Published plans and annual reports 2023-2024: Ministry of Infrastructure

Ministry overview

Ministry’s vision

The Ministry of Infrastructure (MOI) is committed to making smart, targeted infrastructure investments that benefit the people of Ontario. Whether building or upgrading schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, transit, water, wastewater, stormwater or broadband infrastructure, the province is unlocking opportunities to deliver effective and resilient infrastructure.

MOI uses evidence-based advice to help plan and prioritize infrastructure initiatives across government. It also works with other ministries to address cross-cutting initiatives that may have implications on infrastructure across various sectors.

The ministry oversees the delivery of municipal infrastructure policy and programs to ensure alignment with broader provincial infrastructure policy. It also manages the government's relationship with the federal and municipal governments to make informed decisions on infrastructure investments, while negotiating with other government partners to implement and administer funding programs to support local infrastructure.

Through the province's Transit-Oriented Communities program, MOI is helping to build vibrant, mixed-use communities close to transit. The ministry also acts as the steward of provincial asset management planning, including developing tools and analyses to track infrastructure assets and planned investments across government. It also oversees Ontario's municipal asset management planning regulation. MOI is also helping to ensure that every community in the province has access to reliable high-speed internet by the end of 2025.

In Toronto, the ministry is working with Infrastructure Ontario to redevelop Ontario Place into a world-class, year-round destination that will include family-friendly entertainment, public and event spaces, parkland, and waterfront access. The ministry oversees Ontario Place Corporation to ensure its mandate is aligned with provincial priorities.

In addition, the ministry is responsible for managing and modernizing the government's General Real Estate Portfolio, including establishing a centralized real estate authority for government. The ministry is also responsible for optimizing the Province's office real estate and driving workplace transformation to reduce costs and get the greatest value from public sector real estate assets of government and agencies.

The ministry also oversees Infrastructure Ontario, which supports the government's infrastructure procurement through strategic oversight. It is also responsible for oversight and funding of Waterfront Toronto in partnership with the federal government and the City of Toronto.

Ministry programs

The following are the major programs, services and initiatives delivered by the Ministry of Infrastructure:

Infrastructure programs and projects

The Infrastructure Programs and Projects program develops, designs, and oversees the delivery of infrastructure policy and programs to ensure consistency with broader provincial infrastructure priorities, including alignment with the municipal asset management planning regulation.

Active programs include:

• Accelerated High-Speed Internet Program (AHSIP) - a funding initiative used to reach as many underserved areas of the province as quickly as possible using a unique reverse auction bidding process.
• Leading the expansion for access to high-speed internet through application-based programs, including the Improving Connectivity for Ontario (ICON) program, Brighton Pilot Project, Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN), Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT), co-funding with Canada under the federal Universal Broadband Fund, and several standalone northern and First Nation projects.
• The Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) - annual funding for small, rural, and northern communities to repair and renew core infrastructure and improve municipal asset management plans.
  Asset Management Planning tools and supports - programming delivered by third-party partners to help municipalities develop and improve their asset management plans.
• Asset Management Planning tools and supports - programming delivered by third-party partners to help municipalities develop and improve their asset management plans.
• The Strategic Priority Infrastructure Fund (SPIF) - provides infrastructure funding to strategic community projects and sports and recreation facilities.

The program also leads the implementation and negotiation of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), a federal-provincial cost-shared infrastructure program. The ICIP program will unlock up to $30 billion in combined federal. provincial. and local investments in communities through 2027-28. Since June 2018, Ontario has committed to investing a total of $10.2 billion in transit, green, community, culture and recreation, rural and northern and other priority infrastructure under ICIP.

As of March 31, 2023, all ICIP funding is fully committed, and the federal government is not accepting any further project nominations.

The ICIP program includes up to $11.8 billion in federal funding for Ontario across the four original funding streams:

• Public Transit: $8.3 billion
• Green Infrastructure: $2.85 billion
  • $867 million of the $2.85 billion under the Green stream was allocated to the COVID‑19 Resilience Stream in 2020
• Community, Culture & Recreation: $407 million
• Rural & Northern Communities: $250 million

Ontario continues to work with the federal government to oversee the delivery of program funding to recipients under previous infrastructure funding programs, including the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF), Clean Water and Wastewater Fund (CWWF) and the New Building Canada Fund (NBCF). Aside from project-specific extensions, these legacy programs are currently winding down and are not accepting applications.

