January 28, 2026, Charlottetown, PEI - As part of Red Tape Awareness Week™ (January 26–30), the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is awarding its Order of the Bear to Prince Edward Island’s Project Addressing Red Tape (A.R.T.) Office, recognizing the dedication and impact of the small team working to measure and modernize the province’s regulatory system.
The 2026 Order of the Bear recipients include Jane Mallard, Director of Economic Development, Innovation and Trade, and Ayo Ogunleye, Policy and Strategy Officer, who lead the day-to-day work of Project A.R.T.
In December 2025, the Project A.R.T. team reached a significant milestone by completing a comprehensive count of PEI’s regulatory requirements—the province’s first full measurement since 2020. Acting on CFIB recommendations, the team expanded the scope of the count to include requirements affecting both businesses and individuals, capturing obligations found in legislation, regulations, policies, and administrative forms across all departments, agencies, and delegated authorities.
“Reducing red tape starts with knowing exactly how much of it exists,” said Frederic Gionet, Atlantic Director for CFIB. “The Project A.R.T. team did the hard, often invisible work of measuring the problem so it can actually be fixed. That effort deserves recognition, especially given the size of the team and the complexity of the task.”
Between 2020 and 2025, PEI’s regulatory requirements increased by 2.7%, while administrative requirements grew by 14.4%. While some changes improved clarity and reduced duplication, such as consolidating health profession regulations and modernizing employment standards, the data underscores the ongoing challenge facing government.
Red tape remains a serious issue for PEI’s small businesses. Every unnecessary form, unclear rule, or delayed approval takes time away from customers, innovation, and growth. CFIB’s 2026 Red Tape Report Card gave Prince Edward Island an overall grade of C, an improvement from last year’s C-, but still well short of where the province needs to be to support competitiveness and productivity.
“This award is about recognizing the people doing the work, not declaring the job done,” added Gionet. “PEI has made progress, but a C grade shows there’s still significant room for improvement. Sustained leadership from the top and a whole-of-government commitment to regulatory accountability are essential if we want to see real, lasting change.”
The Order of the Bear is CFIB’s national award recognizing individuals and teams who take on the tough work of reducing red tape for small businesses. This year’s award highlights that meaningful progress often begins with dedicated public servants willing to do the detailed, behind-the-scenes work required to improve how government operates.
Red Tape Awareness Week is an annual CFIB initiative aimed at shining a spotlight on the cost of unnecessary regulation and the importance of smarter, simpler rules for Canadian businesses.
For more information on Red Tape Awareness Week, visit cfib.ca/redtape.
For media enquiries or interviews, please contact:
Frédéric Gionet
C: 506-866-5548
frederic.gionet@cfib.ca
About CFIB
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses, with 100,000 members across every industry and region. In Atlantic Canada alone, CFIB represents more than 10,000 members, over 900 of them in PEI, and collectively employ more than 124,000 people in the region (10,200 in PEI). CFIB advocates for policy change at all levels of government, provides expert advice and tools, and negotiates exclusive savings to help business owners succeed. Learn more at cfib.ca.
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