Province Investing $190 Billion in Public Infrastructure over 13 Years
Ontario has released a new plan detailing the government’s commitment to build Ontario up through continued investments in public infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, public transit, roads and bridges.
People across the province rely on public infrastructure every day – from the roads, bridges and public transit they use to get to and from work, to the schools children learn and play in, to the hospitals where loved ones receive high-quality health care.
Building Better Lives: Ontario’s Long-Term Infrastructure Plan 2017 confirms the government’s record investment in infrastructure–about $190 billion over 13 years–is on track and includes new measures designed to respond to the changing needs of communities.
The plan highlights how Ontario is:
- Integrating climate change considerations into infrastructure planning to ensure environmental sustainability
- Building resilient and substantive infrastructure in an era of accelerated change and disruptive technologies
- Better linking infrastructure investments to social policy initiatives such as community benefits projects and apprenticeships that support more jobs and training opportunities
- Improving access to critical infrastructure such as broadband connectivity for communities across Ontario, whether in rural, Northern or urban areas
- Ensuring broader community need is taken into consideration in infrastructure planning and public property decision-making through the implementation of a Social Purpose Real Estate strategy
- Informing people about new infrastructure being built in their neighbourhoods through an interactive online map of over 3,500 projects across the province
The plan also includes Ontario’s first-ever asset inventory describing the condition, age and value of provincial infrastructure assets by sector.
Making significant infrastructure investments is part of Ontario’s plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.
Quick Facts
- A study by the Centre for Spatial Economics found that, over the long term, real GDP in Ontario rises up to $6 on average per dollar of public infrastructure spending.
- Ontario’s infrastructure investments are supporting, on average, more than 125,000 jobs each year and helping create vibrant, sustainable communities where families and businesses can thrive.
- The government will allocate up to $400 million this year from the Trillium Trust to support investments in public transit, transportation and other priority infrastructure projects.
Background Information
Additional Resources
Quotes
“Infrastructure is much more than bricks and mortar. It is the schools our children attend, the water we drink, the hospitals where we welcome new life and the roads that carry us home to our loved ones each day. Infrastructure is about people—and that is why it is fitting that our Long-Term Infrastructure Plan focuses on building better lives.”
“Infrastructure plays a crucial role in building a prosperous Ontario, as it supports growth and helps our province better compete in the global economy. Ontario’s Long-Term Infrastructure Plan puts into action a strategy that will empower businesses and families to create a cohesive society that is attractive to investment. Transit, hospitals, schools, broadband technology and affordable energy are all essential to a vision that will enable inclusive economic development in Ontario.”
Richard Koroscil
“Ontario’s Long-Term Infrastructure Plan will benefit Ontario in more ways than one. Our province is a leading jurisdiction in Canada by passing legislation to enable the consideration of community benefits in infrastructure planning and investment. That’s why improving infrastructure will create jobs, training opportunities and amenities for low-income communities. We can be proud of this plan for all the ways it makes our dollars go farther to create decent work, reduce poverty and make our economy work for everyone.”
Colette Murphy
“Infrastructure Ontario is proud to play a key role in the government’s infrastructure plan. We look forward to continuing our record of success by delivering on the province’s historic financial commitment to transportation, health care, justice and other public infrastructure.”
Ehren Cory
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