Canada’s consulting engineers call for urgent infrastructure vision to boost economy, meet climate goals

Canada needs a long-term vision and plan for infrastructure to build a more robust economy and meet our climate change targets, says the head of a national organization representing the consulting engineering sector.

John Gamble, President and CEO of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies-Canada (ACEC), said there is an urgent need to ensure foundational infrastructure – from roads and electrical grids – are in line with plans to speed up housing construction and the transition to electric vehicles. The federal government announced plans for a National Infrastructure Assessment to identify Canada’s needs and priorities for the “built environment” and develop a long-term plan for a net-zero future more than three years ago – a plan his sector strongly supports – but it has not yet been implemented.

“If we can establish that vision, then assess where we are, and continue to update and revisit that and make ongoing adjustments, then I’m confident that we’ll be making public policy on the basis of much better information rather than sort of careening,” Gamble said. 

“We need to start shaping public policy to address lifecycle challenges with lifecycle solutions, right from contracting to procurement, right through to how we make decisions.”

John Gamble, President and CEO, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies-Canada

ACEC represents the business interests of firms ranging from large international organizations to small private, employee-owned companies and sole practitioners. Its primary goal is to work for the commercial success of its members by raising awareness about the industry and advocating for a sound business and regulatory environment as well as a strategic vision for infrastructure that looks 30 years to the future.

ACEC Vice-President Martine Proulx said there is a concern that the foundational infrastructure required to build new communities around accelerated housing construction is not being adequately considered.

“If you're going to have municipalities put in new communities, you need to have roads, you need to have the electrical grid put in, you need wastewater and wastewater management. These are foundational requirements to build homes,” she said,

Gamble said much of that foundational work needs to happen urgently if Canada hopes to meet its climate goals, pointing to the government’s plan to phase out gas-powered vehicles in favour of electric ones.

“We don't have enough generation capacity in this country to transition over to an entirely electric fleet. We don't have the distribution capacity. And our distribution network is not robust enough at the moment to do that,” he said.

When it comes to ensuring long-term energy supply and other infrastructure needs are met, Gamble said it’s important to track progress and focus strongly on achieving desired outcomes. For projects to start and succeed, Canada needs a regulatory regime that has faster approvals, greater clarity and more certainty that the rules won’t change part way through the process.  

“It’s not a loosening of requirements, but being more effective on how we demonstrate compliance,” he said.

Gamble said the engineering consulting sector is not always top of mind for policy makers because it only garners attention when there are “fails” – which are rare and newsworthy in Canada.

“We really have to work hard at making sure that we can demonstrate our value proposition because that underpins our advocacy on procurement, on contractual issues, as well as our insights on public policy that might be a little different than the retail politics we see all the time,” he said, adding that his industry touches on the economic, social and environmental quality of life for Canadians.

Gamble said ACEC’s “raison d’etre” aligns with the Coalition for a Better Future, with shared objectives to engage in constructive dialogue, take a holistic and forward-thinking approach and find ways to have tangible results that boost commercial and economic growth.

“We need to start shaping public policy to address lifecycle challenges with lifecycle solutions, right from contracting to procurement, right through to how we make decisions,” he said.