Government of Canada Encourages Community Employment Benefits

Infrastructure Canada

The Government of Canada Encourages Community Employment Benefits through Infrastructure Projects

Le Gouvernement du Canada Encourage les Avantages Communautaires découlant des Projets d’Infrastructure

North York, ON – June 22, 2018

Through its infrastructure investments, the Government of Canada is committed to creating long-term economic growth and supporting local employment by providing more inclusive opportunities to under-represented groups.

The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, was joined by the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, to announce a new measure aimed at ensuring that when building new infrastructure projects, proponents take into consideration the social and economic impact their project will have on the community and how they can encourage inclusive participation.

As part of the Investing in Canada plan, recipients of federal funding for new major public infrastructure projects will now be asked to consider how their projects can create training and job opportunities for under-represented groups and procurement opportunities for small-to-medium sized and social enterprises.

The Community Employment Benefits requirement is part of the Investing in Canada bilateral agreements being signed between Infrastructure Canada and the provinces and territories. It also applies to the recently launched Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund and Smart Cities Challenge.

Investing in infrastructure projects means investing in our communities – providing employment, social and economic opportunities that benefit all Canadians.