Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday announced the appointment of former P.E.I. Premier Dennis King as Canada’s ambassador to Ireland.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that Dennis King has been appointed as Canada’s next Ambassador to Ireland.  Trudeau made the announcement in a news release issued this morning by the Prime Minister’s Office, highlighting what it calls King’s proven track record of public service saying he helped drive progress on key priorities such as health care, education, economic development, and job creation. The Prime Minister’s Office says King will advance the two countries’ shared priorities, including strengthening transatlantic security, growing our economies, reducing emissions, expanding trade and investment, and building a better future for people on both sides of the Atlantic.

Scientists say there are no signs that the Atlantic herring stock is improving, but some fishermen aren’t convinced. 

An organization called North Shore Climate Action for Resilience is lobbying to make public transportation more accessible for rural communities in P.E.I. 

Members of Prince Edward Island's Ukrainian community say they were shocked by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's meeting on Friday with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Islanders and political leaders are commemorating Lawrence MacAulay’s 36 years of public service after his retirement announcement Saturday. 

The federal government, PEI, and the other Atlantic provinces are working together to expand trade in the Indo-Pacific region.  In late February, a delegation of eight Atlantic Canadian companies, two educational institutions and industry association representatives travelled to Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam on a trade mission.  Representatives from the Agri-food, Ocean Tech, Energy, Clean Tech, Aerospace and Defence, and ICT sectors all took part.  Delegates also attended the 2025 Canada-in-Asia Conference in Singapore, promoting Canada as a key player in the region. 

With U.S. tariffs set to take effect in just days, Opposition Leader Hal Perry says that what he calls government’s “instability” is coming at the worst possible time. Perry suggests that with no clear plan and no sense of urgency, Islanders are being forced to wait while the Premier sorts out his party’s problems. Perry says it’s time for Premier Lantz and his government to stop playing party politics and start managing the crisis at hand.

Tax season officially kicked off Monday as the Canada Revenue Agency opened its filing portal. This year, there are a few important changes to be aware of.

Longtime Cardigan MP Lawrence MacAulay made it official on Saturday — he will not be a candidate in the next federal election.  Macaulay made the announcement before a packed gymnasium in St. Peter’s Bay.  MacAulay has been the MP for the Cardigan riding for over 36 years, having been first elected in 1988.  In all, MacAulay won 11 elections, making him one of the longest serving MPs in Canadian history.   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien both sent along video tributes that were played for the large crowd of supporters at Saturday’s announcement.

"It's a tough decision, but it's been a decision that has been very heavily discussed, with my family in particular, for 10 years," MacAulay said in an interview with CBC News.

The provincial government has released the What We Heard report summarizing public input on the Live Well P-E-I Consultation Paper. The paper provided an overview of wellness in the province and outlined key goals. The government will establish a multi-sector Live Well P-E-I Wellness Action Committee tasked with developing a plan to move forward.. Live Well P-E-I will emphasize sustainability, enhance support and empower Islanders to improve their health.

A new one-year pilot program will bring pelvic floor physiotherapy to Islanders who are under-insured or don't have insured coverage at all. The provincially funded program launched on Tuesday and will be run through the P.E.I. Physiotherapy Association. 

A new report released by the City of Charlottetown details how rising sea levels and extreme heat will affect P.E.I.’s capital in the decades to come.

Roughly 200 people packed into a Greater Summerside Area Chamber of Commerce breakfast featuring Premier Rob Lantz Premiers. It was a chance for business owners to speak directly to government members — including young entrepreneur William Blanchard, shown with the premier. CBC's Sheehan Desjardins was there too.

Local businesses say Islanders are making more of an effort to buy local and Canadian-made products in response to Donald Trump's tariff threat. CBC's Connor Lamont caught up with some businesses to get their thoughts on the movement.

Some parents on P.E.I. are scrambling to find a certain kind of baby formula, and it turns out a tornado in the U.S. last summer is partly to blame for the product’s shortage.

A request by a Buddhist organization to build two new dormitory buildings on their eastern P.E.I. compound will move on to Three Rivers council for approval, despite continued opposition to the development from some area residents. 

An anonymous social media post about issues facing paramedics on Prince Edward Island is reflective of how some in the profession feel, says the union’s president.

The Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission has approved decreases in gasoline, furnace oil and diesel prices overnight.  The price of regular gasoline decreased by 5.5 cents per litre, while the price of premium gasoline went down by 4.0 cents per litre.  The price of furnace oil decreased by 5.0 cents per litre.  The price of diesel dropped by 3.5 cents per litre.  Including taxes, pump prices for regular self-serve gasoline now range from $1.64 to $1.65 per litre.  Diesel goes for $1.96 to $1.97 per litre.  The maximum price for furnace oil is $1.37 per litre.

