Infrastructure Canada

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Infrastructure Canada is part of the Transport, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio of the Government of Canada. Established in August 2002, the organization was formerly associated with Treasury Board Secretariat, the Privy Council Office, Industry Canada, and Environment Canada. The organization's goal is to improve the infrastructure of Canada by working with other levels of government including provincial, territorial, municipal, First Nations and the private sector. The Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities is responsible for the agency. The current Minister is the Honourable Lawrence Cannon.

Investing in Canada’s infrastructure advances our nation’s productivity, increases its competitiveness and enriches the quality of life for all Canadians.

In Budget 2007, Infrastructure Canada was charged with developing a comprehensive $33 billion Infrastructure Plan. This plan will cover infrastructure investments in water, wastewater, public transit, and other key government priorities.

Infrastructure Canada coordinates Building Canada — federal government investments in important national and local infrastructure projects for building a stronger, safer and better Canada. Delivering sustainable infrastructure such as highways, water treatment and wastewater plants, public transit, and green energy is essential to competing internationally and supporting the well-being of Canadians—in communities big and small. Strategic infrastructure drives new business and expands existing ones, encourages immigration, retains young people, and draws our family and friends back home.

Infrastructure Canada is also contributing to leading-edge public policy and decision-making through collaborative efforts in developing a knowledge base and research networks relating to infrastructure. Managing infrastructure program funds and working with federal partners, provinces, territories, municipalities and others to meet the infrastructure needs of all Canadians are ways that Infrastructure Canada is helping to build a stronger, safer and healthier nation.

[edit] Branches

Policy and Communications The Policy and Communications Branch identifies and assesses broad infrastructure issues, priorities and needs for potential federal action; conducts research, independently and in conjunction with partners, which contributes to policy work; builds, connects and shares knowledge to help develop a wider understanding of infrastructure issues affecting cities and communities in Canada and abroad; communicates on the department’s mandate; coordinates federal communications on infrastructure; and assists the Deputy in providing policy advice to the Minister.

Program Operations The Program Operations Branch implements programs, manages infrastructure funding agreements, and provides risk management and analysis, environmental stewardship, and program evaluations. It also manages the federal Gas Tax transfer to Canadian municipalities that is meant to support environmentally sustainable infrastructure.

Corporate Services The Corporate Services Branch provides support and services for corporate functions such as procurement, IM/IT including the department’s major program management system, called the Shared Information Management System for Infrastructure (SIMSI), human resources, finance, security, planning and administration, and internal audit and evaluation.

By working with municipal, provincial and territorial project proponents and the private sector to identify regional and local development priorities and to finance specific infrastructure projects, Infrastructure Canada is helping meet our national social, economic and environmental objectives.

National Transit Strategy A new team has been assembled to develop a National Transit Strategy as outlined in Minister Lawrence Cannon’s speech given at June’s Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ 70th Annual Conference and Municipal Expo. This group is made up of both Infrastructure Canada and Transport Canada employees.

[edit] Infrastructure Programs

Under Building Canada, the Government of Canada's historic $33 billion infrastructure plan, the nation's most important economic and environmental priorities are being addressed through the following targeted and based-funding programs:

Targeted Funding Programs

  • Building Canada Fund (BCF)
  • Public-Private Partnership Fund
  • Gateways and Border Crossing Fund (managed by Transport Canada)

Base Funding Programs

Infrastructure Canada also has broad management responsibilities for the following sunsetting programs:

  • Public Transit Fund (PTF)
  • Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund (CSIF)
  • Border Infrastructure Fund (BIF)
  • Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF)
  • Infrastructure Canada Program (ICP)
  • First Nations Communities
  • First Nations Infrastructure Fund (FNIF)

[edit] External links