $141 cardinal successful caller spending implicit the adjacent 5 years, which volition partially beryllium offset by immoderate $51.2 cardinal successful cuts oregon a full of $60 cardinal successful cuts and “savings.”

When it comes to that defence spending that could payment P.E.I.’s aerospace industry, it includes an $81-billion backing bundle for the Canadian Armed Forces — including a Buy Canadian procurement plan.  

But the fund besides includes a program to slash migration aft years of what the national Liberals picture arsenic unsustainable growth. Temporary overseas workers and students volition spot the steepest cuts with admissions falling by astir half, with the intent being to assistance much homegrown workers get jobs. 

Joe Byrne, president of the Cooper Institute successful P.E.I., hoped to spot much assistance for radical surviving connected the Island nether enactment permits. 

WATCH | Islanders respond to 'bold' national budget:

He said the state and the state desperately request workers to capable jobs, but Ottawa is putting much restrictions connected the radical it needs to bash that work. 

“I deliberation we’re going to find a batch of sectors that are going to conflict conscionable to enactment open,” helium said. 

“The national authorities consistently looks astatine workers arsenic conscionable a cog successful the economical wheel, and if we would marque it truthful that workers would person liveable wages, sustainable and decent employment, determination would beryllium each kinds of workers.... 

“We marque it consistently hard for radical who person made a committedness to this state to beryllium capable to proceed that commitment.”

'We request to build'

The migration reductions person travel mostly successful effect to a accelerated colonisation maturation that’s placed unit connected everything from wellness attraction to housing. 

The fund sets speech $51 cardinal for an infrastructure program to assistance physique much schools, hospitals, roads, bridges and homes. 

WATCH | Construction is booming connected P.E.I. Are determination capable workers to support up?:

The operation manufacture successful this state hopes to spot immoderate payment from that fund, on with millions successful infrastructure investments contained successful P.E.I.’s superior budget. 

Sam Sanderson, enforcement manager of the Construction Association of P.E.I., said immoderate of the labourers required to bash that could beryllium recruited from extracurricular of Canada — but astir of the association’s absorption is connected teaching the indispensable skills to those present astatine home. 

“We’re struggling, but we request to physique the infrastructure. If we’re not gathering it, this country’s not growing. The fund is creating tons of accidental for caller manufacturing, enlargement of businesses and things similar that,” Sanderson said. 

“Looking around, there’s not a country successful Prince Edward Island that there’s not immoderate benignant of operation going on, truthful we request that maturation to proceed and we request the people, truthful a collaborative effort from each levels of authorities and manufacture is going to beryllium much important present than ever before.”