Prince Edward Island's mental health and addictions emergency department is celebrating its first year of operation this week, though a planned short-stay unit won't open until 'a really robust and stable staffing model' is in place.

A program at the University of Prince Edward Island that trains French teachers is only about half-full, despite a nationwide shortage of French teachers.

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PEI WEATHER

Clouds, then a mix of sun and cloud. Chance of flurries or rain showers late this afternoon. Temp -1 this afternoon
Tonight Partly cloudy. 60 percent chance of flurries this evening. Low minus 11
Saturday A mix of sun and cloud. Becoming cloudy in the afternoon High plus 2

P.E.I. businesses currently contend with many barriers to selling their products in other provinces, but they run into the first one even before trucks leave Island soil.

Premier Rob Lantz filled two vacancies in his cabinet Thursday afternoon, appointing a Souris-area MLA as education minister and giving Speaker Darlene Compton a new role.

A swearing-in ceremony was held Thursday afternoon as Premier Rob Lantz unveiled a new-look Cabinet.  There are two new members of this Cabinet – Belfast-Murray River MLA Darlene Compton and Souris-Elmira MLA .  All other member of Cabinet maintain their current portfolios.  This is a return to Cabinet for Compton, who will now serve as Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Trade.  She had most-recently been serving as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.  Compton has previously served as Minister of Finance, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, Minister of Agriculture and Land, and Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General. Croucher is a first-time member of Cabinet.  Croucher takes over as Minister of Education and Early Years, the portfolio that had been held by Lantz before he moved into the role of Premier.  Along with being Premier, Lantz also serves as Minister Responsible for Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister Responsible for Indigenous Relations.  

Island NDP Leader Michelle Neill is seeking her Party’s nomination as candidate for District 15 Brackley-Hunter River.  A by-election is necessary in District 15 after the resignation last week of former Premier Dennis King.  Neill had recently announced that she was seeking the party’s nomination for District 9 Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park, the seat left vacant by Natalie Jamieson, before it was publicly known that King would be stepping down.  The Island NDP Leader says that she prefers to run in District 15 Brackley-Hunter River, where she has resided for over 25 years.  

Summerside Mayor Dan Kutcher says a planned overnight power outage that was needed to help stabilize the city's power grid went well, but its electrical system remains vulnerable.

Premier Rob Lantz will be unveiling changes to his new Cabinet Thursday.  A ceremony is being held early in the afternoon at Government House to swear-in the new Cabinet. The changes are necessary as Lantz had been serving as Minister of Education and Early Years before taking on the Premier’s role.  Cory Deagle, the Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Trade, resigned from Cabinet on Wednesday to launch a bid for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of PEI.  Former Premier Dennis King had also held a number of portfolios before his resignation.

The East Coast Music Association has announced the 2025 ECMA nominees as this year’s East Coast Music Awards: Festival & Conference is taking place in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador from May 7–11.   Leading this year’s nominations is Classified and Jeremy Dutcher both with eight.  Vishtèn earned five nominations.  In total, artists from PEI garnered 15 nominations.  The marquee event of ECMA 2025 is the 37th East Coast Music Awards Gala, which will take place on Thursday, May 8 at the Mary Brown’s Centre in St. John’s.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hosted a virtual meeting Wednesday with all of the country’s premiers, including new PEI Premier Rob Lantz. It was the first meeting for Lantz with his fellow Premiers and the Prime Minister since he was sworn-in as Premier last Friday following the resignation of Dennis King.  Lantz says that during the call, he brought up PEI’s desire to end the tolls for the Confederation Bridge and for the Wood Islands ferry. Lantz says that for far too long Islanders have had a disadvantage when it comes to trade with our Canadian neighbours and he’s calling on the Federal government to step in.  The Premier says he was pleased to hear Prime Minister Trudeau commit to having Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc connect with the Premier’s Office in the coming days to discuss the tolls and their impact on the province.

The City of Charlottetown has earmarked money to build a new multi-sport turf field that’s been years in the making, but it’s still not clear where the facility will be going. 

A remembrance committee in Fort Augustus, P.E.I., is on a mission to ensure those from the area who provided military service are never forgotten.

PEI WEATHER

Sunny some clouds this afternoon then snow. WInd 40k and a High 2
Tonight 2-4cm of snow changing to periods of rain late this evening. Wind @ 40k Temperature rising to 7 by morning
Friday Rain ending early in the afternoon then mainly cloudy Temperature falling to zero in the afternoon

The province is funding a one-year pilot program through the P.E.I. Physiotherapy Association to provide pelvic floor physiotherapy to Islanders who are under insured or have no coverage. CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin found out more about the program from the association's president, Sheila MacMurdo, and physiotherapist Paige Martin.

