Providing necessary capital funding for municipalities to maintain critical infrastructure, and building the Bradford Bypass and Highway 413 transportation Corridor; these were the key recommendations of the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO) at the recent Ontario Pre-Budget Consultations. Funding for both measures will maintain and expand critical infrastructure across Ontario, and ensure people and goods stay on the move.
Nadia Todorova, executive director of RCCAO testified at the Pre-Budget Consultations of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs at Queen’s Park on behalf of its members.
Ensuring municipalities have the necessary capital funds this year is key to maintaining critical infrastructure in a state-of-good-repair for Ontarians. RCCAO pointed to the success of the Safe Restart Agreement in 2020 between the Ontario and federal government in initially helping municipalities address municipal budgeting gaps caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has created.
With the Greater Toronto Area among the fastest growing regions in North America and an additional 2.8 million people expected in the region over the next 25 years, both the Bradford Bypass and the Highway 413 transportation corridor are projects of vital importance. Both critical infrastructure projects will help by reducing congestion, fostering economic recovery and long-term competitiveness, improving connectivity, supporting affordable housing initiatives, and facilitating job creation.
In addition to these two key funding measures, RCCAO highlighted the need to improve the delivery timeframes of the underground utility locates system and address industry labour shortages by reforming the immigration system to make it easier to attract immigrants with construction experience.
You can read the RCCAO submission here
