Ministry overview

Ministry’s vision

The Ministry of Infrastructure (MOI) is committed to maximizing the Province’s infrastructure and infrastructure investments to benefit all the people of Ontario. Whether it is building new infrastructure, or making key investments to upgrade Ontario’s schools, hospitals, roads, bridges and transit or broadband infrastructure, the Province needs to make strategic investments efficiently across government by prioritizing infrastructure activities and unlocking existing opportunities.

The Ministry is responsible for developing a strategic approach to infrastructure planning based on strong evidence. This includes managing the implementation of the Infrastructure for Jobs & Prosperity Act, which requires the development of the government’s long-term infrastructure plan, the development of an asset inventory, the identification of infrastructure needs, and a strategy to prioritize infrastructure investments.

The Ministry also acts as the steward of provincial asset management planning, including developing tools and analyses to consistently track both current infrastructure assets and planned investments across government.

It has legislative responsibility for Infrastructure Ontario and is also responsible for Waterfront Toronto, in partnership with the federal government and the City of Toronto.

Ministry contribution to priority outcomes

Leading negotiations with the Federal Government on Federal-Provincial infrastructure agreements

Federal funding is an important component of the Province’s infrastructure plan. Ontario works with its federal counterparts to ensure alignment between federal programs and the Province’s infrastructure plan and priorities.

The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) includes up to $11.8 billion in federal funding for Ontario across four funding streams: Public Transit, Green infrastructure, Community, Culture and Recreation, and Rural and Northern. This program will unlock up to $30 billion in combined federal, provincial and local investments in communities over the next 10 years. The Province has launched all four funding streams and has nominated over 350 projects to the federal government under the Rural and Northern, Public Transit and Community, Culture and Recreation streams of ICIP. As of May 12, 2020, close to 330 projects have been approved.

The Province anticipates nominating additional projects under Green and Community, Culture and Recreation streams for federal approval in spring/summer 2020.

The Province continues to work with the federal government to reduce administrative and fiscal burden on the Province and its municipalities and other community partners, increase program flexibility and streamline the approval process.

Broadband

The Government announced a $315 million investment over five years to focus on expanded access for unserved and underserved communities. Fast and reliable connectivity is critical to delivering on our commitment to make Ontario open for business and jobs. As part of this commitment, Ontario released Up to Speed: Ontario’s Broadband and Cellular Action Plan, a commitment over the next five years to expand broadband access for up to 220,000 households and businesses. This includes the development of the $150 million broadband and cellular infrastructure program.

The Government’s Broadband and Cellular Action Plan helps us move forward with our partners – the federal government, municipalities and the private sector – to target our investments where it is needed most.

Strengthening municipal asset management planning

The municipal asset management planning regulation (O. Reg. 588/17 Asset Management Planning for Municipal Infrastructure) was designed to help improve the way municipalities plan for their infrastructure by promoting a greater degree of consistency and standardization in municipal asset management plans. This will help to spread best practices throughout the sector and enable the collection of comparable data, which could help the Province and municipalities collaboratively to streamline processes, minimize burdens and better target funding resources and financing tools.

The regulation, which was passed under the authority of the Infrastructure for Jobs & Prosperity Act, is being phased in over six years (2019-2024) to give municipalities sufficient time to meet its requirements.

Ministry programs

The following are the major programs, services and initiatives delivered by the Ministry of Infrastructure:

Infrastructure policy program

The Ministry manages the implementation of the Infrastructure for Jobs & Prosperity Act, 2015. This includes developing Ontario’s infrastructure plan and developing a framework to prioritize the government’s infrastructure investments to support its infrastructure priorities.

The Province will focus on infrastructure projects that provide the greatest benefit to the people of Ontario, are feasible from a technical and commercial perspective, align with the government's priorities and provide the greatest value for money for any investment of public dollars.

The Ministry develops and designs infrastructure policy and programs and oversees their delivery to ensure they are consistent with broader provincial infrastructure policy, including alignment with the municipal asset management planning regulation. Active programs include:

  • The Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) – provides small, rural and northern communities with annual funding to build and repair critical infrastructure and supports municipal asset management planning.
  • Asset Management tools and supports – provides funding to third party delivery partners that work with municipalities to help them develop and improve their asset management plans.
  • Broadband and Cellular Action plan – Ontario released Up to Speed: Ontario’s Broadband and Cellular Action Plan, a commitment over the next five years to expand broadband access for up to 220,000 households and businesses. This includes the development of the $150 million broadband and cellular infrastructure program.