Infrastructure strategy, policy and research

The Infrastructure Strategy, Policy and Research division provides evidenced-based policy analysis and advice on a wide range of provincial infrastructure matters that support government priorities. Through its strategic central agency support role, the program helps inform infrastructure decisions across government by drawing on best practices for asset management infrastructure delivery.

The program collects and analyzes data to support evidence-based decisions on the investments required to maintain infrastructure service levels across the province. For example, the program provides guidance to government ministries on how to measure the condition of infrastructure assets and other related information to help standardize provincial asset management practices. The program then collects that data to feed into its analytical models. The program uses these models to project infrastructure renewal and capacity needs into the future. Over the past few years, the program has improved the models by increasing the number of assets that are included and the number of parameters that can be changed to build different scenarios. The program uses this analysis and other data to help prioritize the government's capital planning.

To meet the requirements of the Infrastructure for Jobs & Prosperity Act, 2015 and inform infrastructure planning more broadly, the program continues to collaborate with capital ministries to standardize evidence to enable comparison of infrastructure needs across sectors. The program also develops a suite of research initiatives to understand and develop best practices in infrastructure planning and to improve other government-wide practices, such as asset management. These initiatives include the collection and analysis of municipal asset management plan data to build the ministry's knowledge of municipal infrastructure needs. The program also collects data on the condition of municipal assets from other sources, such as the Canada Core Public Infrastructure survey.

The program helps facilitate strategic and technical discussions with capital ministries to guide infrastructure policy initiatives collaboratively across government.

The program also administers the Unsolicited Proposal (USP) framework and intake portal that accepts infrastructure-related proposals. Through the framework, the public and stakeholders can leverage private sector innovation to submit innovative proposals.

Government real estate

The Government Real Estate program is responsible for managing the government's General Real Estate Portfolio (GREP). This is done through the development of policy, legislation, and program delivery.

The program oversees the real estate management activities of Infrastructure Ontario and implements real estate strategies, portfolio planning, acquisition and disposal of surplus properties, and capital planning. The ministry's Contaminated Sites Plan is part of this program. The ministry's Forfeited Corporate Property Program and the Transmission Corridor Program are also managed by the Government Real Estate program outside of the GREP. The program continues to leverage the government's realty portfolio to support provincial priorities, such as affordable housing and long-term care.

This program is also responsible for optimizing the government's office real estate and driving workplace transformation to reduce costs and improve effectiveness of OPS and provincial agency workplaces. This is achieved through the efficient management of realty assets and service delivery, and by reducing costly third-party leased office space. This work helps the OPS and provincial agencies to deliver the best outcomes and services for Ontarians. Major realty projects are delivered through this program, including the Macdonald Block Reconstruction Project. Whitney Block Rehabilitation Project. and Regional Office Optimization Plans. Adopting innovative approaches, including more modern workplaces, will allow for greater collaboration and optimization of the office footprint now and in the future.

Major initiatives supported by the program also include the Community Job Initiative, which is focused on locating and growing provincial agencies' presence in communities across Ontario.

The ministry also provides support to the Queen's Park Restoration Secretariat in relation to the Queen's Park Restoration Project to ensure this historic heritage building, where critical government business is conducted, is brought to modern safety and current building standards. It will ensure this landmark that symbolizes and facilitates the province's democratic process is protected and remains safe for future use.

Realty — Transmission Corridor — Provincial Secondary Land Use Program

The Provincial Secondary Land Use Program is delivered jointly by Infrastructure Ontario, on behalf of MOI and Hydro One Networks Inc., and provides the opportunity for public and private proponents to use provincially owned hydro corridor lands for secondary uses that are compatible with electricity transmission distribution.

The Transmission Corridor Program generates revenue through the issuance of licences and easements for the use of the hydro corridors (roads, transit. water, pipelines, recreational parks, etc.). After paying for the cumulative development and operating costs of the program, the net revenue is used to pay down the hydro stranded debt.

