Federal government allocates
$2.1 billion in infrastructure funds for
trade and transportation corridors
Canadian Design and Construction Report staff writer
The federal government has announced a $2.1 billion
allocation for the Trade and Transportation Corridors
Initiative (TTCI) for what it says will build stronger, more
efficient transportation corridors to international markets.
“As the movement of goods in Canada grows,
disruptions caused by bottlenecks in our trade corridors,
or vulnerabilities associated with our changing climate, for
example – could limit the benefits from this growth in
trade,” minister of transport Marc Garneau said at an
Ottawa Chamber of Commerce lunch in early July.
Leaders in the transportation and shipping industry are
enthusiastic about the program, which will undoubtedly
create infrastructure development opportunities for the
Canadian construction industry.
The initiative is part of the government’s planned $10.1
billion investment into trade and transportation projects
over the next 11 years announced in November 2016, and
included in the 2017 federal budget.
The government says the core element of the TTCI is
the merit based National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF) to
strengthen Canada’s trade infrastructure, including ports,
14 – Summer 2017 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report
waterways, airports, roads, bridges, border crossings, rail
networks and the interconnectivity between them.
“With the launch of this fund, proponents are being
invited to submit an expression of interest for funding to
support projects that address urgent capacity constraints
and keep goods moving efficiently along Canada’s trade
corridors,” the announcement says.
The government says as much as $400 million of the
NTCF will be dedicated to support the critical movement
of people and goods in Canada’s northern territories, given
that region’s unique and urgent needs.
Provincial, territorial and municipal governments,
Indigenous groups, not-for-profit and for-profit private
sector organizations, federal Crown corporations,
Canadian port authorities, and national airport system
airport authorities are encouraged to submit their
expressions of interest by Sept. 5.
The government says NTCF funding will be allocated to
projects based on their individual merits, which will be
assessed according to how they help to strengthen the
efficiency and resilience of transportation assets that are
critical for Canada’s continued success in global trade and
commerce.
Diane Gray, chief executive of
Winnipeg based Centreport Canada,
North America’s largest inland port,
said the need for funding was no
secret. (See an earlier story about
Centreport Canada here.)
“I think
everyone would
acknowledge that there is an
infrastructure deficit and it’s not
exclusive to Canada but North
America wide,” the Globe and Mail
quoted Gray as saying. “Most of our
trade oriented infrastructure is 30-
plus years old.”
“Investment to
eliminate bottlenecks in Vancouver and the
(B.C.) Lower Mainland will allow grain
from the prairies and other Canadian
commodities to reach world markets
more efficiently, strengthening
Canada’s economy and improving
our nation’s strategic trade and
supply chain infrastructure,” Luc
Jobin, CEO of Canadian National
Railway Co., said in an e-mail
statement to the Globe and Mail.
In detail, eligible recipients for this
program include:
• provinces, territories,
municipalities and local, regional,
provincial and territorial entities;
• Indigenous governments, tribal
councils and other forms of
regional government, national or
regional Indigenous organizations
or development corporations;
• public sector organizations;
• federal crown corporations;
• for-profit and not-for-profit private
sector organizations;
• Canada port authorities;
• national airport systems airport
authorities; and
• universities and colleges.
Funding is available under the
NTCF to:
• Prepare (for example, plan,
demolish, prepare site),
construct, rehabilitate and
improve infrastructure assets
related to transportation, such
as: • Studies (feasibility,
environmental, planning and
integration), including computer
and simulation modelling, to
guide the development of
infrastructure projects and
technology applications;
• Highway, bridge, interchange and
road projects along corridors that
involve more than one mode of
transportation, including those
that provide access to border
crossing facilities’;
• Infrastructure that involves more
than one mode of transportation
(for example, airports, ports, rail
yards, facilities, access roads)
and makes the best use of the
overall transportation system to
support international trade;
• Grade separations that provide
more efficient and safer road and
rail interaction;
• Improvements to the
transportation infrastructure in
Canada’s north and at airports
with annual passenger flows
below 600,000; and to
• Acquire and install technologies
and equipment that advance and
support the efficient movement
of goods and people and help
integrate transportation modes in
Canada’s trade corridors (for
example, Intelligent
Transportation Systems (ITS) and
radio frequency or optical
identification readers).
Here is a link to the
NTCF applicant’s guide.
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