Speaking notes for the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities

To the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

Ottawa, ON
May 30, 2022

Thank you for the invitation to speak with you today.

I look forward to any opportunity to discuss how the team at Infrastructure Canada is delivering for Canadians.

I am joined today by: Deputy Minister Kelly Gillis, Alison O'Leary, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Communities and Infrastructure Programs, and Glenn Campbell, Assistant Deputy Minister, Investment, Partnerships and Innovation.

Our Government remains focused on building a brighter future – a more prosperous, more resilient and more sustainable Canada. That is why we continue to take strong climate action, make life more affordable, grow our economy and create good, middle class jobs across the country.

As we continue this work, we are furthering our investments in the infrastructure to support Canadians. Our goal is to strengthen our economy and our communities, and to provide new social and economic opportunities for families, youth, and seniors.

We work with all orders of government, as well as Indigenous communities and other partners. Those partners are helping us to bring to Canadians major bridge projects, zero-emission transit options, and affordable housing.

We are helping to improve ventilation in public buildings and investing in green and inclusive community buildings. We are investing in sustainable water and wastewater, and natural infrastructure.

Together with our partners across the country, we are improving Canadians' quality of life.

Today I am here to share with you and discuss Infrastructure Canada's 2022-23 Main Estimates so we can continue this important work.

Infrastructure Canada is seeking $9.3 billion in the 2022-23 Main Estimates. The majority of this amount‑‑$6.8 billion‑‑is toward grants and contributions.

The remainder includes $242.7 million toward operating expenditures, $13.8 million toward capital expenditures, as well as $2.3 billion in total statutory estimates mainly for the Canada Community-Building Fund.

The amount sought in this year's Main Estimates represents a net increase of $2.5 billion compared to our 2021-22 Main Estimates, the majority of which is in grants and contributions funding. About 25% of the grants and contributions increase is for an unprecedented level of new programming announced through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement and Budget 2021 that will be delivered over the next few years.

These include a number of key programs, including:

• Green and Inclusive Community Buildings;
• The Permanent Public Transit Program;
• The Natural Infrastructure Fund;
• Ventilation funding under the COVID-19 Resilience stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program; and,
• A top-up to the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund.

The remaining 75% of the grants and contributions increase is for existing programs such as the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund, the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, and the additional responsibility of Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy.

The increase in operating expenditures of $86.3 million include resources secured to deliver the new programs as well as the mandated transfer to the department of responsibilities for the Homelessness Policy Directorate from the Department of Employment and Social Development, under the responsibility of Minister Hussen.

Statutory funding has seen an increase of $8.4 million, related to employee benefit plan requirements tied to the increase in operating resources.

Capital expenditures, meanwhile, represent a decrease in capital funding of $52.4 million compared to 2021-22 Main Estimates, due primarily to the sunsetting of funding in 2021-22 for land purchases related to the Gordie Howe International Bridge and the Samuel De Champlain Bridge Corridor project, with the latter set to be completed in late 2022.

The year ahead promises to be a busy and productive year for Infrastructure Canada. We are excited about the new programming at hand and new projects ahead.

And I look forward to speaking further about the department's work and our commitment to Canadians, and to answering your questions.