Transit-Oriented Communities & agency oversight

The Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) program is part of the government's plan to build vibrant. sustainable, mixed-use communities near transit. while reducing the cost to taxpayers to build transit station infrastructure. TOC will increase ridership, reduce congestion, and provide a mix of housing, including affordable housing options, while creating jobs.

The TOC program is a comprehensive initiative involving transit expansion, housing, land-use planning, public and Indigenous engagement, as well as provincial and municipal approvals that may involve accelerated timelines. As such, a high degree of collaboration across ministries, levels of government, delivery agencies and private sector partners is required to ensure the program's success.

The inter-ministerial and municipal engagement helps support the successful implementation of the program across the priority subway projects, at new and existing GO and LRT stations, and other potential transit projects. It also helps provide strategic direction, advice, oversight and issues management, as well as to ensure timely and effective decision-making.

As part of its responsibilities, the Ministry oversees the Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation (Infrastructure Ontario) in support of the government's policy and program delivery. Infrastructure Ontario is a classified agency, non-share corporation created under the Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation Act, 2011 to provide advice and services as directed by the Minister of Infrastructure.

In partnership with the federal government and The City of Toronto, the Ministry also oversees the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation (Waterfront Toronto), which has a mandate to carry out the tri-government initiative to revitalize and transform Toronto's waterfront. The province, alongside the federal government and the City of Toronto, have provided funding to support the Port Lands Flood Protection Project. This project will help create a resilient neighborhood by protecting southeastern portions of downtown Toronto from flooding, and by delivering a substantial return on investment by unlocking the area's potential for future residential and commercial development.

Ontario Place redevelopment

The Ontario Place Redevelopment program is continuing to deliver on the government's vision to redevelop Ontario Place into a world-class, year-round destination that will include family-friendly entertainment, public and event spaces, parkland, and waterfront access. The government's vision for Ontario Place will provide people of all ages with something to enjoy, including enhanced
public spaces, increased access to the waterfront, health and wellness services, as well as an indoor-outdoor live music and performance venue.

Across the site, approximately enhanced parkland and open public space is proposed. This includes 12 acres of public space planned on the West Island and will be free and open year-round, including a new public beach, wetlands, picnic facilities, multi-purpose trails, and look out points.

The Ontario Science Centre will also find its new home in a custom-built, state-of-the-art facility at Ontario Place, as well as in the preserved and upgraded iconic Cinesphere and Pod complex. This will bring exciting science-based educational programming to the heart of Ontario Place.

The ministry has engaged Infrastructure Ontario to support the redevelopment of Ontario Place, including extensive site preparation work to ensure the site is development ready for private sector partners.

As part of the redevelopment of Ontario Place, construction activities have started across the site, including repairs to the Cinesphere, pod complex, and bridges. Site servicing construction will be completed to upgrade the site's critical infrastructure, such as sewage, water, electrical and gas services.

As the ministry continues to move forward, public input is critical to support the planning and redevelopment of the Ontario Place site. The ministry is committed to engaging with and keeping the public informed. The ministry will continue to engage with the public, impacted stakeholders and Indigenous communities, including exploring opportunities for meaningful engagement and representation for Indigenous communities in the redevelopment project.

Ministry administration program

The Ministry Administration Program provides strategic advice and support services that enable the ministry to achieve government objectives and fiscal priorities.

The program provides financial, human resources, planning, legal, communication and other corporate services for the ministry's operational programs.