In addition to these provincial programs, the Ministry leads the implementation and negotiation of cost-shared infrastructure programs with the federal government, including the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP):

  • The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program includes up to $11.8 billion in federal funding for Ontario across four funding streams
    • Public Transit: $8.3 billion.
    • Green Infrastructure: $2.8 billion - Based on federal requirements, 45 per cent of this funding will need to be invested in greenhouse gas emission mitigation projects.
    • Community, Culture & Recreation: $407 million.
    • Rural & Northern Communities: $250 million.
  • This program will unlock up to $30 billion in combined federal, provincial and local investments in communities over the next 10 years.
  • The Ministry is focused on implementing this program and has closed intakes for all four streams of available funding. This includes working closely and collaboratively with the federal government to reduce the administrative burden of federal requirements and with local communities to develop and implement funding programs for each of the four funding streams.
  • The Ministry is establishing a Municipal and Community Program office fully offset from federal revenues, to support the delivery of infrastructure programs under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), Broadband and Cellular Infrastructure Program, and new program delivery requirements stemming from infrastructure stimulus spending and anticipated preparations to support economic recovery efforts. This will improve program delivery by streamlining administration and reducing duplicative process and the reporting burden of government projects.
  • Ontario continues to work with the federal government to oversee the delivery of program funding to recipients under previous infrastructure funding programs, including the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF), Clean Water and Wastewater Fund (CWWF) and the New Building Canada Fund (NBCF). Aside from project-specific extensions, these legacy programs are currently winding down and are not accepting applications. While the Ministry of Infrastructure oversees these programs, they are each administered by partner ministries or agencies (e.g., Infrastructure Ontario, OMAFRA, MTO, HSTCI).

As part of its responsibilities, the Ministry oversees the Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation (Infrastructure Ontario) in the support of the government’s policy and program delivery. The Ministry develops policy to refine the government’s Private Public Partnership (P3) model, delivered by Infrastructure Ontario. The P3 model is an innovative way of delivering large, complex public infrastructure projects. It makes the best use of private-sector resources and expertise to provide on-time, on-budget, and on-specifications project delivery.

The Ministry also oversees the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation. Its mandate is to carry out the tri-government Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Initiative to revitalize and transform Toronto’s waterfront into sustainable new communities, parks and public spaces, and to foster economic growth in knowledge-based, creative industries. The Province, alongside the federal government and the City of Toronto has provided $1.25 billion in funding to support the Port Lands Flood Protection Project. This project will help create a resilient neighborhood by protecting southeastern portions of downtown Toronto from flooding, and by delivering a substantial return on investment by unlocking the area’s potential for future residential and commercial development.

COVID‑19 response

With the support of the Ministry of Infrastructure’s crown agency, Infrastructure Ontario, and other capital ministries, MOI is assessing the impacts of COVID‑19 on provincial infrastructure projects and developing a plan to respond to this unprecedented situation. This includes actively working with the federal government to seek flexibility within its programs to respond to the impacts of COVID‑19.

MOI has taken immediate action to adapt to the impacts of COVID‑19, including providing an opportunity for recipients to submit project extension requests under the federal-provincial Clean Water and Wastewater Fund (CWWF) and Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF). These extensions would enable recipients additional time to incur costs for previously approved projects and are subject to final approval by the Infrastructure Canada.

Infrastructure research and planning

The Ministry collects data and performs analysis to contribute to evidence-based infrastructure planning to make informed decisions about the investments required to maintain service levels across the province.

For example, the Ministry provides guidance to government ministries regarding methods to measure infrastructure asset condition and other information for the purpose of standardizing the underlying data across government. The Ministry then collects that data to feed into its analytical models. The Ministry built and maintains an analytical model to project infrastructure renewal needs into the future. The Ministry has improved this model by expanding the number of assets that are included and increasing the number of parameters that can be changed to build different scenarios.

