Exploring the evolution of P3s

CCPPP presented the Project Development – Gold Award to partners Alberta Infrastructure, Concert Infrastructure and partners Bird Construction, Wright Construction and Ainsworth for their P3 Schools Bundle #2 project in Alberta. (Photo courtesy of CCPPP)

Attracting a thousand delegates from more than 200 companies, the 30th anniversary P3 2022 conference, presented by the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships (CCPPP) in Toronto on November 21 and 22, was an opportunity to share notes about the project procurement model and glean advice from over 90 speakers with expertise in finance, engineering, law, construction, procurement, consulting, operations and maintenance, and more.

Given Canada’s level of knowledge of P3 projects and 30 years of planning and management history to draw from, the event also attracted international delegations looking to discuss opportunities in Europe, Asia, Central and South America, and Africa.

“The 30th anniversary conference was a huge success,” stated Lisa Mitchell, CEO and president of CCPPP. “We had the ability to celebrate our success over the years, but also to talk about how we move forward, navigate the current challenges, and prepare for the future of Canada’s P3 market.”

Although Canada’s P3 market has a legacy of successful projects, the model is not without its critics, and the model is not static, which has the council looking at ways to evolve the model.

“We started the conference with a bit of a call to action to the delegates and to the industry – to be open and honest about the realities of Canada’s P3 market but also to be productive in thinking through solutions – what is working and what we may need to adjust to respond to the industries challenges and the market realities. And I believe that message resonated,” said Mitchell.

“While we may not have solved all of the issues of the day, we have certainly gotten started on forging the path ahead of us. I think this was an opportunity for the council to demonstrate that just as the market is evolving, so too are we.”

CCPPP also handed out several awards during the conference. Key members of the teams responsible for seven P3 projects in Canada formally received their 2022 National Awards for Innovation and Excellence in Public-Private Partnerships. And Aecon’s Steve Nackan was named the newest member of the list of P3 Champions, a designation presented by the council to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to P3s in Canada.

The P3 2023 conference is set to return next year on November 13 and 14.

www.pppcouncil.ca