2022–23 strategic plan

• The Ministry of Infrastructure aims to deliver key government priorities by building, repairing, and modernizing critical infrastructure. Making smart, targeted investments leads to better services, more housing, including affordable housing options, safer roads, easier commutes, and healthier, thriving communities.
  • KPI Target: Improve the condition of public infrastructure by reducing the backlog in the renewal of provincial assets, while maintaining a 7 per cent backlog annually as a percentage of total asset replacement value
  • KPI Target: Percentage of P3 Projects on budget by 93% and on time by 60%
• The Ministry also aims to meet its new responsibilities for government infrastructure under its expanded mandate by addressing current and future needs of the General Real Estate Portfolio, Ontario Place and Transit-Oriented Communities.
  • KPI Target: Decrease in levels of deferred maintenance by $1.2B through increased efficiencies by March 31, 2024
  • KPI Target: Disposition of 327 Accelerated Divestment Plan (ADP) Properties, generating $175M by March 31, 2024
• As part of nearly $4 billion to help provide access to high-speed internet to every community across the province by the end of 2025, the ministry continues to proceed with various broadband projects including the Accelerated High-Speed Internet Program and application-based programs.
  • KPI Target: Increase access to broadband internet for 700,000 homes by December 31, 2025
• The ministry continues its ongoing discussions with the federal government on a new program framework for the next generation of federal-provincial infrastructure funding in Ontario.
  • KPI Target: Maximize federal infrastructure funding in Ontario communities within current Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) program for a total of $10.4B over the term of the multi-year contract ending March 31, 2028

Detailed financial information

For additional financial information, see:

• Expenditure Estimates
• Public Accounts of Ontario: past editions
• 2023 Ontario Budget

Agencies, Boards and Commissions (ABCS)

Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation

The Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation (Infrastructure Ontario or IO) is a classified agency, non-share corporation created under the Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation Act, 2011.

IO’s mandate is to provide a range of advice and services, as set out in the Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation Act, 2011. to support the Ontario government's initiatives to modernize and maximize the value of public infrastructure and realty. Infrastructure Ontario fulfills its mandate through the following roles and activities, subject to written direction from the Minister, as required:

Modern procurement and project management

Infrastructure Ontario is dedicated to the renewal of the province's hospitals, courthouses, and other essential public assets. Ensuring appropriate public control and ownership, IO also uses Private-Public Partnerships (P3) through a broad spectrum of delivery models to build vital infrastructure, on time and on budget.

Infrastructure lender

Infrastructure Ontario provides Ontario municipalities, universities and other public entities with access to affordable loans that help loan recipients build and renew public infrastructure through the IO Loan Program.

Commercial project advisor

Infrastructure Ontario also leverages private sector partnerships and investments for revenue generation, liability/cost reduction and efficiency in government services and investments.

Real estate

Provides comprehensive property management services for government owned and leased properties, which includes providing end-to-end real estate accommodation options to client ministries to ensure safe and secure operations through asset management. capital planning, and project management solutions.

Development

Delivers the Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) program to create vibrant, mixed-use and complete communities close to transit stations.

The amounts above for revenue and expense incorporate consolidation adjustments for MOI and do not reflect revenue and expense amounts reported publicly by the agency.

Ontario Place Corporation

The Ontario Place Corporation is mandated to operate Ontario Place as a provincial exhibit and recreational centre, developing special programs to enhance the image of the province. To streamline accountability and governance for the redevelopment of the Ontario Place site, legislation was passed in December 2018 to enable the eventual dissolution of the Ontario Place Corporation.

Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation

The Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation (Waterfront Toronto) was established by the federal government, the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto to oversee and deliver the revitalization of Toronto's waterfront. Waterfront Toronto has a mandate to implement a plan that enhances the economic, social and cultural value of the area and creates an accessible and active waterfront for living, working and recreation in a fiscally and environmentally responsible manner.

Waterfront Toronto develops and implements a coordinated and comprehensive waterfront vision while promoting and encouraging public and private sector engagement in revitalization efforts.

The ministry has oversight of Waterfront Toronto jointly with the federal government and the City of Toronto.

The amounts above for revenue and expense incorporate consolidation adjustments for MOI and do not reflect revenue and expense amounts reported publicly by the agency.