The Ministry is also building and leveraging existing models that help to project future infrastructure expansion needs based on infrastructure capacity and demand. For example, in 2019 the Ministry launched the development of an infrastructure expansion model that projects infrastructure needs based on expected growth in demand. The first phase of this model, covering the Education, Healthcare and Justice sectors, will be completed in 2020.

To meet the requirements of the Infrastructure for Jobs and Prosperity Act and inform infrastructure planning more broadly, the Ministry continues to develop a suite of research initiatives to understand and develop best practices in infrastructure planning and to support the enhancement of government-wide practices in related fields, such as asset management. These initiatives include collection and analysis of data from municipal asset management plans to build the Ministry’s knowledge of municipal infrastructure needs, and analysis of municipal transit performance indicators as the Province’s investments in transit grow.

The Unsolicited Proposal (USP) framework and intake portal to accept infrastructure related proposals was launched in October. Providing the private sector with a framework to submit USPs is a leading global practice that allows the government to leverage the expertise of the private sector to develop innovative infrastructure solutions. The Ministry administers the program and it is open for all infrastructure proposals including transit lines and stations, highways, health care facilities, housing supply projects, energy generation and storage projects, and "digital infrastructure" (such as broadband and cellular network expansion).

COVID‑19 response

The Ministry tracked industry and stakeholder reaction and suggestions in order to provide advice to Government on the administration of the essential workplaces list. The Ministry also provided economic and industry analysis on responding to the COVID‑19 crisis and supporting and restarting Ontario’s economy.

Ministry administration program

The Ministry Administration Program provides strategic advice and support services that enable the Ministry to achieve government objectives and fiscal priorities.

The program provides financial, human resources, planning, legal, communication and other corporate services for the Ministry’s operational programs.

Ministry planned expenditures 2020-21 ($M )
Item Amount
COVID‑19 Approvals Not applicable
Other Operating 153.3
Capital 709.3
Total 862.6

Ministry expense by program ($M)

Ministry Administration

1%

Infrastructure Research

1%

Infrastructure Policy

99%

Highlights of 2019-20 results

The Ministry of Infrastructure continues to create and deliver key initiatives to support the Government’s top priorities, including creating jobs and increasing economic growth. The following successes highlight the achievements of the Ministry for the 2019-20 fiscal year:

Infrastructure policy

  • Provided approximately $200 million in formula-based funding to small, rural and northern communities to help build and repair critical infrastructure under the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund.
  • Tabled and launched a new infrastructure plan for Ontario on November 21, 2019: Rebuilding Ontario: an infrastructure plan for the people. The Plan establishes a new vision to deliver the right public investments for resilient infrastructure that will grow the economy, get people and goods moving faster and maximize public dollars with modern and innovative infrastructure for generations to come.
  • Continue to lead the cross-ministry, director-level Asset Management Steering Committee, which coordinates the standardization, collection and use of asset management data across government. This coordination and standardization is a pre-requisite to ensuring that centralized decision-making regarding infrastructure planning and investment is informed by data and evidence.

Federal-Provincial infrastructure programs

  • Implementing the bilateral agreement for the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), which includes up to $11.8 billion in federal funding for public transit, green infrastructure, community, culture and recreation, and rural and northern infrastructure investments.
    • On March 18, 2019, Ontario launched the Rural and Northern stream, which focuses on road, bridge, air and marine infrastructure in communities with populations of 100,000 or less. The intake closed on May 14, 2019 and Ontario nominated 144 projects to the federal government for approval.
    • On April 2, 2019, Ontario launched the Public Transit stream intake under ICIP, focusing on communities outside of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area. The intake closed on May 28, 2019 and Ontario nominated 201 projects to the federal government.
    • On July 27, 2019, Ontario launched the Public Transit stream intake under ICIP, focusing on communities inside of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area. The intake closed on October 24, 2019 and Ontario nominated 35 projects to the federal government. Ontario is reviewing the remaining projects and anticipate nominations this spring/summer.
    • On September 3, 2019, Ontario launched the Community, Culture and Recreation stream under ICIP, focusing on cultural, recreational and/or community projects for Ontarians, including Indigenous peoples and vulnerable populations. The federal and provincial governments approved the Canada Summer Games Project in summer 2019 as a first signature project under this program. The program intake closed on November 12, 2019. Ontario is reviewing projects and anticipates nominations this spring/summer.
    • On October 28, 2019, Ontario launched the first intake of the Green stream under ICIP, focusing on water, wastewater and stormwater projects in communities with populations of 100,000 or less. The intake closed on January 22, 2020. Ontario is reviewing projects and anticipates to nominations this spring/summer.
    • Ontario nominated over 350 projects to the federal government under the Rural and Northern, Public Transit and Community, Culture and Recreation streams of ICIP. As of May 12, 2020, close to 330 projects have been approved.

