Invest in Canada

With economic recovery being a top priority for all Canadians, the Canadian construction industry is calling on the federal government to:

Invest in Canada. Invest in Canadians. Invest in Infrastructure.

It’s time for action and investment that will help people, businesses, families and communities thrive now, and well into the future. Construction will be a key sector driving Canada’s future economy, creating jobs, connecting communities and countries, and increasing confidence in consumer spending and private investment. A newly elected government can support this by:

Increasing infrastructure investment

​A gap exists in the level of investment allocated compared to what is needed to fix ageing infrastructure as well as position Canada for the future.

Setting national goals around building sustainability into our infrastructure and supporting the Western Canada Gateway Trade Initiative are just two significant opportunities for Canada. The economy needs reliable infrastructure to connect supply chains and efficiently move goods and services across borders. The funds must be predictable, flow quickly and be aligned with provincial, municipal, and Indigenous needs.

To achieve this, the federal government must create an independent advisory body that can align governments at the provincial and municipal level to address infrastructure deficits across Canada. The stability of having multi-year project pipelines, based on evidence and independent expert advice, would also enable the development of the necessary skilled workforce and encourage private sector investment.

Refreshing the government’s approach to improve fair and competitive procurement

The federal government’s procurement strategy is outdated and leaves little room for creative solutions and fair risk sharing. With productivity and sustainability issues on the rise, including net zero carbon targets, and shortages in material and labour affecting profit margins, now is the time to modernize procurement practices.

To build the infrastructure needed across the country and recruit the workforce of the future, federal procurement strategies need to adapt to encourage innovation, account for long-term value and sustainability, promote the use of alternative delivery models, and support shared risk.

Innovative procurement and delivery methods can improve productivity, enable cost savings, and shorten the timeline for the construction project itself.

Working with industry to build the workforce of the future

The construction industry is facing a serious workforce shortage that will impact our progress on building for the future. Skilled tradespeople cannot be created overnight. Now is the time to focus on building workforce capacity and boosting skilled training programs.

To fill this gap, the federal government needs to work with industry to recruit, train, and retain tomorrow’s workforce. Applying quotas when the workforce simply does not exist will not solve the root issues. Instead, the industry must be seen as a career of choice, particularly among underrepresented groups. This can only be achieved through partnership between industry and government, including funding for CCA’s Talent Fits Here campaign and programs that support building workforce capacity.

This is a historic moment for Canada to build a brighter and better future – one that supports sustainable growth and benefits all Canadians.

By working together on the three recommendations above, we can ensure that the construction sector continues to create and maintain the essential infrastructure Canadians rely on every day – from schools we send our kids to; the hospitals that care for us; and the roads, bridges and trade corridors that connect our communities not only to each other but also to the global marketplace.

Let’s work together to build a brighter and better future – one that supports sustainable growth and benefits all Canadians.

#Construction4Cdns

Ahead of the 2022 Federal Budget, CCA submitted a letter to the Finance Minister, Deputy Minister and Parliamentary Secretary of the Department of Finance detailing our industry’s recommendations on how construction can support a strong recovery that benefits all Canadians. Read the pre-budget consultation here.

Your contacts at the Canadian Construction Association: