We are pleased to present Infrastructure Canada’s 2023-24 Departmental Plan.

Within these pages, you will find details of the actions the Department will take in the year ahead to continue to improve the quality of life of Canadians. Together with key partners, we will work to develop policies and initiatives that create jobs and economic growth, support climate resilience and build a stronger and more inclusive Canada.

This year, we will continue to work towards a stronger economy and carry on our collective efforts to build back better; our public infrastructure investments will help create jobs, fight climate change, and raise the quality of life for all Canadians.

The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, an over $33 billion allocation-based program, was initially designed to support Public Transit, Green Infrastructure, Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure, and Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure. In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the program was later expanded to cover COVID-19 Resilience projects. Budget 2022 accelerated the deadline for provinces to submit priority projects for funding by March 31, 2023. As a result, in 2023-24, all provincial funding under the program will be fully committed with territories having until March 31, 2025, to submit priority projects. 

Infrastructure Canada will also continue to support retrofits of existing community buildings as well as the construction of new resilient and net-zero buildings and outdoor facilities. Thanks to investments in community assets, Canadians will be able to gather safely in their communities, including in rural, northern and Indigenous communities, as we continue to move towards a net-zero carbon, climate resilient future.

In 2022, the Government of Canada released the National Adaptation Strategy which will serve as a blueprint to reach our 2050 goal. This will ensure all infrastructure systems in Canada are climate-resilient and undergo continuous adaptation to adjust for future impacts to deliver reliable, equitable, and sustainable services to all of society. At the same time, the Department will advance the Open-Access Climate Toolkits that will help infrastructure owners and investors develop projects that ensure Canada is on the path to a net-zero emission and resilient future.

In alignment with the Government of Canada’s climate objectives, we will continue to build on the success of the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program by investing in public infrastructure for Canadian communities, including rural, northern and Indigenous communities. Through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, we will continue to invest in structural and natural infrastructure projects to help protect communities, businesses, and families from future natural disasters. We will support local actions to address climate change risks while simultaneously reducing the driver of climate change through mitigating carbon emissions, protecting and preserving biodiversity and wildlife, and improving the environment through the Natural Infrastructure Fund.

The expansion and improvement of public transit and active transportation is essential. Our transit investments will continue to connect Canadians, drive economic, environmental and social benefits by providing people with more sustainable access to jobs, schools, services and recreation, and supporting housing priorities.

Continued investments through the Zero Emission Transit Fund, the Active Transportation Fund and the Rural Transit Solutions Fund will support sustainable transit and help municipalities and transit authorities with predictable, long-term planning and encourage the integration of transit and housing in communities. Funding for zero-emission buses and transportation and the development of sustainable transit systems will support the creation of jobs and promote the development of accessible, prosperous, and inclusive communities.

Through the renewal of the Canada Community-Building Fund, we will strengthen the transparency around this long-running program and tie access to this funding to actions by provinces, territories and municipalities to increase housing supply. 

Our investments in transit community assets connect Canadians and allow for communities to ensure a harmonized approach to expansion that serves the needs of all. We are ensuring that transit and housing are built in tandem to build prosperous, accessible and resilient communities.

All Canadians deserve a safe and affordable place to call home. Infrastructure Canada will continue to take measured steps to respond to the homelessness crisis. We will continue to support Canadians and our partners as they seek to prevent and reduce homelessness, including among Veterans and in Indigenous communities. We are investing over $580 million in incremental funding for Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, which includes $18.1 million for the Action Research on Chronic Homelessness (ARCH) initiative that will inform the development of a broader strategy to eliminate chronic homelessness nation-wide in alignment with the Government’s commitment. In addition, $106.8 million over five years will support the launch of a new Veteran Homelessness Program, which will provide services and rent supplements to Veterans experiencing homelessness in partnership with community organizations. The Department will continue collaborating with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and other portfolio partners to better coordinate infrastructure and housing investments, and support policies and programs to address housing affordability and supply, and end chronic homelessness.

We know that Canadians’ infrastructure needs are evolving. Launching Canada's first National Infrastructure Assessment will build on government investments to date in infrastructure-related data. This will help provide decision-makers with valuable information to highlight where infrastructure investments will have the greatest impact to promote vibrant communities across Canada. Promoting economic growth by facilitating the safe and efficient flow of people and goods remains a key priority for Infrastructure Canada. Substantial progress on important crossings, such as the Gordie Howe International Bridge and the Samuel De Champlain Bridge Corridor, will continue as we help to bring people together, create jobs, strengthen the economy and support Canadian communities.

We know we are not alone in our journey to build the infrastructure that Canadians need. With a focus on our shared priorities and building strong partnerships, Infrastructure Canada will work in collaboration with other federal departments, provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners to make investments toward a resilient and inclusive economic future while advancing reconciliation. When we work together, our shared investments go further and make greater impacts that will help to make Canada more sustainable and prosperous for generations to come.

The ongoing need for infrastructure investments in this country will require that we continue to find new and innovative ways to fund infrastructure. That is why Infrastructure Canada will continue to support the Canada Infrastructure Bank as it delivers on its mandate of providing funding for revenue-generating projects that benefit Canadians and support economic growth.

We invite you to review this year’s Plan to see for yourself how, by investing in infrastructure, we are helping create strong communities, drive economic growth, and take measured strides to build a better Canada – a Canada that works for everyone.