Infrastructure finance policy

  • Last fall, Ontario committed to provide the P3 market with updates four times a year, an increase from the previously annual P3 pipeline update.
  • On January 30, the Government released its latest P3 pipeline update which included 31 projects, worth more than $60 billion, representing a historic single largest commitment to P3 infrastructure expansion in Ontario history.
  • Of the 62 projects that have reached substantial completion as of December 2018, (59 percent) were completed on or below budget and 42 (69 percent) were completed on, ahead of, or within one month of the scheduled substantial completion date.
  • Successfully oversaw the Infrastructure Ontario (IO) Loan Program, which offers affordable, long-term, fixed-rate loans to borrowers from eligible public sector clients. The IO Loan Program has approved over $10 billion in affordable long-term financing to public sector clients throughout Ontario, representing 437 clients and over 3,000 local infrastructure projects, with a total project value of more than $17 billion (as of March 31, 2020).

Agency oversight

  • On March 19, 2019, the Minister of Infrastructure announced Ontario’s intent to expand Infrastructure Ontario’s services to jurisdictions outside of Ontario. The expansion of IO’s services would enhance opportunities for industry in Ontario by allowing access to foreign markets, which would improve economic development and trade and present potential revenue generating opportunities for the Province. This would also promote Ontario globally as a leader in P3 infrastructure building.
  • The Minister of Infrastructure also announced changes to make Ontario's public infrastructure projects more open to international competition. The changes are the result of industry outreach by the Ministry supported by IO, and include:
    • Rebalancing of bid scoring system to better reward innovation.
    • Moving toward more outcome-based specifications versus output specifications to capitalize on private sector innovation.
    • Adjusting qualifications assessments to give fair weight to international experience to encourage international investment and participation in the Ontario market.
  • In 2019-20, the Province has also provided provincial funding in support of the Port Lands Flood Protection Project. This project will help create a resilient neighborhood by protecting southeastern portions of downtown Toronto from flooding, and delivering a substantial return on investment by unlocking the area’s potential for future residential and commercial development.

Infrastructure research and planning

  • In 2019, the Ministry launched the Unsolicited Proposals framework to identify innovative infrastructure proposals from individuals and organizations. In its first six months, the Ministry received more than two dozen submissions, and several are now under detailed assessment. In detailed assessment, Infrastructure Ontario works with the participant and impacted ministries on the development and assessment of the business case for the proposal. This provides the Government with advice and options for realizing the value and public benefit of these proposals.
  • The Ministry initiated a third-party review of the Province’s approach to infrastructure planning and procurement as part of the Smart Initiatives, to improve the performance of government. The Government continues to refine planning and procurement across ministries and agencies.
  • In 2019, the Ministry updated the integrated asset inventory that includes data on the location, value, age and condition of many provincial assets. This represented the first time this information was updated as part of a new annual process. The Ministry updates the inventory on an annual basis and continues to expand the data on assets collected, as well as growing the number of assets contained within the inventory. This to provide the government with a one-stop location on information on all of the assets the government directly owns or consolidates on its financial statements, as well as on other assets for which it is a significant funder. The inventory now contains information on over 20,000 assets, with a replacement value of more than $230 billion. Keeping this information up to date is an important step in meeting the requirements of the Infrastructure for Jobs and Prosperity Act and helps the government take a portfolio approach to its infrastructure assets.

