The Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO) is calling on the Federal Government to welcome more construction workers to Canada through immigration reforms, fill municipal funding gaps caused by the pandemic, and streamline regulatory processes to shorten the development approvals process while lowering compliance costs.

These three priorities were detailed in RCCAO’s Federal Budget 2023 pre-budget consultation submitted to the House of Common’s Standing Committee on Finance. Enacted together, these three items will boost the labour pool available to build up our communities, ensure stable funding to complete capital projects and repairs, and reduce costly delays that hold up projects.

“These three priorities are crucial to addressing long-term critical infrastructure needs that will serve Canadians and the economy well into the future,” said Nadia Todorova, Executive Director of RCCAO. “They will enhance the ability of industry to build critical infrastructure projects on-time and on-budget, while ensuring the needed infrastructure is in place to serve Canadians for years to come.”

Infrastructure lays the foundation for nation building and provides significant opportunities for economic growth, competitiveness, and improved quality of life. As we consider the population projections for Canada and Ontario – 57 million by 2068 and 21 million by 2043, respectively – and the current infrastructure deficit that exists, estimated to be as high as $270 billion, it is imperative that investment decisions today carefully consider where we may be tomorrow.

“The ongoing collaboration of all three levels of government is needed to ensure critical infrastructure keeps up with the long-term demands of our growing country,” said Todorova. “Even with economic headwinds creating challenges, renewing and expanding critical infrastructure is a great investment in the long-term prosperity of all Canadians.”

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