Federal government announces infrastructure council members

Key Takeaways:

• Canada’s first-ever NIA aims to guide long-term infrastructure planning by analyzing critical data and making evidence-based investment decisions. The focus will be on infrastructure essential for housing development and addressing challenges like population growth and climate change.
• An 11-member expert advisory body, serving part-time until March 2027, will collaborate with stakeholders across sectors, including Indigenous governments and municipal authorities, to ensure the NIA’s relevance and effectiveness for all communities.
• Initially announced in 2021, the NIA is backed by $22.6 million over four years. The initiative stems from extensive public engagement and includes recommendations outlined in the 2021 report, “Building Pathways to 2050,” emphasizing sustainable and resilient infrastructure planning.

The Whole Story:

Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, has announced the new Canadian Infrastructure Council, an expert advisory body that will deliver the country’s first-ever National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA).

The NIA will support Canada’s long-term infrastructure planning and decision-making by compiling data and evidence and conducting the research and analysis needed to make informed investments.

The focus will be on the core infrastructure communities need in place to support housing development over the long term – including water and wastewater, public transit, active transportation and waste management – as well as the impact of population growth and climate change on them.

Officials say the first NIA will be a critical piece in ensuring Canada can build the infrastructure needed to alleviate housing pressures and support the continued growth of sustainable, resilient, and inclusive communities. 

In support of this work, the Canadian Infrastructure Council – composed of 11 experts in relevant infrastructure sectors across the country – will engage key partners and stakeholders from industry, provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous governments to seek their knowledge and expertise and ensure that the NIA is useful for communities across Canada.

The Canadian Infrastructure Council includes eleven experts from infrastructure-related fields from across the country who bring varying experience and perspectives on the challenges facing infrastructure in Canada. Each member will serve on the Council on a part-time basis until March 31, 2027.

The NIA was first announced in March 2021 when Canada launched an engagement process to shape the country’s first-ever NIA. The initiative aimed to assess Canada’s infrastructure needs and establish a long-term vision for the future. Following public engagement with over 300 organizations and individuals, the government released “Building Pathways to 2050: Moving Forward on the National Infrastructure Assessment” on July 29, 2021, which outlined key recommendations for the NIA’s design. The government allocated $22.6 million over 4 years to improve infrastructure planning and committed to establishing an independent advisory body to carry out the assessment.

Membership of the Canadian Infrastructure Council

• Jennifer Angel (Chair): Angel is the CEO of Evergreen Canada, an organization that brings private, public and community capacity, ingenuity and investment together to build inclusive, sustainable public places that attract people and investment, support climate adaptation and mitigation, and contribute to well-being for all.
• Peter Weltman (Vice-Chair): Weltman serves as Director and Employee Owner at data analysis and cost engineering company, Technomics Inc. Previously, he was Ontario’s Financial Accountability Officer from 2018 to 2023, where he and his office produced reports on the state of the province’s economy, fiscal position, and a first-of-its-kind analysis of the cost of climate change impacts on publicly-owned infrastructure. 
• Sara Brown: Brown is Chief Executive Officer of the Northwest Territories Association of Communities (NWTAC), where she leads a diverse team in supporting and advocating on behalf of member communities in the Northwest Territories.
• James Dunn: Dunn is Associate Dean of Research, Faculty of Social Sciences at McMaster University. His research investigates the health and social impacts of housing, urban form, and income policies and programs. He is the Senator William McMaster Chair in Urban Health Equity, and Director of the Canadian Housing Evidence Collaborative.
• Joanna Eyquem: Eyquem is Managing Director of Climate-Resilient Infrastructure at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, focusing on practical measures to reduce flooding, erosion and heat risk, in particular working with nature and the financial sector. In this role, Joanna is leading national efforts to develop and mobilise guidance and standards to accelerate climate adaptation, and mainstream nature-based solutions across Canada. 
• Graham Gagnon: Gagnon is Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Planning and is the Director and Professor in the Centre for Water Resources Studies at Dalhousie University.
• John McKendrick: McKendrick is a former senior executive and consultant offering strategic and planning advice for building and infrastructure projects. He brings over 25 years of experience in project delivery, financing, and management of over 75 projects.
• Doug McNeil: McNeil is a professional engineer with 36 years of public service to the City of Winnipeg and the Province of Manitoba. Doug has been involved in most aspects of water resources planning, operations and management, including hydraulics, hydrology, storm water management, and water control structures.
• Catherine Morency: Morency is a civil engineer and full professor at Polytechnique Montréal, where she holds the Mobility Research Chair, focused on assessing and implementing sustainability in transportation. She also holds the Canada Research Chair inMobility of People.
• Ren Thomas: Thomas is a Registered Professional Planner (RPP), an Associate Professor at the School of Planning at Dalhousie University, and a Founding Fellow of the MacEachen Institute of Public Policy and Governance. Ren conducts research in housing policy and transportation policy and planning. 
• Judy Whiteduck: Whiteduck recently retired after 23 years with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) as a Senior Director for the Economic Development and Infrastructure Branch, and the Rights and Justice Branch.