Six premiers and leaders of seven business organizations have called for a national trade infrastructure plan at a Wednesday breakfast meeting in Winnipeg..Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson, chair of this year’s Council of the Federation meeting, joined Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, BC Premier David Eby, Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai and Nunavut Premier PJ Akeeagok at a breakfast hosted by seven leading Canadian business organizations that have proposed the Canada Trade Infrastructure Plan (CTIP). .The organizations include the Canada West Foundation, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Construction Association, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, Civil Infrastructure Council Corp. and Western Canada Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association. .The group has asked the Council of the Federation to support and lead a collaborative campaign to persuade the federal government in its 2024/25 budget to include funding for advancing a Canada Trade Infrastructure Plan. Here, governments would work with the private sector and national stakeholder associations to set out the building blocks of a CTIP. .Breakfast discussions focused on the need for investment now on trade infrastructure — rail, highway, air, port and marine assets — to ensure that Canada is competitive in global trade markets..Stefanson underlined the need for Canada to work on its supply-chain reliability and capacity, noting the importance of the revenues returned from trade. .“We need the revenues that trade returns to government to fund the vital social services and the infrastructure we need, such as for hospitals, and schools," said Canadian Construction Association President Mary Van Buren in a press release..“According to World Bank Data, two-thirds of Canada’s income is derived from trade; we’re three times more dependent on trade than the United States.".Canadian Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Perrin Beatty said: “Unfortunately, our trade infrastructure today isn’t up to the job.”.Backers say CTIP would grow the economy across Canada, in all jurisdictions, ensuring all trade corridors to domestic, continental and global destinations have the fluidity and capacity to move Canada’s goods and services, as global markets expand. .A 2019 report by the World Economic Forum found Canada’s rank fell to 32nd — down from a top 10 in 2008 — in a global survey of the quality of national trade infrastructure, putting Canada behind Azerbaijan in 2019. .Canada West Foundation President Gary Mar told the premiers that a European Court of Auditors survey found Canada to be the “only major trading economy that doesn’t have a long-term infrastructure investment plan. We know what our competitors are doing. The country needs the premiers to call on the federal government to join you in advancing a national infrastructure plan in 2024.” .CTIP is based on recommendations within a May 2022 Canada West Foundation report From Shovel Ready to Shovel Worthy. The strategy would set in place long-term funding that prioritizes and coordinates investment in nation-building trade infrastructure. Projects would be prioritized for their potential for raise Canada’s GDP. .“We are championing to build a better Canada from that long-term infrastructure planning,” Van Buren said. .A recent Ipsos survey found 93% of Canadians strongly (55%) or somewhat (38%) agree that given how important trade is to Canada, we need to prioritize making sure that our trade infrastructure can effectively move people to jobs and products to market. .The Council of the Federation is expected to discuss infrastructure investment Thursday in the final sessions of their three-day gathering.
