Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has proposed construction mitigation requirements in PEI’s Municipal Government Act, to reduce impact on small businesses.
“Around 70 per cent of Canadian small businesses experience disruptions due to construction,” said Frédéric Gionet, Director of Legislative Affairs for PEI and Atlantic region for CFIB.
Last year and the year before, businesses in Montague experienced hardships caused by construction work on Route 4, and Robertson Road, which coincided with tourist season.
Brudenell Market, which was located on Robertson Road, closed in late August, 2025. The store, which carried local grocery products, was one of the businesses which was affected by the construction, in particular during July and August of 2025.
In many instances they posted on social media they would be closed on particular days because there was no access for customers to the parking lot. Some days the road was inaccessible from Main Street and closures were posted in the middle of the day. One post indicated stock was limited because they were unable to receive deliveries.
According to CFIBs 2024 study on construction disruption, businesses reported loss of 22 per cent of their revenues and additional $10,000 on expenses, such as cleaning and repairs.
Gionet said before beginning the construction project, there should be mandatory consultations with the local community and businesses.
“When construction projects coincide with tourism season, a lot of businesses lose a lot of money,” he added.
There are multiple construction projects from both provincial and municipal governments that are constantly taking place, but the people in the community don’t know how long it will take and have no say in it, he said.
The proposal recommends at least six months of notice before breaking the ground, public meeting with all stakeholders, access to alternative routes, dedicated loading zones, parking, and dust and noise control which are the common disruptors, affecting 58 per cent of businesses during construction.
In case of huge losses, the government should also look into helping businesses financially, he said.
“We’re not saying the government should compensate for the entire loss, but it can definitely help them, and in the meantime, businesses should also be able to demonstrate that the losses were caused by construction,” he said.
He wants PEI to become the first province to adopt this kind of legislation, he added.
He said the federation does not have a clear view on when it will be implemented. Previously government had shown positive response to the proposal when they had discussions last year before Christmas and he hopes it will follow through.
He said this is a common sense proposal where the government needs to plan and have clear communication with the local communities to mitigate harm.
CFIB has a membership of 100,000 representing small and medium independent businesses all over Canada, and 900 are from PEI.
By Pratik Bhattarai, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Feb 11, 2026 at 09:43
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