Ministry organization chart

• Deputy Minister, Infrastructure — Carlene Alexander
  • Director, Communications — Lidia Piccolo
  • Assistant Deputy Minister, Transit Oriented Communities and Agency Oversight — Mirrun Zaveri
    • Director, Transit Oriented Communities Policy and Delivery — Dawn Palin Rokosh
    • Director, Agency Policy and Accountability — Shameez Rabdi
    • Director, Partnerships & Analytics — Sarah Ness
  • Assistant Deputy Minister, Infrastructure Programs & Projects — Jill Vienneau
    • Director, Broadband Strategy & Analytics — Brett Smith
    • Director, Broadband Implementation & Accountability — Mike Smith
    • Director, Infrastructure Program Design — Trevor Fleck
    • Director, Infrastructure Program Delivery — Paramjit Kaur
  • Assistant Deputy Minister, Infrastructure Strategy, Policy and Research — Julia Danos
    • Director, Infrastructure Policy — Carolina Torres
    • Director, Infrastructure Research — Vijay Gill
  • Chief Administrative Officer & Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services — Sean Keelor
    • Director, Finance — Vacant
    • Director, Strategic HR & Business Solutions — Vacant
    • Director, Corporate Projects — Virginia McKimm
  • Assistant Deputy Minister, Realty — Bruce Singbush
    • Director, Realty Policy — David McIntosh
    • Director, Realty Management — Trevor Bingler
  • Assistant Deputy Minister, Office Optimization — Suzanne Harrison
    • Director, Office Transformation & Oversight — Kate Johnstone
    • Director, Office Realty Implementation — Justin Peffer
  • Assistant Deputy Minister, Ontario Place Redevelopment Secretariat — Michael Robertson
    • Director, Project Delivery — Elaine Shin
    • Director, Public Affairs and Stakeholder Relations — Rose Hong
  • General Manager and CEO, Ontario Place — Janet Gates
    • Director, Corporate & Redevelopment Services — Vacant

Annual report

2022–23 results

The Ministry of Infrastructure continues to create and deliver key initiatives to support the government's top priorities, including building provincial infrastructure, creating jobs, and increasing economic growth. The following successes highlight the achievements of the ministry for the 2022-23 fiscal year:

Infrastructure programs and projects

• Successfully launched the COVID‑19 Resilience stream under ICIP, providing $1.05 billion in joint federal-provincial funding to support over 10,500 projects across multiple sub-streams delivered by EDU, LTC, and MOI.
• Launched the second intake of the Green Infrastructure stream under ICIP, providing $330 million in joint-federal provincial funding to support 144 projects.
• For the Community, Culture & Recreation Infrastructure stream under ICIP, 36 projects were approved and announced for a total of approximately $260.3 million in joint federal-provincial funding.
• Launched the Strategic Priorities Infrastructure Fund (SPIF), which will provide infrastructure funding to strategic projects and sports facilities. Twenty-five active SPIF projects are being funded for over $200M in provincial funding.
• As of March 2023, Ontario has finalized agreements of over $2.33 billion for nearly 200 high-speed internet and cellular projects for the application-based programs to enable access across the province. The government is making incredible progress and more projects are continuing to be finalized. The AHSIP agreements have been fully executed with the ISPs as the ministry continues to connect every community across the province by the end of 2025.
• Passed the Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022 in April 2022, which amended the Building Broadband Faster Act and the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act. This legislation ensures that underserved and unserved communities across the province will have access to reliable high-speed internet sooner.
• In the 2021 Fall Economic Statement, Ontario announced a $1 billion increase in the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) to help small, rural, and northern communities build and repair roads, bridges, water and wastewater infrastructure. This brings the total investment to almost $2 billion over five years starting in 2022. Funding was provided to municipalities commencing in January 2022.

Agency policy and accountability

• Ontario has continued to meet its commitment of providing the P3 market with updates four times a year.
• On March 1, 2023, Infrastructure Ontario released its latest Infrastructure Ontario Market Update, which included 38 projects, with 25 projects in pre-procurement and 13 in active procurement representing a total value of more than $35 billion in estimated design and construction costs.
• In IO's Annual Report 2021-2022, IO reported that as of March 31, 2022, 78 projects had reached substantial completion since the inception of IO's P3 program. Of these, 94 per cent were completed on-budget and 67 per cent were completed on-time within the substantial completion date established at financial close.^{footnote 3[3]}
• IO successfully oversaw the Loan Program, which offers affordable, long-term, fixed-rate loans to borrowers from eligible public sector clients. Since its inception, the IO loan program has advanced $12.3 billion in loans to 456 clients^{footnote 4[4]} in support of 3,493 infrastructure projects across the province.
• In 2022-23, the Province also provided provincial funding in support of Waterfront Toronto's Port Lands Flood Protection Project. This project will help create a resilient neighborhood by protecting southeastern portions of downtown Toronto from flooding, and by delivering a substantial return on investment to unlock the area's potential for future residential and commercial development.