Ministry organization chart

  • Minister, The Honourable - Laurie Scott
  • Deputy Minister, Infrastructure - Chris Giannekos
    • Director, Corporate Coordination - James Northey
    • Director, Communications - Lisa Legatto
    • Director, Legal Services - Fahteh Salim
    • Chief Information Officer, Government Services Integration Cluster - Renee Laforet
    • Director, Internal Audit Services - Sanjeev Batra
    • Chief Administrative Officer & Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services Division - Ramneet Aujla
      • Director, Corporate Business Services - Lisa Kool
      • Director, Finance - Virginia McKimm
      • Director, Strategic Human Resources - Jay Naik
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Infrastructure Policy - Adam Redish
      • Director, Intergovernmental Policy - Julia Danos
      • Director, Infrastructure Policy and Planning - Wendy Ren
      • Director, Broadband and Digital Strategy - Fausto lannialice
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Infrastructure Research and Planning - Grant Osborn
      • Director, Infrastructure Research - Vijay Gill
      • Director, Capital Planning and Coordination - Trevor Fleck
      • Director, Planning and Analysis - Chris Monahan

Agencies, Boards and Commissions (ABCS)

Ontario infrastructure and lands corporation

The Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation (Infrastructure Ontario or IO) is a Crown agency established under the Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation Act, 2011.

IO’s mandate is to provide a range of advice and services, as set out in the Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation Act, 2011, to support the Ontario government’s initiatives to modernize and maximize the value of public infrastructure and realty. Infrastructure Ontario fulfills its mandate through the following roles and activities, subject to written direction from the Minister, as required:

Modern procurement and project management

  • Infrastructure Ontario is dedicated to the renewal of the Province’s hospitals, courthouses, and other essential public assets. Ensuring appropriate public control and ownership, IO uses Private Public Partnerships (P3) to build vital infrastructure, on time and on budget.

Infrastructure lender

  • Infrastructure Ontario provides Ontario municipalities, universities and other public entities with access to affordable loans to build and renew public infrastructure through the IO Loan Program.

Commercial project advisor

  • Infrastructure Ontario leverages private sector partnerships and investments for revenue generation, liability/cost reduction and efficiency in government services and investments.

Real estate manager

  • Infrastructure Ontario also provides management services for the provincially-owned and leased realty portfolio, one of the largest public sector real estate portfolios in Canada. The portfolio includes a wide variety of properties, ranging from detention centres to office space, courthouses and heritage buildings, and land holdings across the province.
  • Infrastructure Ontario administers the government’s General Real Estate Portfolio (GREP) and the Transmission Corridor Program, which is a component under the Provincial Secondary Land Use program.
  • As of June 2018, the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services is responsible for the GREP.
General Real Estate Portfolio
($M) 2020-21 Estimates 2019-20 Interim 2018-19 Actuals
Revenue 13.4 17.1 12.2
Expense 129.0 161.7 121.6

Government organizations

Toronto waterfront revitalization corporation

The Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation (Waterfront Toronto) was established by the federal government, the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto to oversee and deliver the revitalization of Toronto’s waterfront, by implementing a plan that enhances the economic, social and cultural value of the area and creates an accessible and active waterfront for living, working and recreation in a fiscally and environmentally responsible manner.

Waterfront Toronto develops and implements a coordinated and comprehensive waterfront vision while promoting and encouraging public and private sector engagement in revitalization efforts.

The Ministry of Infrastructure has oversight of Waterfront Toronto jointly with the federal government and the City of Toronto.

Waterfront Toronto
($M) 2020--21 Estimates 2019-20 Interim 2018-19 Actuals
Revenue 4.1 19.4 21.0
Expense 6.1 7.1 3.6

Detailed financial information

Table 2: Combined operating and capital summary by vote
Votes/Programs Estimates 2020-21 $ Change from Estimates 2019-20 $ % Estimates 2019-20 $ footnote 1 Interim Actuals 2019-20 $ footnote 1 Actuals 2018-19 $ footnote 1

