The federal government has blocked public access to all records concerning toll subsidies for the Confederation Bridge until November 2026, sparking questions about transparency and taxpayer costs tied to the private operator.Blacklock's Reporters says Transport Canada cited consultations with unnamed third parties in its refusal to release emails and documents about toll arrangements for the Prince Edward Island crossing. The bridge, built with $1 billion in public funds, is leased until 2032 to Strait Crossing Development Inc., whose past investors include a firm linked to the husband of Transport Minister Anita Anand.Neither Anand nor Prime Minister Mark Carney would disclose how much taxpayers are spending to compensate Strait Crossing for toll cuts. .Anand announced a toll freeze last December, saying the move was meant to make life more affordable for Canadians. Carney followed up on Monday with a pledge to cut tolls in half starting August 1, calling it “big money” without offering financial details.Partial financial disclosures have previously shown Strait Crossing earning profit margins of up to 54%, with a 2016 report by the Parliamentary Budget Office estimating the company took in as much as $37 million annually in guaranteed revenue, regardless of traffic volumes. The full terms of the lease agreement have never been made public.A 2014 cabinet report noted the company had already collected $515.4 million in the first 17 years of the deal. Critics have long questioned why the federal government does not directly operate the bridge, given the guaranteed returns for private investors.“This is a living, breathing example of risk-free investment for a corporation,” former Liberal MP Gerry Byrne said at the time. “The taxpayer is the one getting dinged.”
