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Section II: Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome

Analysis of Program Activities

Infrastructure Canada’s mission is to build world-class public infrastructure that contributes to Canada’s economic growth, a clean environment and strong communities for Canadians.

In carrying out this Government of Canada priority, Infrastructure Canada manages a suite of funding programs and works to build the policies, knowledge and partnerships to support them. The Government maximizes value for taxpayers’ money by supporting infrastructure projects that adhere to best practices, ensuring complementarity with investments from other orders of government and sectors and by requiring all funding recipients to be accountable.

Infrastructure Canada has one Strategic Outcome that is long-term and enduring in nature. It identifies the organization’s areas of influence and demonstrates how the Department’s efforts benefit Canadians and contribute to Government priorities. Infrastructure Canada’s Strategic Outcome will be achieved by:

• Strategically investing and leveraging other investments in sustainable public infrastructure;
  
• Fostering effective, new and innovative types of partnerships;
  
• Providing federal leadership for infrastructure and community issues; and
  
• Advancing policies and building, connecting and sharing knowledge.

Infrastructure Canada has established the following three Program Activities:

• Infrastructure Investments: See paragraph 2.1 for details.
  
• Policy, Knowledge and Partnership Development: See paragraph 2.2 for details.
  
• Departmental Administration: See Section IV for details.

2.1 Program Activity 1: Infrastructure Investments

Table 2.1: Financial Resources ($ thousands)

Planned Spending	Authorities	Actual Spending
2,448,418	2,109,215	1,455,063

Table 2.2: Human Resources (FTEs)

Planned	Actual	Difference
147	121	26

In support of its priority to deliver or coordinate approved program funding, Infrastructure Canada manages and leverages investments in public infrastructure to improve the state of Canada’s public infrastructure and, in turn, to promote economic growth, a clean environment and strong communities. The Department works in a coordinated manner with other federal departments and regional development agencies, provincial, territorial and municipal governments, First Nations and municipal associations to deliver approved program funding. Currently the six federal partners responsible for program delivery are: Western Economic Diversification Canada (for projects in the western provinces); Industry Canada (for projects in Ontario); Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (for projects in Quebec); the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (for projects in the Atlantic provinces); Transport Canada (for transportation-related projects); and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (for projects in the provinces that involve First Nations and projects in the three territories).

This Program Activity consists of all infrastructure programming delivered through transfer payments as well as the related program management and monitoring functions.

Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund (CSIF)

The CSIF operates under the authority of the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund Act. It is directed to projects of major federal and regional significance in areas that are vital to sustaining economic growth and enhancing the quality of life of Canadians.

CSIF investments are made in cooperation with the provinces, territories, municipalities and the private sector. Each project is governed by specifically tailored arrangements with partners. Maximum federal funding is set at 50 per cent of total eligible project costs, except for broadband and northern infrastructure projects, for which federal funding can go to a maximum of 75 per cent. Typically, project costs are shared equally among the three orders of government at one-third each.

Ten per cent of the CSIF allocation is targeted for projects identified as national priority projects. The CSIF has supported large-scale national projects that include the Red River Floodway project in Manitoba, the National Satellite Initiative to provide broadband access to northern and remote communities and the twinning of the Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park in Alberta. For more information about CSIF projects, visit http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/ip-pi/csif-fcis/proj/proj_desc_prov_e.shtml.

Results Achieved

In addition to existing Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), in 2006-2007, Infrastructure Canada completed a total of seven MOUs to deliver CSIF funds, with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) and with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA):

• INAC for Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon, all signed September 15, 2006; and
  
• ACOA for New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, all signed October 20, 2006.

During 2006-2007, 16 new projects were announced with a total federal contribution of $924.1 million. These included several highway projects in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Alberta, a national soccer stadium in Toronto and the continued expansion of the Manitoba Red River Floodway. Information on federal CSIF funding commitments is provided in Table 2.3.

Since the CSIF was established in 2001, 65 projects have been announced totalling more than $4 billion in federal contributions and contribution agreements (establishing the legal basis for federal payments on projects) have been signed for 40 projects. Figure 2A illustrates the breakdown of CSIF projects by investment category.

Additional information concerning the breakdown of CSIF projects announced in 2006-2007, by province and category, is shown in Tables 4.1 and 4.2 in Section IV.

