Transportation infrastructure adaptation requires more data and long-term thinking, say sector experts

Adapting infrastructure for Canada’s roads, railways, and ports to contend with extreme weather and climate change is an uphill battle that requires more federal investment, greater collaboration with the provinces and territories, and more data to help guide decision-making, according to experts in construction and transportation. “First of all, we need more data” said Rodrigue Gilbert, president of the Canadian Construction Association (CCA). “I think we know barely nothing about the state of our infrastructure.” Gilbert told The Hill Times that Canada is facing a problem of aging infrastructure, and adapting the country’s transportation sector—and other sectors—around a changing climate requires more data to help with long-term planning, which isn’t easy to obtain. More data is needed on every kind of infrastructure in Canada, according to Gilbert. Rodrigue Gilbert, president of the Canadian Construction Association (CCA), says 'I think we need a big picture , because often right now infrastructure investment is related to the electoral cycle, and that's probably the worst thing to do.' Photograph courtesy of the CCA “There's not a lot of data. Canada is doing a little bit of it, but most of the data is not really available,” he said. “I think we need a big picture because often right now infrastructure investment is related to the electoral cycle, and that's probably the worst thing to do. What we're looking for is really long-term planning where each investment is planned for 20 to 25 years.” When asked about the data gap related to infrastructure and climate change, Gilbert said the problem is a lack of co-ordination between multiple levels of government, and that “everyone is really protective of their own data.” To help gather data regarding Canada’s infrastructure needs and priorities, a plan for a National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA) was announced in the 2021 federal budget, but has yet to be launched. The Housing Department released a report in July 2021 that included a recommendation for the federal government to create an independent advisory body to provide expert advice regarding major infrastructure in Canada. A spokesperson for Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada said that an announcement for the establishment of the advisory body is expected “early this fall,” as previously reported in The Hill Times. An NIA could provide information to help inform infrastructure investments related to needed materials, resources, training, and labour, according to a CCA report released in September 2024. Gilbert said that greater investment is also needed for transportation infrastructure such as rail and airports because Canada is a trading nation that imports and exports most of its goods. Infrastructure investment has been “very limited” for almost a decade, he added. Greater investment is also needed for transportation infrastructure such as rail and airports because Canada is a trading nation, says Rodrigue Gilbert. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade “Every time there's a bigger climate issue—like if it's flooding, there's an impact on rail, on the airports, on roads—that's going to cause a break in the supply chain … and there's an impact, not only on trade and transportation infrastructure, but the entire infrastructure system in Canada,” he said. “We need to adapt to the climate change, and that's something that's been very difficult in the last few years for lack of investment.” NDP MP Taylor Bachrach (Skeena–Bulkley Valley, B.C.), his party’s transport critic, told The Hill Times that Canada is lagging behind when it comes to climate adaptation “across the board.” As an example of the mounting pressure on infrastructure in the transportation sector, he pointed to the atmospheric river disaster in British Columbia in 2021, which dumped nearly a month’s worth of rain on the province in under 48 hours, damaging highways and railways and displacing more than 3,300 people. The November 2021 atmospheric river disaster in British Columbia dumped nearly a month’s worth of rain on the province in less than 48 hours, damaging highways and railways and displacing thousands of people. Photograph courtesy of the Province of B.C. “There's definitely a need for planning and a need to get our collective heads wrapped around what can be done to safeguard our transportation system,” said Bachrach. Bachrach said that extreme weather events are going to become more frequent and more severe. “We continually see extreme weather events that cause major damage to infrastructure, and I haven't seen a concerted effort to change the status quo,” he said. “At the same time, we're talking about a fairly monumental challenge, because significantly adapting the existing infrastructure is an expensive proposition.” To help Canada better adapt infrastructure in the transport sector to the realities of climate change, Bachrach said one of the highest priorities should be to conduct an assessment of vulnerabilities. “There's more work that can and should be done in that regard. In terms of building new infrastructure, the government needs to ensure that infrastructure is being built to withstand what we know is coming,” he said. “I think there are some examples where we're seeing progress towards that, but—by and large—I don't think the pace of change really matches the severity of the situation.” Randall Zalazar, director of government relations for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, told The Hill Times that climate change is a rapidly evolving situation, and when it comes to adapting transportation infrastructure, “everyone is on their back foot.” NDP MP Taylor Bachrach says 'there's more work that can and should be done' in regard to an assessment of vulnerabilities for Canada's infrastructure. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade “There's a lot more that needs to be done across the board from government and industry,” he said. “I think we definitely want to see further action on investing into critical transportation infrastructure and resilience, but not just the resilience in infrastructure, but tying all of this into a broader, long-term institutionalized infrastructure plan in Canada. I think that's one area where we've fallen behind is that we haven't taken that long-term, institutionalized and co-ordinated approach.” Zalazar said a co-ordinated approach could look like a national trade infrastructure plan. A Canada Trade Infrastructure plan has been endorsed by organizations including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the CCA, and the Canada West Foundation as a means of co-ordination and planning of investments in trade infrastructure—such as road, rail, air, port, and marine assets—over a period of more than 20 years as a way to boost Canada’s competitiveness. Adam Thorn, director of transportation for the Pembina Institute, told The Hill Times that the effects of a shifting climate are being seen through instances of flooding in B.C., and disasters such as wildfires, all of which can disrupt transportation infrastructure. Canada experienced a record-setting series of wildfires in 2023, with more than 6,000 fires scorching 15 million hectares of land—or an area larger than England, according to Natural Resources Canada. “Even when don't actually disrupt transportation, it certainly becomes more expensive to maintain … bridges or roads or ports or airports,” he said. Transport Canada’s five-year adaptation plan—the Climate Change Adaptation Plan for 2021/22 to 2025/26—provides an outline for how to build climate resilience across the transportation sector. It includes recommendations such as developing a strategic communications plan to help raise awareness of adaptation initiatives in place at Transport Canada, and undertaking research to better understand the economic and transportation impacts of disruptions due to climate change on the transportation system for specific modes and supply chains. Thorn said he thinks real progress has been made in implementing the adaptation plan, but emphasized that more work still needs to be done to address climate emissions from the transportation sector. The Alexandria Bridge between downtown Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., is pictured on March 11. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade In 2021, about 22 per cent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions came from the transport sector. When it comes to transportation infrastructure, Thorn said that there is a “scattershot approach” because provinces and territories have their own areas of responsibility. As an example, he said roads and bridges fall under provincial jurisdiction for the most part. “I think the federal government can provide real leadership—and not to say that they haven't been doing so—but I think, again, if you look across the provinces, we see really just different approaches, and some provinces have very advanced plans and some don't. I think that's one of the areas in which definitely we need to see improvement,” he said. “I think one of the challenges, obviously, is that we're really beginning to see the impacts of climate change earlier than I think many people anticipated. This is really becoming—I think—an increasing challenge.” To help support Canada’s supply chain, Transport Minister Anita Anand (Oakville, Ont.) announced up to $38-million towards seven shipping projects in Quebec and along the St. Lawrence Seaway under the National Trade Corridors Fund on Oct. 18. The National Trade Corridors Fund supports infrastructure projects in Canada, including projects that help the transportation system to better withstand the effects of climate change. The projects include work at the Port of Montreal, which will receive $12.5-million for a project to expand operational space and increase container storage at the Canest Terminal by 20 per cent. “By enhancing connectivity and reducing bottlenecks in Quebec and the areas along the St. Lawrence River, consumers, workers, and small businesses will benefit from efficient and reliable supply chains. This, in turn, supports economic growth and helps make life cost less for Canadians and Quebecers,” said Anand in a Transport Canada press release. jcnockaert@hilltimes.com The Hill Times Canada public infrastructure statistics A construction site in Orleans, Ont., on July 12. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade At the end of 2022, transportation and water infrastructure in Canada had a total replacement value of $2.6-trillion. Local and regional government organizations were responsible for almost three-quarters (72 per cent) of this infrastructure. Based on current replacement values estimated on Dec. 31, 2022, local and regional government organizations were responsible for the majority of Canada's road transportation infrastructure. These organizations owned 64 per cent of the replacement value of roads, 76 per cent of the value of public transit assets, and 82 per cent of the value of active transportation infrastructure. Bridges and tunnels were an exception, as 69 per cent of them were owned by provincial and territorial governments. The pace of construction of roads increased between 2020 and 2022. There were 12,396 two-lane equivalent kilometres completed on average per year, surpassing the annual average length of roads built during any other period by more than one-quarter. While most (57 per cent) roads by length were owned by rural municipalities in 2022, urban municipalities owned the majority (62 per cent) of active transportation infrastructure. Road transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges, tunnels, and walking and cycling infrastructure, as well as public transit systems, accounted for $1.63-trillion of current replacement value estimated at the end of 2022. The cost to replace all road transportation infrastructure rated as being in poor or very poor condition was estimated to be $250.2-billion, or 15 per cent of the total replacement value. —Source: Canada's Core Public Infrastructure Survey: Replacement values, 2022, released by Statistics Canada on Oct. 21, 2024

Transportation infrastructure adaptation requires more data and long-term thinking, say sector experts

A National Infrastructure Assessment to gather data about priority infrastructure needs in Canada was announced in 2021, but has yet to be launched.

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Transportation infrastructure adaptation requires more data and long-term thinking, say sector experts

A National Infrastructure Assessment to gather data about priority infrastructure needs in Canada was announced in 2021, but has yet to be launched.

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