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A coalition of construction sector associations has allied to urge the federal and provincial governments to deliver on infrastructure investments. The newly formed Building for Recovery coalition includes Associated Equipment Distributors (AED), the Canadian Construction Association (CCA), Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Canada (ACEC – Canada), and the National Trade Contractors Council of Canada (NTCCC).
“The construction sector is ready to rebuild Canada’s economy but all levels of government must deliver on infrastructure investments now to get projects started,” stated Brian McGuire, AED president.
The Building for Recovery coalition was developed to encourage individuals working in and supportive of the construction sector to send a letter to their local representative at both the federal and provincial levels, asking for support to deliver infrastructure investments to help rebuild the Canadian economy in the wake of COVID-19.
“Despite billions of dollars of existing infrastructure commitments, these investments have been slow to roll out. Infrastructure Canada’s website shows that of the nearly 17,000 approved projects, fewer than 900 have received funding,” said John Gamble, president of ACEC – Canada.
While rebuilding Canada’s economy from the pandemic’s impacts will require a comprehensive stimulus plan, investing in infrastructure has a proven return on investment (ROI), the coalition said in a press release. The Public Policy Forum has found that for every dollar invested in public infrastructure, governments can expect to see a return of two to four dollars.
“History shows that investments in infrastructure are not only the best way to stimulate the economy, but they also create immediate employment opportunities and improve the economic and environmental quality of life for all Canadians,” said Sandra Skivsky, chair of NTCCC.
“With federal and provincial governments working in collaboration with Canada’s construction sector, we can ensure that we build back a stronger, more resilient country from the pandemic,” said Mary Van Buren, CCA president. “The time is now to deliver on billions of dollars of investments so we that can start to rebuild our economy.”
