Government is delivering on infrastructure pledge, minister says

Since taking office, more than 4,100 projects across Canada have been funded, says Amarjeet Sohi

Re: Infrastructure spending woes reveal another broken Liberal promise (April 6)

Infrastructure is the bedrock of strong communities. From large-scale, transformational projects to smaller, localized undertakings, it has the power to revitalize, strengthen and improve the everyday lives of all Canadians.

When we formed government after the 2015 election, we did so with a promise to make historic investments in infrastructure. We are delivering on this commitment through our $186 billion Investing in Canada plan. Led by Infrastructure Canada, this plan provides funding for programs across more than a dozen government departments and agencies. Investments made through these programs aim to help grow the economy and create jobs for the middle class, build inclusive, accessible communities and to support a low carbon, sustainable economy.

On April 6, an editorial in this paper expressed concern that infrastructure funds are not flowing. I want to assure readers that this is not the case and to confirm that projects are already underway from coast-to-coast-to-coast.

Since taking office, my department alone has approved more than 4,100 projects across the country. In Ontario alone, we have approved more than 2,000 projects with a federal investment of almost $6 billion. These include large-scale transit investments, such as our almost $2-billion contribution to the GO RER project in the Greater Golden Horseshoe Area and hundreds of repair and enhancement projects that are modernizing transit and clean water and wastewater systems across this province and across Canada. These are investments that will help ensure that our communities remain healthy and sustainable now and for years to come.

It is important to clarify how federal infrastructure funding flows to projects. Once federal funding is approved for a project, it is available right away, but it only flows when local partners submit their claims, often well after construction is underway. If they wait until the project is completed before claiming the federal dollars, our role is to ensure the funds remain available to them by reprofiling the money to the next fiscal year. In short, the flow of federal funding to a project always lags the activity on that project.

Through our 2016 and 2017 budgets, our government committed to investing $186 billion in the infrastructure that Canadian communities want and need.

A significant portion of this funding is being delivered through long-term agreements with provinces and territories and focuses on public transit, green infrastructure, community, culture and recreation infrastructure, and investments in rural and northern communities. In short, we’re investing in making our communities great places to call home.

I am proud to confirm that the federal government recently signed an agreement with the Government of Ontario to provide more than $11.8 billion in infrastructure funding over the next ten years. We committed to providing communities with the long-term, predictable funding they had long sought and now we are delivering on that.

This long-term funding will allow for smarter planning by our partners and I am looking forward to working with your local representatives to move forward on important projects in the coming years.

By making smart investments like these, we are helping Canadian municipalities to build strong foundations for economic growth and create middle-class jobs while developing inclusive communities where everyone has access to the opportunities they need to thrive. We will continue to work with our provincial, territorial, Indigenous and municipal partners to deliver on our historic longterm commitments to infrastructure.