Toronto Sun: Ontario on verge of losing construction season and skilled workforce

At a time when the province’s construction industry should be thriving and moving our economy forward, it is paralyzed.

In Ontario, there are two seasons: Winter and construction. The transition between the two is marked by a burst of construction activity that floods our roads with orange pylons, heavy machinery, and thousands of workers hired to build the essential infrastructure our communities rely on.

That won’t be the case this year. At a time when Ontario’s construction industry should be thriving and moving our economy forward, it is paralyzed.

While some multi-year projects are carrying over from previous years, there are very few new construction projects being put on the market. U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, government red tape and municipal bureaucracy are stalling project work, and even worse, cancelling the tendering of planned public infrastructure projects for this year.

Construction companies are being left with no choice but to lay off workers instead of hiring them. That means fewer Ontarians are earning a meaningful paycheque to support their families. Planned infrastructure projects are getting kicked down the road, which will only worsen our current infrastructure deficit and inflate construction costs in the future.

Let’s be clear: The funds to maintain and expand Ontario’s infrastructure already exist. The federal and provincial government have put billions of dollars on the table for municipalities to build infrastructure. In addition, municipalities collect funds through a combination of development charges, government grants, and other fees – making up billions of dollars worth of planned public infrastructure projects that are ready to be put out to market but are currently stuck in limbo.

Infrastructure projects don’t start the moment politicians make funding announcements. The current process is painfully slow and can take years before shovels are in the ground. Construction projects undergo endless studies, environmental assessments, and approvals from municipal councils and various government agencies. Once public infrastructure projects are tendered, governments conduct a competitive request-for-proposal process to select a contractor to lead the construction of the project. This process is often followed with additional approvals, locates and traffic plans, adding several more months before a project can start. These lengthy processes slow down progress on getting infrastructure projects built.

With so few projects being tendered so far this spring, we are already on the verge of losing our opportunity to take full advantage of the construction season.

If political leaders are serious about getting infrastructure projects built, the time for action is now. That means cutting back on unnecessary red tape and streamlining the approvals process to get projects out to market and built faster. Any new infrastructure funding should include criteria to get shovels in the ground within the same year. Municipalities must also accelerate and tender billions of dollars worth of planned public infrastructure projects that are being held back.

Tens of thousands of skilled workers depend on these infrastructure projects for their livelihoods. We need to get projects underway and build the critical infrastructure our communities rely on to keep Ontario’s skilled workforce on the job and our economy moving forward.

Our country, and our province, is at a pivotal point in history. Ontario’s skilled workforce stands ready to build. We need to stop holding ourselves back and get building. It is the right and necessary thing to do.

— Stephanie Bellotto is Manager of Government Relations and Communications, Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association (OSWCA)

See the article in the Toronto Sun.