QUESTION PERIOD — Infrastructure and Communities
National Infrastructure Assessment
February 5, 2026
Senator Moreau, Canada is facing a severe housing affordability crisis, but housing supply does not exist in a vacuum. The infrastructure that enables our communities to grow — water and wastewater systems, solid waste management, public transit and active transportation — is equally critical.
Two months ago, the Canadian Infrastructure Council, established by the government, released its first national assessment of housing-enabling infrastructure. It found that more than $126 billion of this infrastructure is in poor or very poor condition and at risk of near-term failure.
Given the council’s findings, what action does the government intend to take, particularly in response to its recommendation to maximize the capacity and efficiency of existing infrastructure through prioritized management, maintenance and upgrades?
Thank you very much for the question.
The government has taken decisive action on this issue with programs such as the Canadian Housing Infrastructure Fund, which accelerated the construction and upgrading of housing, enabling drinking water and waste water, which directly supports the creation of new homes and increased densification. We have the results — in Atlantic Canada, $4.4 billion; in British Columbia, $2.3 billion; in Ontario, $3.2 billion; and the Prairies, Quebec and the North have also increased investment in those areas.
The government recognizes more must be done, especially to address building capacity. The most recent budget allocates $75 million to support apprenticeship training for the next generation of Canadian builders through the Union Training and Innovation Program.
Thank you for that information.
The Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Commerce and the Economy just released its report, Out of Reach: Unlocking Canada’s housing affordability crisis.
Among our recommendations is a call for more regular, reliable and detailed population forecasts to support housing and infrastructure planning — a recommendation echoed by the Canadian Infrastructure Council.
Will the government commit to providing more transparent and regionally tailored population projections so communities can better plan where housing and supporting infrastructure are most urgently needed?
Thank you for your question.
The findings of your committee’s report were brought to my attention, and I will ensure that it will be brought to the attention of the minister.
Since we have guests from the Indigenous community, I would add to your first question that many of our colleagues would be encouraged to hear that we are providing $2.3 billion to renew the First Nation Water and Wastewater Enhancement Program and maintaining progress on 800 active projects in those communities.
