Federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson wants the Canada Infrastructure Bank to help finance sports facilities, despite years of criticism over the Crown corporation’s performance and its use of taxpayer money.Blacklock's Reporter says documents obtained through Access to Information reveal Robertson identified sports infrastructure as a priority for the bank, which was originally established to help finance major public works such as roads, utilities and other essential infrastructure.“Investment areas of interest will emerge over time,” Robertson wrote in an undated 2026 letter to the Canada Infrastructure Bank.“My officials will work closely with you and other departments to better understand and define potential opportunities such as opportunities in sports infrastructure.”A separate June 12 briefing memo prepared ahead of a meeting with the bank’s board reinforced the government’s interest in directing financing toward sports facilities.“The Bank’s advisory function and potential investment is needed on sports infrastructure proposals,” stated the document, titled Scenario Note To The Deputy Minister.The memo was prepared for a June 18 meeting with the bank’s board.Neither document identified specific stadiums, arenas or other sporting facilities that could receive financing.The directive followed a combined $1.07 billion in federal and local government subsidies associated with Vancouver and Toronto hosting matches during the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.The June memo also made clear the federal government expects the bank to align its financing decisions with Ottawa’s agenda.“The Bank’s investment decisions should track government priorities,” it stated.“The government is placing renewed emphasis on mobilizing private capital to advance national infrastructure priorities, support economic growth and make effective use of federal financing tools.”.The document described the bank as one of Ottawa’s main vehicles for attracting private money to infrastructure projects.“In this context, the Bank plays a key role as one of the government’s principal instruments for attracting investment and advancing projects that deliver public value,” the memo stated.The Canada Infrastructure Bank was created by Parliament in 2017 with $35 billion in taxpayer-backed financing.Its original mandate was to attract private-sector capital to help build major infrastructure projects while reducing the amount governments would otherwise have to finance directly.The federal government subsequently increased the bank’s financing authority to $45 billion through Bill C-15, An Act To Implement Certain Provisions Of The Budget, in 2025.No explanation for the additional $10 billion was provided in the documents cited.The latest direction comes after a parliamentary committee recommended shutting down the bank over concerns about its effectiveness and the slow pace of project development.In 2022, the House of Commons transport committee recommended the Crown corporation be disbanded following hearings that raised questions about whether it was delivering results for taxpayers.The committee cited testimony from the Canadian Construction Association describing the bank’s performance as “pretty dismal.”“Much of the discussion throughout this study turned on the question of the Bank’s efficiency with several witnesses expressing concern that projects were not flowing as quickly as expected,” stated the committee’s report, The Canada Infrastructure Bank.Conservative MP Andrew Scheer also challenged the bank’s record during a 2021 parliamentary hearing.“You haven’t got it done,” Scheer told the committee. “That’s the problem.”.Despite the recommendation to eliminate the Crown corporation, the federal cabinet refused.“The government strongly disagrees with the recommendation,” then-Infrastructure Minister Dominic LeBlanc wrote in a response to the committee.The latest documents indicate Ottawa is now considering sports infrastructure as another potential area for bank financing.However, they do not identify any approved sports projects, specific funding commitments or the amount of public financing that could ultimately be directed toward stadiums and other facilities.