Operating expense

Ministry Administration 6,179,500 (106,300) (1.7) 6,285,800 6,762,100 7,891,144
Infrastructure Policy and Planning 14,384,100 2,096,000 17.1 12,288,100 12,326,700 10,776,561
Community Hubs N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 2,388,689
Total Operating Expense to be Voted 20,563,600 1,989,700 10.7 18,573,900 19,088,800 21,056,394
Statutory Appropriations 65,014 0 0 65,014 65,014 70,042
Ministry Total Operating Expense 20,628,614 1,989,700 10.7 18,638,914 19,153,814 21,126,436
Consolidation & Other Adjustments - Ontario Infrastructure Lands Corporation 126,609,500 25,387,400 25.1 101,222,100 159,830,000 120,373,099
Consolidation & Other Adjustments - Toronto Waterfront Revitalization 6,050,700 3,531,400 140.2 2,519,300 3,002,300 3,558,779
Consolidation & Other Adjustments - School Boards 0 0 N/A 0 N/A (945,429)
Total Including Consolidation & Other Adjustments 153,288,814 30,908,500 25.3 122,380,314 181,986,114 144,112,885

Operating assets

Ministry Administration 1,000 0 0 1,000 1,000 0
Infrastructure Policy and Planning 1,000 0 0 1,000 1,000 12,000,000
Total Operating Assets to be Voted 2,000 0 0 2,000 2,000 12,000,000
Ministry Total Operating Assets 2,000 0 0 2,000 2,000 12,000,000

Capital expense

Infrastructure Programs 706,940,700 262,373,100 59.0 444,567,600 259,805,200 358,915,640
Community Hubs 0 0 N/A 0 0 2,619,226
Total Capital Expense to be Voted 706,940,700 262,373,100 59.0 444,567,600 259,805,200 361,534,866
Ministry Total Capital Expense 706,940,700 262,373,100 59.0 444,567,600 259,805,200 361,534,866
Consolidation & Other Adjustments - Ontario Infrastructure Lands Corporation 2,418,000 500,400 26.1 1,917,600 1,873,000 1,229,106
Consolidation & Other Adjustments - Toronto Waterfront Revitalization 0 (189,100) N/A 189,100 4,117,200 27,927
Consolidation & Other Adjustments - Cap and Trade Wind Down Account 0 N/A N/A 0 N/A 1,143,151
Consolidation & Other Adjustments - School Boards 0 4,000,000 N/A (4,000,000) (4,000,000) (2,619,225)
Consolidation & Other Adjustments - Trillium Trust Reclassification 0 0 N/A 0 N/A 7,221,671
Total Including Consolidation & Other Adjustments 709,358,700 266,684,400 60.2 442,674,300 261,795,400 368,537,496

Capital assets

Infrastructure Policy and Planning 1,000 0 0 1,000 1,000 0
Total Capital Assets to be Voted 1,000 0 0 1,000 1,000 0
Ministry Total Capital Assets 1,000 0 0 1,000 1,000 0
Ministry Total Operating and Capital Including Consolidation and Other Adjustments (not including Assets) 862,647,514 297,592,900 52.7 565,054,614 443,781,514 512,650,381
Historic trend table
Historic trend analysis data Actuals
2017-18
Actuals
2018-19
Estimates
2019-20footnote 1
Estimates
2020-21
Ministry total operating and capital including consolidation and other adjustments (not including assets) $416,371,364 $512,650,381 $565,054,614 $862,647,514
Percent change N/A 23% 10% 53%

Additional spending for federal-provincial infrastructure programs; this includes new spending for the green, rural and northern and community, culture and recreation streams of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.

For additional financial information, see:

2019-20 annual report

2019-20 results

The Ministry of Infrastructure continues to create and deliver key initiatives to support the government’s top priorities, including creating jobs and increasing economic growth. The following successes highlight the achievements of the Ministry for the 2019-20 fiscal year:

Infrastructure policy

  • Provided formula-based funding to small, rural and northern communities to help build and repair critical infrastructure under the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund.
  • Rolled out asset management planning tools and supports for municipalities, including expanded communities of practice, an online strategic asset management policy toolkit, and expert advice to help municipalities improve their asset management plans.
  • Provided support to projects under the Natural Gas Grant Program. With the discontinuation of the program, the remaining conditionally approved projects will be eligible to proceed under the government’s new Natural Gas Expansion Support Program, pending any necessary approvals from the Ontario Energy Board. The new program is being led by the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines.

