P.E.I.'s Gateway Village 'dark, dreary' and neglected, business owners say

Business owners in P.E.I.'s Gateway Village are growing increasingly frustrated with what they say is the property's state of disrepair.

Gateway Village is home to a series of colourful shops at the foot of the Confederation Bridge in Borden-Carleton. 

Barbarann Fall, owner of Shop and Play in the village, said the state of the attraction has become so bad that it's now a safety risk. She's also worried people will steer clear of the village, adding tour bus operators have already raised a concern. 

"We've talked to the province of Prince Edward Island, we've talked to the Town of Borden-Carleton and nobody seems to want to help us out right now," said Fall, who also lives in the community. 

"This is your number one entryway ... year-round to Prince Edward Island, and at nighttime it's dark, it's dreary, there's nothing."    

During a tour with CBC News, Fall pointed to light fixtures snapped in two, broken windows on buildings, signs that have fallen down, and piles of debris left sitting in parking lots for months. 

Fall said not one of the street lights work, the grass is not being cut, garbage is not being picked up and some of the buildings are in disrepair. 

Bailey Dawson, general manager of Lone Oak Brewing Company in Borden-Carleton, said the village has been forgotten.  

Dawson, who also lives in Borden-Carleton, said not having the dozens of street lights working is a big issue for the brewing company, which stays open well into the evening. 

"The state that it's become over the last five years is a little disheartening," Dawson said.

"Tourists are here now. We have to be prepared for them to come. We're the first thing they see, and if they don't like what they see, they're going to keep driving by."  

Province struggles to find contractor

Dawson has written letters of concern to the town and the local MLA. 

Borden-Carleton officials told CBC News the town is not responsible for any services to Gateway Village other than water and sewer. 

P.E.I.'s Department of Economic Development oversees Gateway Village. In a statement to CBC News, the province said it's working with various government departments on necessary repairs, including the street lights, which are "reaching end of life."

The statement goes on to say that "individual businesses who own their land/building in the village are however responsible for maintenance and upkeep of their property."

The provincial Department of Transportation is responsible for cutting the grass in public areas, including the so-called rolling hills where the Prince Edward Island welcome sign is located.

A spokesperson for that department acknowledged it took it "a while to find an available contractor." They said a contractor has now been secured and the grass will now be cut on a more regular basis. 

'General neglect of the area'

Borden Kinkora MLA Matt MacFarlane said he continues to reach out to provincial officials, including the finance and transportation ministers, but he hasn't been able to get any firm commitments on Gateway Village's upkeep.

"This has probably been one of the biggest issues that people have brought to my attention from the Borden area, has been the general neglect of the Gateway Village area by the province," MacFarlane said.

"If people coming into P.E.I. as tourists see a general state of neglect with Gateway Village — grass not being cut, buildings not being painted, lighting not working, flags in tatters — what does that say about the pride we have in our province?"  

He said if the province can't keep up with the maintenance, it should sell Gateway Village.  

"Anything should be looked at at this point," MacFarlane said. 

"If they can't do it, maybe somebody else can." 

'Proud to come to Prince Edward Island'

The business owners say there also needs to be more signage to encourage people to come into the village. 

Fall wants all the partners to get together — the province, the town, the landlords and the local business owners — to come up with a solution to bring Gateway Village back to its former glory. 

"We want people to be proud to come to Prince Edward Island and not leave disappointed."