During their first conversation on Wednesday, Premier Rob Lantz says he was 'very direct' with the prime minister about the need to eliminate Confederation Bridge tolls and fees for the ferry service between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia. 

Many Summerside residents will be in the dark again overnight Wednesday due to a scheduled power outage from 1 to 6 a.m. AT.

Montague-Kilmuir MLA Cory Deagle is the first declared candidate for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of PEI.   On Wednesday, Deagle announced that he had informed Premier Rob Lantz of his decision to resign from cabinet, effective immediately, to focus his efforts on the pending leadership race and serving the residents of District 3, Montague-Kilmuir.  Deagle says a formal leadership campaign launch will take place following the official announcement of the PC Party of PEI leadership race.

A Prince Edward Island cabinet minister has become the first person to say he is running for the leadership of the provincial Progressive Conservative Party. 

Prince Edward Island’s chief public health officer says this flu season is ramping up to be more significant than last year's, and anyone who's not already vaccinated should seek out a shot.

U-S President Donald Trump’s plan to hit Canada and Mexico with devastating tariffs is set to take effect next week.

But a White House official has confirmed that plans could change through negotiations.

Trump’s executive order to implement 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports, with a lower 10 per cent levy on energy, had been delayed until next Tuesday after Canada agreed to introduce new security measures at the border.

Trump said the pause would give time to reach a final economic deal but just days ago he suggested the levies would be going forward on schedule

The Tourism Industry Association of PEI is looking to connect job-seekers with employers in PEI’s tourism industry as it hosts two major Tourism Job Fairs and a province-wide Rural Hiring Day this spring.  TIAPEI says there are over 700 jobs available.  The first event, the Charlottetown Tourism Job Fair, is set for this Saturday (March 1st) from 11 AM to 3 PM at the Eastlink Centre. The second, the North Shore Tourism Job Fair, will be held on April 5th at Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish.   TIAPEI will also be hosting Rural Hiring Day on April 12.   Rural Hiring Day allows businesses to stay at their locations while job seekers visit them in person, providing a firsthand look at the workplaces and an opportunity for one-on-one conversations with hiring managers.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be hosting a virtual meeting Wednesday with all of the country’s premiers, including new PEI Premier Rob Lantz.

This will be the first meeting for Lantz with his fellow Premiers and the Prime Minister since he was sworn-in as Premier last Friday following the resignation of Dennis King.

Lantz prorogued the legislature for a month and has indicated that his immediate priority is addressing the threat of tariffs by the United States and the impact they could have on the Island economy.  

He says he has been fully briefed on the tariffs issue as he heads into Wednesday’s virtual meeting.

Wednesday is Pink Shirt Day.  Pink Shirt Day is an annual event where you are encouraged to wear a pink shirt to raise awareness about bullying, particularly in schools. Pink Shirt Day was started in 2007 in Berwick, Nova Scotia.  

The Town of Stratford is hosting a series of Community Conversations as part of the Stratford Official Plan Review.   The series includes 5 sessions.  The first two regarding Housing, and Transportation and Recreation were held Monday and Tuesday.  Tonight’s session deals with Culture and Heritage and it’s at the Stratford Emergency Services Centre at 7:00pm.  Sessions are also planned for March 10th on Employment, Lands and Development; and then March 11th on Environment and Agriculture.

The City of Summerside is advising of a planned power outage.   On Thursday, from 1:00 AM to 6:00 AM, a number of circuits will be offline.  The outage is necessary for Maritime Electric to connect Summerside to its Mobile Transfer Unit at the Sherbrooke Substation, an interim solution to help stabilize the city’s power grid. 

A call from Green MLA Matt MacFarlane for legislative standing committees to keep working even though Premier Rob Lantz prorogued the legislature.  MacFarlane has formally written the Chair of the Standing Committee on Education and Economic Growth requesting an urgent meeting to address two issues — the looming threat of U.S. tariffs, and ongoing issues with the province’s electrical grid.  

On Monday afternoon, Charlottetown Police arrested a woman following a targeted traffic stop on the Brackley Point Road. 

Drug Investigators located and seized 72 grams of cocaine, a small quantity of hashish, two cell phones, cash, and drug trafficking paraphernalia.  A 43-year old Charlottetown woman has been charged with Possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. 

She was released from custody with conditions and will soon appear in Provincial Court.