Rebuilding Ontario: an infrastructure plan for the people
Ontario is improving the way we invest in infrastructure to deliver more value for the people. Read our plan for making smart, targeted investments at the right time and right place, getting the most from our infrastructure and protecting services for future generations.
Minister’s message
Ontario’s government is proud to deliver our new infrastructure plan. Through this plan, we are working to ensure our transformative investments are made at the right time and in the right place to maximize the benefit for all the people of Ontario. Whether it is new construction, or an upgrade to our existing schools, hospitals, roads, bridges and transit, Ontario is making infrastructure investment a top priority.
At a basic level, we are approaching our infrastructure investments the way most individuals and families manage their household budgets: we live within our means, pay down our debts, and make every dollar count.
Ontario owns more than $230 billion worth of infrastructure assets.
The government is also undertaking a review of existing business approaches to infrastructure planning and prioritization to drive better results. The Ministry of Infrastructure will seek out best practices to break down silos across ministries, agencies and broader public-sector partners, and modernize the way we plan for and procure infrastructure.
At the same time, we remain committed to investing in new projects that support economic growth. As announced in the 2019 Budget, planned infrastructure investments for this fiscal year will total $14.7 billion. This reflects the government’s commitment to invest $144 billion in infrastructure projects over the next 10 years.
We are making key strategic investments in bridges, roads and highways. We are making major investments in the province’s transit systems, including much-needed expansion of the Toronto subway system and the GO passenger rail network. We are building new hospitals, schools and courthouses across Ontario.
In addition to building new bricks-and-mortar infrastructure we will also be investing in digital infrastructure. This includes expanding access to broadband and cellular services to boost the competitiveness and productivity of Ontario businesses and to connect people living in rural and Northern communities to the digital economy.
Our plan puts people first. This means putting money back in people’s pockets and making Ontario open for business and open for jobs while, at the same time, reducing the deficit.
Above all, we will continue to protect what matters most by spending taxpayers’ money wisely and transparently. We will bridge the rural-Northern-urban divide, make the most of our infrastructure assets and get people and goods moving to fuel our economy. In doing so, we will unlock the full potential of our great province.
Minister Laurie Scott, Ministry of Infrastructure
Footnotes
- footnote[1] Back to paragraph This figure is based on the replacement cost of Ontario’s infrastructure assets. Replacement cost is the cost of replacing an existing asset with another asset having equivalent utility using current costs, standards and specifications for material, labour, engineering, installation and overhead. In most situations, it represents the cost of constructing or acquiring an asset that delivers the same utility or capacity (i.e. incorporates new technology), expressed in current dollars.