Federal-Provincial infrastructure programs

  • Negotiated the bilateral agreement for the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), which includes up to $11.8 billion in federal funding for public transit, green infrastructure, community, culture and recreation, and rural and northern infrastructure investments.
    • On March 12, 2019, Ontario launched the Rural and Northern stream, which focuses on road, bridge, air and marine infrastructure in communities under 100,000.
    • On April 2, 2019, Ontario launched the Public Transit Stream intake under ICIP, focusing on communities outside of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area. The intake closed on May 28, 2019 and Ontario nominated 201 projects to the federal government. As of March 19, 2020, 83 projects have been approved.
  • The Clean Water and Wastewater Fund (CWWF) is a federal program, designed to accelerate short-term community investments while supporting the rehabilitation and modernization of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and the planning and design of future facilities and upgrades to existing systems. The Province of Ontario is cost-matching recipient contributions up to a maximum of 25 per cent of total eligible costs. Approximately 85 per cent of projects under the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund are currently underway.
  • Since 2018, project approvals under the New Building Canada Fund include The Massey Hall Revitalization project, and the Red Rock Wastewater Treatment Plant project.
  • The government released its latest P3 pipeline update, which included 31 projects, worth more than $60 billion, representing a historic single largest commitment to P3 infrastructure expansion in Ontario history.
  • Of the 62 projects that have reached substantial completion as of December 2018, 59 (95 per cent) were completed on or below budget and 42 (69 per cent) were completed on, ahead of, or within one month of the scheduled substantial completion date.
  • Successfully oversaw the Infrastructure Ontario (IO) Loan Program, which offers affordable, longer-term, fixed-rate loans to borrowers from eligible public sector clients. The IO Loan Program has approved over $10 billion in affordable long-term financing to public sector clients throughout Ontario, representing 437 clients and over 3,000 local infrastructure projects, with a total project value of more than $17 billion (as of March 31, 2020).

Agency oversight

  • On February 28, 2019, the Province announced the appointment of four new provincial members to the Waterfront Toronto Board of Directors as part of the government’s plan to enhance accountability and oversight.
  • On March 19, 2019, the Minister of Infrastructure announced Ontario’s intent to expand Infrastructure Ontario’s services to jurisdictions outside of Ontario. The expansion of IO’s services would enhance opportunities for industry in Ontario by allowing access to foreign markets, which would improve economic development and trade, and present potential revenue generating opportunities for the Province. This would also promote Ontario globally as “Open for Business.”
  • The Minister of Infrastructure also announced changes to make Ontario's public infrastructure projects more open to international competition. The changes are the result of industry outreach by the Ministry supported by IO, and include:
    • Rebalancing of bid scoring system to better reward innovation.
    • Moving toward more outcome-based specifications versus output specifications to capitalize on private sector innovation.
    • Adjusting qualifications assessments to give fair weight to international experience to encourage international investment and participation in the Ontario market.

Infrastructure research and planning

  • In 2019, the Ministry launched the Unsolicited Proposals framework to identify innovative infrastructure proposals from individuals and organizations. In its first six months, the Ministry received more than two dozen submissions, and several are now under detailed assessment. In detailed assessment, Infrastructure Ontario works with the participant and impacted ministries on the development and assessment of the business case for the proposal. This provides the Government with advice and options for realizing the value and public benefit of these proposals.
  • The Ministry launched a third-party review of the Province’s approach to infrastructure planning and procurement as part of the Smart Initiatives, to improve the performance of government. The Government continues to refine planning and procurement across ministries and agencies.
  • The Ministry continues to update the status and list of infrastructure projects available at Ontario.ca/building-ontario. The website currently provides the status and location of more than 5,000 projects across the province is being updated on a regular basis. The Ministry is also working with Ontario Digital Service (ODS) to implement a new update process that would result in more timely and accurate data.
  • In 2019, the Ministry updated the integrated asset inventory that includes data on the location, value, age and condition of many provincial assets. This represented the first time that this information was updated as part of a new annual process. The Ministry is now in the process of updating the inventory again. Keeping this information up to date is an important step in meeting the requirements of the Infrastructure for Jobs and Prosperity Act.
Ministry Interim Actual Expenditures 2019-20footnote 2
Item Amount
COVID‑19 Approvals Not applicable
Other Operating ($M) 182,0
Capital ($M) 261,8
Staff Strength (as of March 31, 2020)footnote 3 107