as the sun sets in St John's, Newfoundland

[Larry Weil]

On Jul 4, 2011, at 8:18 AM, Kevin Vahey wrote:

> Must factor that most private owned AM's in Canada did not beam a signal into the US 
> 
> Saturday night - 850 was like a local in PEI.
> 
> BTW - how can they justify a toll of $43.25 for the bridge to PEI? It is 8 miles long but that toll charge is insane.

That’s privatization and free enterprise for you.  The Confederation Bridge was built and paid for by a private company, not the government. When it was opened there was an agreement, for I believe five years, not to charge more than the ferry it replaced. After that they got a small increase.  Note that you only pay when leaving the island, whether it be by the bridge or by the ferry to Nova Scotia.

Another interesting fact I learned from an islander (VY2UA for the hams) is that 25 percent of people born in PEI never leave the island in their lifetime.  I believe that figure was from before the bridge was built.

And I remember from the campground on the north shore of PEI that CFGN Port Aux Basques, NF on 1230 with 250 watts at night came in like a local.

Larry Weil
Lake Wobegone, NH