Infrastructure strategy, policy and research

• Updated the integrated asset inventory that includes data on the location, value, age, and condition of many provincial assets. The ministry updates the inventory every year and continues to expand the data on assets collected as well as growing the number of assets within the inventory. The inventory now contains information on over 20,000 assets with a replacement value of more than $270 billion.
• Met all audit criteria in the Office of the Auditor General's 2021-22 Annual Report on Environmental Audits, released in December 2022.
• Continued to manage the Unsolicited Proposals (USP) Framework to identify innovative infrastructure proposals from individuals and organizations. Since its launch in 2019, the ministry forwarded over 40 proposals to partner ministries for initial assessment, of which some are now under detailed assessment. Infrastructure Ontario may work with the participant and impacted ministries to provide the government with advice and options for realizing the value and public benefit of these proposals.
• Continued to update and maintain the Ontario Builds website and map, which allows the public to track the status of thousands of infrastructure projects that receive provincial funding across the province.

Transit-Oriented Communities

• Led TOC program implementation, including coordination of TOC and transit planning (with the Ministry of Transportation, Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx), and coordination with key partners from across government, including the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Ministry of Education, and other land use and program lead ministries.
• Worked with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to request the issuance of 11 Minister's Zoning Orders for Ontario Line South, High Tech, and Bridge TOC sites as well as for the TOC at Mimico GO Station.
• Executed a value allocation framework with the City of Toronto to establish core principles on how we work with the city, executing commercial agreements on three sites, receiving approval to move towards the process of selecting building partners at four sites, while moving forward on a public open house on the first site on Ontario Line North.

Government real estate program

• As part of the 2022/23 SPP, MOI's goal was to generate net revenue of $154.9-$184.9 million and $10 million in annual cost savings/liability reduction related to its Government Real Estate Portfolio. The ministry exceeded the target with over $277 million in net revenue and over $4 million in annual cost savings/liability reduction through the sale of 117 properties. In addition, for 2022-23, surplus sales are ahead of target at over $26 million net revenue to date, the Transmission Corridor Program is over $15 million: and Forfeited Corporate Property generated over $1.7 million.
• Phase 1 of the Macdonald Block Reconstruction Project, which involved the relocation of ministry tenants from the Macdonald Block Complex to temporary office locations, was successfully completed in 2019. The project is now in Phase 2 and reconstruction is well-underway. Construction is scheduled to be substantially completed in spring 2024, eliminating the need for $400 million in deferred maintenance expenditures.
• Continued work to lead the evolution and implementation of the Office Optimization Strategy and centralized Office Realty Model to support clients. Benefits to date includes an enterprise lens on managing the government office realty portfolio, strategic real estate decision making, creating modern and flexible workplaces, and, more effective and efficient use of processes and existing funds creating annual lease payment reductions enabling reinvestment across the GREP portfolio to address critical shortfalls, such as such as office
  renovations, office optimization and capital repairs.

Ontario Place redevelopment

• As part of the redevelopment of Ontario Place, construction activities have started across the site, including repairs to the Cinesphere, pod complex, and bridges.
• A request for proposal was issued in December 2022 to support site servicing construction work, which is scheduled to begin this spring to upgrade the site's critical infrastructure, such as sewage, water, electrical and gas services.
• Continued to advance the Environmental Assessment and public realm design process for the government led portion of the site.
• Public engagement began in fall 2021. continued throughout 2022 and will be ongoing in 2023. Engagement continued with the public, stakeholders, and Indigenous communities to ensure all perspectives from across the province are recognized and considered specifically on the planning and development related to:
  • the site-wide environmental assessment
  • public space
  • heritage
  • site servicing