Time is now for a national infrastructure corridor

With the federal government’s commitment to invest significantly in the building and renewal of Canada’s infrastructure, it’s important to discuss how to invest strategically and effectively — how to address both economic and societal needs.

Yet, leading up to Canada’s 150th birthday, a proposal for the boldest and perhaps transformative infrastructure project since Sir John A. Macdonald’s national policy built the transcontinental railroad went largely unnoticed. It wasn’t necessarily a new idea, but it would do exactly what intelligent infrastructure investment is meant to do — connect our communities, enable commerce and protect our environment.

A June 2017 report prepared by the Senate’s banking committee, National Corridor: Enhancing and Facilitating Commerce and Internal Trade, proposes the building of a national infrastructure right-of-way across Canada’s North and Near North. This is a chance to establish a national network of infrastructure corridors. The idea behind this type of corridor is to build a passage that could be used to accommodate multiple infrastructure assets, including roadways, railways, pipeline and communication projects. A nationwide network of these corridors would connect all regions of Canada, help address social and environmental concerns and facilitate the planning, development and implementation of both public and private infrastructure projects in a less costly and more timely manner.

The Senate report drew upon a recent study by the University of Calgary School of Public Policy, which in turn had been inspired by a proposal by general Richard Rohmer during Canada’s centennial in 1967. (Why don’t we see this portrayed as a “heritage moment” on TV?)

Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments have all recognized a lack of infrastructure is a limiting factor in the further development of Canada’s resource sector. This is especially true in the North. An infrastructure corridor would make it easier and more economically viable to connect northern and remote communities to vital economic and quality of life-enhancing infrastructure (such as power, communications, road and rail) that most Canadians take for granted. What’s more, corridors also protect infrastructure from advancing urban development and offer a long-term solution to many of the land-use challenges associated with developing major facilities.

Currently, Canada has a fragmented and unco-ordinated approach to planning and approvals that are delaying and discouraging projects that could otherwise provide market access for Canadian products, allow movement of goods and services, provide energy and otherwise grow the economy of regions across Canada. To move forward with a national corridor, the federal government should work with all levels of government and relevant stakeholders to identify and acquire lands and to facilitate the securing of required approvals for a network of corridors to connect all of Canada’s major urban centres and regions.

An integrated planning approach to infrastructure would eliminate the need for multiple reviews of major nation-building projects and allow governments to better consult with Indigenous groups and local stakeholders on the correct path for a right-of-way where projects could then be built. One of the key benefits is a national corridor would require a significantly smaller geographical and environmental footprint than the current fragmented approach.

If we don’t act soon, the cost of developing these corridors will become prohibitive, as well as having any overlapping jurisdictional policies and requirements becoming even more entrenched. If Canada is to grow to its fullest potential while maintaining a responsible balance between the need for infrastructure development and environment stewardship, a discussion on national corridors to accommodate nation-building infrastructure needs to take place sooner rather than later.

John Gamble is president and CEO of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies — Canada. Sen. David Tkachuk is chairman of the Senate committee on banking, trade and commerce.