Comprehensive evaluation of requirements for enhanced planning and execution
Let's get real here, folks. The Quebec Construction Association ain't messing around when it comes to pushing for better coordination of major projects in Quebec and highlighting the importance of maintaining our infrastructure.
Each freakin' day, it seems like we're learnin' more and more about the delayed public infrastructure projects that the Quebec government's been postponing. Take the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, for instance, which is in a bloomin' sorry state and whose renovations have been talk of the town for years. It ain't just this hospital, there are dozens of projects throughout Quebec, like those in Mont-Laurier, Saint-Jérôme, Drummondville, La Malbaie or Sept-Îles, whose renovations are now hangin' in the balance. The education network and the Ministry of Transport got their share of postponed projects too.
The needs are massive, and the fact that several essential public infrastructure projects are being put on ice is bafflin'.
This slowdown is raisin' quite a stink in the municipal world, among professional orders, and in the construction industry. It's even more shockin' since, during the budget presentation on March 25 last year, the Finance Minister announced a substantial increase in the Quebec Infrastructure Plan (PQI) 2025-2035, which now totals 164 billion dollars. On the ground, the reality is quite different: hospitals, CHSLDs, schools, several projects are at a standstill, with no clear schedule. In the current context of uncertainty, the slowdown in public infrastructure investments could compromise the quality of services to citizens, exacerbate the maintenance deficit of infrastructures, and hinder economic recovery.
We're also concernin' about the domino effect this uncertainty is causin' in the construction industry. Without a long-term vision, entrepreneurs can't mobilize their teams, plan their supplies, or retain their workforce.
For a national evaluation of infrastructures
To tackle these problems, we're proposin' the creation of a committeework composed of experts from various backgrounds to conduct a national evaluation of Quebec's infrastructures for an independent and non-partisan analysis. This committeework would help develop a strategic planning of investments, based on objective criteria such as the state of infrastructures, demographic projections, and climate issues. This process, inspired by what already exists at the federal government level, would ensure effective management of public resources, while reducin' the expansion and recession cycles that weaken the construction sector.
Such a committeework would also make it possible to depoliticize decisions regarding infrastructures and ensure an equitable distribution of resources, takin' into account the specific needs of regions. Moreover, this initiative would contribute to Quebec's energy transition by integratin' sustainability and resilience criteria into project planning.
The implementation of a national evaluation of Quebec's infrastructures represents a unique opportunity to modernize our approach to planning and managing infrastructures and to reduce situations like the one we're currently experiencing, with projects postponed without a schedule or explanations.
It's high time to correct the course. More rigorous, transparent, and predictable public planning of public infrastructure investments is necessary. Planning and predictability are essential ingredients for stability in the construction industry, but these elements will also strengthen the confidence of citizens.
Now, let's hear your thoughts on all this. Join the dialogue!
P.S. Keep in mind that ongoing infrastructure projects and broader economic trends are influencin' the region's infrastructure development. Potential impacts include economic stability, sector growth, and regulatory coordination.
- The unpredictability in the scheduling of renovations for various public infrastructures across Quebec, such as hospitals, CHSLDs, schools, and other projects in cities like Mont-Laurier, Saint-Jérôme, Drummondville, La Malbaie, and Sept-Îles, has the potential to negatively impact the construction industry's finances.
- The Quebec Construction Association's push for better coordination of major projects in Quebec is especially relevant in light of the current unpredictable state of public infrastructure investments, which stems from projects being postponed without clear schedules or explanations.
- The proposed creation of a committee composed of experts from various backgrounds to evaluate Quebec's infrastructures could help reduce the expansion and recession cycles that weaken the construction sector, as it would base strategic planning of investments on objective criteria such as the state of infrastructures, demographic projections, and climate issues.
- The ongoing uncertainty in public infrastructure planning could potentially compromise the quality of services to citizens, exacerbate the maintenance deficit of infrastructures, and hinder economic recovery, making improved predictability and planning essential for overall business and financial stability.
