<P> Following the election of the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney, with its agenda for regional development through so - called "mega-projects," Public Works Canada called for formal proposals in 1987 and received three offers . These proposals included a tunnel, a bridge, and a combined tunnel - causeway - bridge . </P> <P> These developments sparked an extremely divisive debate on the Island, and Premier Joe Ghiz promised a plebiscite to gauge public support, which was held on January 18, 1988 . </P> <P> During the plebiscite debate, the anti-link group Friends of the Island cited potential ecological damage from the construction, as well as concerns about the impact on Prince Edward Island's lifestyle in general, and noted that the "mega-project" model has had limited success in other areas of the world, and rarely enriched the local population . The Friends of the Island believed that a fixed link was being pressured by a federal government not willing to shoulder the cost of constitutional obligations for funding an efficient ferry service, and that a link would be built largely for the benefit of mainland tourists and businesses waiting to exploit the Island . </P> <P> The pro-link group Islanders for a Better Tomorrow noted transportation reliability would result in improvements for exporters and the tourism industry . </P>

How deep is the water under confederation bridge