Infrastructure funding slower than hoped; ‘crisis is now’

OTTAWA — The federal government will delay billions in planned infrastructure funds until after Canadians go to the polls next year, this week’s budget shows, underlining slower-than-expected spending at a time when the government was under pressure to spend faster.

The sluggish pace of federal infrastructure spending has been a persistent burr under the saddle of a government that rode to power on a promise to ramp up spending for roads, bridges, community centres, transit and water systems to stimulate the economy.

Tuesday’s budget showed more than $3.8 billion from Phase 1 of the plan — which was supposed to be spent by the end of the month — won’t be out the door until at least 2021. A further $3 billion from the upcoming phase of spending won’t be spent until at least 2025, with the majority of that in 2028.

And that might not be the end of it, since the budget warns of further adjustments.

The Liberals said the new numbers reflect when they expect to receive expense claims from cities and provinces. The process often creates a lag between when work takes place and when federal money is spent, and that lag time can be extended by labour strife, bad weather or other issues beyond Ottawa’s control.

A spokesman for Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi said the budget reflects that reality. “It is not a reflection of project activity, which is well underway on the majority of the more than 4,000 projects Minister Sohi has approved, and which the Bank of Canada has noted are contributing to the country’s economic growth,” Brook Simpson said.

Conservative infrastructure critic Michael Chong said the shift in spending means continued traffic congestion in urban centres, bridges in rural Canada that won’t be repaired, and delays in renovating and building affordable housing units. He urged the Liberals to ease conditions for federal funding to help projects along.

Big city mayors last month pressed the Liberals to speed up the pace of affordable housing money to help with the backlog of repairs on units, but didn’t see that happen. Brock Carlton, CEO of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, said the budget dropped the ball on the housing file. “There is a missed opportunity here to kick-start the social housing repair dollars so they’re later on in the cycle, and we needed them up early now,” Carleton said. “The crisis is now.”