COVID-19 update To address the challenges faced by communities as a result of COVID-19, the over $33-billion Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, delivered through bilateral agreements with provinces and territories, now includes a new COVID-19 Resilience stream, offers expanded project eligibility and allows for accelerated approvals. Visit the COVID-19 Resilience stream page for more information.
The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program is one way the Government of Canada is delivering funding to communities through the Investing in Canada Plan. The program provides long-term, stable funding delivered by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada to:
Under the program, over $33-billion in funding is being delivered through bilateral agreements between Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada and each of the provinces and territories.
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada tracks the status of projects using an application status tracker, which provides information about projects submitted for funding approval.
Investments in infrastructure are being made through targeted funding streams:
Public Transit stream
The Government is investing in the construction, expansion, and improvement of public transit infrastructure, for projects that:
Funding through this stream is allocated according to a formula based on ridership and population, which balances the demand on existing systems, while providing support for expected population growth.
COVID-19 Flexibilities
Provinces and territories can choose to transfer remaining funding from this stream to fund projects under the COVID-19 Resilience stream, as long as they have agreement from the transit authority whose funding allocation is affected.
To provide more flexibility in response to COVID-19, on a time limited basis, the eligible projects under the Public Transit stream will be expanded to include the following types of projects even when they are not connected to an existing transit system:
Projects approved under these flexibilities must start construction by September 30, 2021.
Green Infrastructure stream
Through three targeted sub-streams, investments under the Green Infrastructure stream will support green infrastructure projects with outcomes across three crucial areas:
COVID-19 Flexibilities
Provinces and territories can choose to transfer remaining funding from this stream to fund projects under the COVID-19 Resilience stream, as long as they maintain the 45% floor for GHG mitigation projects.
To provide more flexibility in response to COVID-19, on a time limited basis, the eligible projects under the Green Infrastructure stream will be expanded to include:
Projects approved under these flexibilities must start construction by September 30, 2021.
Community, Culture and Recreation
Infrastructure stream
Through the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure stream, the Government is investing in projects that:
COVID-19 Flexibilities
Provinces and territories can choose to transfer remaining funding from this stream to fund projects under the COVID-19 Resilience stream.
Rural and Northern Communities
Infrastructure stream
The Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure stream is investing in the unique and wide-ranging infrastructure priorities of small, rural and remote communities, for projects that will:
The Arctic Energy Fund supports energy security in communities in the North, including Indigenous communities, by investing in upgrades to existing fossil fuel-based energy systems, as well as supplementing or replacing these systems with renewable energy options—improving energy reliability and efficiency as well as reducing pollution.
COVID-19 Flexibilities
Provinces and territories can choose to transfer remaining funding from this stream to fund projects under the COVID-19 Resilience stream.
To provide more flexibility in response to COVID-19, on a time limited basis, the eligible projects under the Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure stream will be expanded to include:
Projects approved under these flexibilities must start construction by September 30, 2021.
Through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, the federal government is investing more than $33 billion in public infrastructure projects across the country. Through the Program, the Government of Canada is helping to build stronger communities, grow our economy and deliver for Canadians.
To help build more infrastructure sooner, Budget 2022 signaled the government's intent to accelerate the deadline for provinces to commit their remaining funding to March 31, 2023. The Government of Canada worked closely with provinces to accelerate the allocation of all remaining funds to priority projects. The provincial intake for the Program closed on March 31st. Territories have until March 31, 2025, to submit their projects. Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada will continue to work with provinces and territories to build new public infrastructure and collaborate with stakeholders on the next generation of programming.
The Government of Canada is playing a crucial role in helping meet the needs of communities from coast to coast to coast, and throughout the next ten years and beyond, Canadians will see the benefits of our investments.
Information about the bilateral agreements with each province and territory can be found here.
For projects funded through the Public Transit, Green Infrastructure, Community Culture and Recreation Infrastructure, and Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure streams under the integrated bilateral agreements, Canada will invest up to:
Provinces will have to cost-share on municipal projects at a minimum of 33.33% of eligible costs.
* For public transit, Canada will provide up to 50% for rehabilitation projects and up to 40% for new public transit construction and expansion projects.
* For projects under the Rural and Northern Communities stream, Canada will invest up to 50% for provincial, municipal and not-for-profit projects, and up to 60% for municipal projects in the provinces where the municipalities have a population of less than 5,000.
As part of the bilateral agreements, certain projects must be assessed on their climate outcomes. A Climate Lens assessment is used to judge how a project might impact greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and hold up to the impacts of climate change. This aims to:
For additional information, see:
To ensure projects funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program create employment opportunities for a broader array of Canadians, the Community Employment Benefits initiative is used to assess the social outcomes of a projects, and:
The Government of Canada is committed to renewing the relationship with Indigenous Peoples, based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership. This includes ensuring duty to consult requirements are carried out on projects approved for funding, in accordance with the guidelines for federal officials developed by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC).
