Ontario Construction News staff writer
Federal, provincial and territorial infrastructure ministers met in British Columbia last week to review completed projects and set priorities for the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP).
Ministers committed to ensuring that future spending will be focused on climate resiliency, increasing housing stock, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and growing the economy. They agreed that implementing measures such as transit-oriented development (TOD) will be key to reaching those objectives over the coming years.
“As we think about how to structure and focus our infrastructure investments over the coming years, it is essential for us to come together and discuss the different challenges and opportunities that lie within each jurisdiction,” said Dominic LeBlanc, federal minister of intergovernmental affairs, infrastructure and communities.
Ministers discussed ways to collaboratively address the infrastructure challenges Canada will face in the coming years.
“Across Canada, infrastructure is an economic driver that provides thousands of good-paying jobs and makes our country stronger domestically, and with our global trade partners,” said Rob Fleming, British Columbia’s minister of transportation and infrastructure. “It’s through our collective efforts that we can work together to create inclusive, sustainable, resilient communities, and efficient supply chains for goods movement for all Canadians.”
ICIP is a $33 billion allocation-based program that is a part of the Investing in Canada Plan. Following the success of ICIP, the government is actively reviewing Canada’s continued infrastructure needs as it charts a course for future federal infrastructure programming.