- Infrastructure Canada
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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 department. The current Minister is the Honourable Denis Lebel.
Investing in Canada’s infrastructure advances the nation’s productivity, increases its competitiveness and enriches the quality of life for all Canadians.
In Budget 2007, Infrastructure Canada was charged with developing the comprehensive $33 billion Building Canada Infrastructure Plan. This plan covers infrastructure investments in water, wastewater, public transit, and other key national priorities.
Infrastructure Canada coordinates the Building Canada federal government plan that guides 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 investment further important public policy goals, including economic growth and environmental protection.
Infrastructure Canada is also contributing to leading-edge public policy and decision-making. 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 better Canada.
Contents
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.
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) (Communities Component (BCF-CC) managed by Western Economic Diversification Canada in Western Canada)
- Public-Private Partnership Fund (P3)
- Gateways and Border Crossing Fund (managed by Transport Canada)
Base Funding Programs
- Gas Tax Fund (GTF)
- GST Rebate (managed by Canada Revenue Agency)
- Provincial-Territorial Funding
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) (managed by Western Economic Diversification Canada in Western Canada)
- Infrastructure Canada Program (ICP) (managed by Western Economic Diversification Canada in Western Canada)
- First Nations Communities
- First Nations Infrastructure Fund (FNIF)
Additionally, Canada's Economic Action Plan (Federal Budget, January 2009) introduced almost $12 billion in additional and accelerated federal infrastructure investments as part of an immediate action to build infrastructure.
New Infrastructure Canada-led funding through the Economic Action Plan
- Infrastructure Stimulus Fund (ISF): this $4-billion fund provides funding to provincial, territorial, municipal and community construction-ready infrastructure projects, including road and sewer upgrades, that will be completed between 2009 and 2011.
- Green Infrastructure Fund (GIF): Green infrastructure projects that contribute to cleaner air, land and water are being supported through GIF, which will be providing $1 billion over five years.
- National Trails Fund: $25 million was committed to the National Trails Coalition in 2009-10 to be used to build and renew multi-purpose trails for walking, running, cross-country skiing, biking, all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles. The government's contribution will be matched by the coalition and its partners.
Accelerated infrastructure funding through the Economic Action Plan
- Top-Up of Communities Component (under Building Canada Fund): an additional $500 million has been committed to projects that are ready to get started and that will be completed by 2011 in municipalities with fewer than 100,000 people.
- Accelerated Provincial/Territorial Base Funding: In November 2007, provinces and territories were each allotted $25 million a year for seven years (ending in 2014) under the Building Canada plan , but under through the Economic Action Plan, they are able to receive any remaining funding up to the max $175 million, subject to matching contributions.
See also
External links
Categories:- 2002 establishments in Canada
- Canadian federal departments and agencies
- Investment agencies
- Funding bodies of Canada
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