Speech
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
Ottawa, Ontario
Thursday, May 9th, 2019
Check Against Delivery
Good morning.
It is a pleasure to be here.
Over the last 9 months, I have been travelling across Canada to meet with partners, workers and many communities.
I saw how our investments are directly benefiting Canadians and improving their quality of life in concrete ways.
So today I want to make sure the impacts felt and seen on the ground are pulled together for all to see.
That is why we have created this progress report on the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
I am proud of the progress we have made to date with the implementation of our Investing in Canada plan.
Under the Plan, we are investing more than $180 billion through five funding streams:
In all, over 48,000 infrastructure projects have been approved to date and nearly all are underway or completed.
More than 8,500 new and refurbished buses, including 846 hybrid and electric buses, providing over 100,000 extra seats to Canadians.
This activity has created 100,000 jobs and already contributed 0.4% to Canada's GDP.
And we are just getting started.
The whole plan covers over $180 Billion worth of investments with 14 Departments now fully coordinated and delivering results.
For my part, we are directly responsible for $113 billion over 12 years of the Plan.
We have already committed $28.6 billion.
So one quarter of the way through our plan, we have invested one quarter of our commitments to communities.
That's on time and on track.
Building healthy, vibrant and prosperous communities is in everyone's interest.
That is why we worked hard to create funding agreements with every single province and territory.
I urge all provinces to open all of their intake processes for municipal projects quickly so we do not miss the upcoming summer construction season.
Speaking of construction season, we have also ensured that our processes align with it, and not the other way around.
We have introduced progress payments based on percentage of work complete, so that the funding keeps pace with the construction work.
We are laser-focused on getting projects moving and supporting every community, every worker to get the job done.
My department is ready and equipped to do everything we can to support them in supporting communities.
Because this is a long-term nation-building endeavour.
This is why, in preparation for construction season, and in order to directly respond to infrastructure priorities raised by municipalities, we have announced an additional $2.2 billion top-up to the Gas Tax Fund, a first since the introduction of the Fund that provides predictable and long-term funding to municipalities.
The fund provides municipalities with tremendous flexibility to prioritize infrastructure projects according to their needs.
Beyond the numbers, the improved processes and the very real progress lies transformational projects and their impacts on people.
The Samuel De Champlain Bridge, the third largest project in North America, will open at the end of June.
The Gordie Howe Bridge, a major international crossing that will support, enhance and ensure our commerce with our largest trading partner for decades to come.
The Edmonton LRT.
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.
The Calgary BMO Centre, which will house 40,000 people - tourists, investors - at Stampede and all year.
Countless community centres, rinks and facilities for our seniors, kids and families.
In communities large and small, our commitments and investments have unlocked our economic potential and well-being.
I think of the town of Drumheller in Alberta, where our investments will contribute to new dykes being built on the banks of the Red Deer River and a flood mitigation system to support its 8,000 residents.
Or the groundbreaking of the Toronto Portlands Flood protection project that will protect 290 hectares of land in the southeast of the City.
There are many others like it across the country, protecting communities against the devastating impacts of climate change for years to come.
Finally, I would also like to pay tribute to the thousands of workers that I had the privilege of meeting on construction sites throughout the country.
They are the real heroes of our Plan, and meeting them continues to be one of the highlights of my role as minister.
Together, let us:
seize the opportunity;
be ambitious in our goals and our actions; and
work together to build modern, resilient and green infrastructure for the 21st century.
I am now happy to take your questions.
