RCCAO outlines key construction priorities

Nadia Todorova

Focus on immigration, funding and the developmental approvals process, advised the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO) in its Federal Budget 2023 pre-budget consultation submitted to the House of Common’s Standing Committee on Finance.

The organization 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.

Enacted together, says RCCAO, these three items would boost the labour pool available to build 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.”

As Canada faces population projections in the range of 57 million by 2068, and 21 million in Ontario by 2043, as well as a current infrastructure deficit that is estimated to be as high as $270 billion, the organization says it is imperative that investment decisions today carefully consider where the country needs to 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.”

www.rccao.com