Opinion: Time to Step Up In Addressing Infrastructure Deficits
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, and Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek are three prominent figures who, despite their distinct roles, find themselves at the epicentre of a nationwide issue: the glaring deficiencies in our country's infrastructure.
Underfunding of infrastructure, while often swept under the rug, has come to the forefront, particularly in Calgary, highlighting the collective failures at municipal, provincial, and federal levels.
On June 5th, Calgary experienced a significant water main break, coinciding with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Convention held downtown. This incident not only disrupted the city's water supply but also served as a stark reminder of the fragility of our aging infrastructure. The timing couldn't have been more ironic or impactful, as it brought together mayors, councillors, and officials from across Canada who suddenly found themselves dealing with the very issue they had convened to discuss.
The immediate reaction from officials was one of urgency. "You bet we’re going to have conversations with our asset management team," remarked a New Brunswick mayor during a side conversation at the trade show. Another official from northern Ontario expressed her intent to prioritize infrastructure discussions upon returning home. These reactions underscore a broader recognition: municipalities across Canada are grappling with similar challenges, and the need for a coordinated response is more critical than ever.
Municipalities are in a precarious position. In Alberta alone, a 2023 report by Alberta Municipalities highlighted a need for an additional $1.3 billion in infrastructure funding to adequately address repairs and growth. Despite this, the provincial election that year did little to address these urgent needs. Instead of engaging in substantive debates about infrastructure, the major political parties focused on personalities and controversies.
This avoidance left municipalities struggling to meet their obligations without the necessary support, and to better understand where municipalities would stand after the election.
Calgary's water crisis isn't an isolated incident. The town of Wainwright faced similar water restrictions earlier this month due to a semi-comparable infrastructure failures. However, the response in Wainwright was markedly different. There was no panic, no social media outcry demanding resignations. Instead, locals and officials took a measured approach, addressing the issue with the resources at hand. This highlights a critical point: municipalities understand that they cannot rely on provincial or federal intervention. They must act independently to resolve their crises.
The Canadian public has every right to critique their governments. Social media is rife with complaints about inefficiencies and perceived mismanagement at all levels. However, it's essential to recognize that municipalities are not deliberately withholding services or trying to control residents' lives. They are struggling to manage an infrastructure built in the mid-20th century that is no longer fit for purpose in 2024.
Water main breaks, like the one in Calgary, are symptomatic of a broader, systemic problem that requires immediate and concerted action.
The FCM Convention in Calgary saw municipal leaders calling on provincial and federal governments to collaborate on a sustainable solution for infrastructure funding. Currently, municipalities own and are responsible for 60% of Canada's infrastructure but receive a disproportionately small share of the funding necessary for maintenance and upgrades. This imbalance is untenable and must be addressed.
If provincial and federal governments expect municipalities to handle local issues independently, they must stop downloading responsibilities that rightfully belong at higher levels. It's unacceptable for local councils to be burdened with crime issues and healthcare issues, which should be managed by provincial and federal authorities. This misallocation of responsibilities hampers municipalities' ability to focus on their core duties, including maintaining and upgrading infrastructure.
The recent events in Calgary should serve as a wake-up call.
Infrastructure issues are not solely municipal problems; they reflect the collective negligence of provincial and federal governments. When local officials are forced to prioritize healthcare and crime due to inadequate support, infrastructure inevitably suffers. This misalignment of responsibilities needs to be corrected.
Residents who believe that infrastructure failures are solely the fault of their local government should reconsider. The next time you encounter your Member of Parliament , Member of Provincial Parliament, or Member of the Legislative Assembly, ask them how much responsibility is being unfairly shifted onto municipalities.
The successes of a municipalities like Calgary should be celebrated at all levels, but its challenges must also be acknowledged and addressed collectively.
The responsibilities and achievements of a community are intertwined with the province and the nation. Provinces cannot cherry-pick the successes of their municipalities while ignoring the systemic issues that contribute to their failures. There must be a collective effort to address these problems, with all levels of government working together to ensure sustainable and reliable infrastructure for all Canadians.
It is time for provincial and federal governments to step up, acknowledge their roles, and work in partnership with local governments to secure the future of our nation's infrastructure. If they fail to do so, we will continue to see these crises unfold, with municipalities left to clean up the mess on their own.
I think we also need to understand that in many instances the Repair, Maintain, Renew/Replace (RMR/R) budgets in municipal governments have been a target for councils, usually against the advice of administration, to reduce the annual property tax increases that should have occurred to track with inflationary pressures. Those councillors have kicked the can down the road for others to have to deal with.
Where I live the City of St. Albert has oftentimes been criticized for higher historical taxation levels BUT the City's RMR/R budget has for many, many years been fully and properly funded, the planned work has kept things in good shape and the difference between our taxes and those in other municipalities seems to have dwindled…