Accelerating Infrastructure –
Speeding Up Previously Planned Spending

In November 2007, the Government of Canada launched its historic $33 billion infrastructure plan Building Canada. In the short period of time since then, the Government of Canada has moved quickly to implement Building Canada. The Government has:

• Signed framework agreements with all provinces and territories.
• Taken action to develop our gateways, borders and trade corridors
• Announced a permanent gas tax transfer.
• Delivered significant public transit initiatives.
• Flowed money to provinces and territories so project work can begin.
• Committed money to projects across Canada.

All of these decisions and concrete actions will help provide a solid foundation for our country to weather this economic storm.

The Government of Canada has also proposed a five-point action plan to the provinces and territories to jointly accelerate planned spending and cut red tape to ensure infrastructure funding gets into the economy when it is most needed – in the 2009 and 2010 construction seasons. The plan will apply to both Building Canada funds and to some of the infrastructure commitments in "Canada's Economic Action Plan".

The five-point action plan is to:

Speed Up Project Funding

• Put key major infrastructure projects on the fast track through the Building Canada Fund Major Infrastructure Component.
• Offer all remaining Provincial-Territorial Base Funds over the next two years in order to start more infrastructure projects in the short term.
• Accelerate funding for projects in smaller communities to create jobs over the next two construction seasons when our economy will need these jobs the most.

Cut Red Tape

• Reduce duplication and streamline federal processes without compromising the environment.
• Fast track federal review and approval of projects to get them started sooner.

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