Table 2.3: Federal Funding Commitments for CSIF

Category	Number of Projects Announced in 2006-2007	Total Federal Funds Allocated in 2006-2007 ($M)	Number of Projects Announced as of March 31, 2007	Total Federal Funds Allocated as of March 31, 2007 ($M)
Water	1	58.5	2	85.8
Wastewater	2	35.6	13	288.6
Urban Roads	-	-	1	13.0
Highways or Rail	7	394.5	22	1,338.0
Public Transit	2	178.0	7	1,498.0
Broadband	-	-	4	113.4
Flood Control	2	212.5	1	332.5
Housing	-	-	1	20.0
Tourism	2	45.0	14	474.7
Total	16	924.1	65	4,164.01

Figure 2A: CSIF Funding Allocated to Projects, by Investment Category as of March 31, 2007 (%)

Total Federal Share of CSIF Announced Projects: $4,164M

Border Infrastructure Fund (BIF)

The $600-million BIF was established in 2001 to target improvements primarily to the six largest surface border crossings between Canada and the United States, as well as improvements to several other crossings. It has provided funding for investments in physical infrastructure, intelligent transportation system infrastructure and improved analytical capacity. BIF investments in border infrastructure are critical to Canada’s growing economic and trade relationship with the United States and reflect the importance of Canada’s border crossings, ports and highway approaches to economic growth, trade and security, both nationally and as international gateways. There are no set jurisdictional allocations for this Fund.

Results Achieved

During 2006-2007, three new BIF projects were announced, with a total federal contribution of $72 million. Since its inception, 11 projects have been announced totalling $535.1 million in federal contributions. A summary of BIF expenditures is provided in Table 2.4. For more information about BIF projects, visit http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/ip-pi/bif-fsif/proj/proj_desc_prov_e.shtml.

Additional information concerning BIF projects, by category and province/territory, is shown in Tables 4.3 and 4.4 in Section IV.

Table 2.4: Federal Funding Commitments for BIF

Category	Number of Projects Announced in 2006-2007	Total Federal Funds Allocated in 2006-2007 ($M)	Number of Projects Announced as of March 31, 2007	Total Federal Funds Allocated as of March 31, 2007 ($M)
Physical Infrastructure	3	72.0	10	531.0
Improve Analytical Capacity	-	-	-	-
Intelligent Transportation System Infrastructure	-	-	1	4.1
Total	3	72.0	11	535.1

Infrastructure Canada Program (ICP)

The $2.05-billion ICP, including the Canada-Ontario Infrastructure Program (COIP), was created in 2000 to enhance infrastructure in Canada’s urban and rural communities and to improve the quality of life of Canadians through investments that protect the environment and support long-term community and economic growth. Funding was transferred, at the beginning of the program, to the federal delivery partners whose ministers are accountable for delivery of the program. While each of the federal ministers heading these departments has financial and parliamentary responsibility for program delivery, the Minister responsible for Infrastructure Canada is responsible for the overall policy and coordination aspects including maintenance of the Shared Information Management System for Infrastructure (SIMSI)) and the required program evaluation.

As of March 31, 2007, virtually all ICP funding was committed and 3,883 projects across Canada have been approved. To provide more time to complete scheduled projects, this Program was extended to March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2007 for the First Nations component. However, no additional funding was provided.

The priority for the ICP has been to support “green” municipal infrastructure, consistent with the Government’s sustainable development objective. A minimum of 50 per cent of federal ICP expenditures is devoted to such projects as water and wastewater systems, solid waste management and recycling and capital expenditures to retrofit or improve the energy efficiency of buildings and facilities owned by local governments. Other ICP priorities include local transportation infrastructure, cultural and recreational facilities, rural and remote telecommunications and affordable housing.

Results Achieved

During 2006-2007, 12 new ICP projects were approved, with a total federal contribution of $2.7 million. Since its inception, 3883 projects have been approved totalling nearly $2 billion in federal contributions. Because the life cycle of major infrastructure projects is long, results indicators for completed ICP projects are currently not available. A summary of federal funds allocated by ICP categories is provided in Table 2.5. Figure 2B illustrates how the ICP projects approved as of March 31, 2007, are distributed by investment category. For more information about ICP projects, visit http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/ip-pi/icp-pic/projects-projets/index_e.shtml.

The total investment in community infrastructure generated by ICP to date exceeds the original goal by 30 per cent. The federal contribution leveraged nearly $6 billion of total investment in community infrastructure from other levels of government. As determined by the mid-term evaluation of the ICP, the Program has also achieved an appropriate balance of federal and provincial priorities. To view a summary of the evaluation, visit http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/pd-dp/eval/me_icp_2006_e.shtml.

Additional information concerning ICP projects, by province/territory, is shown in Table 4.5 in Section IV.

Table 2.5: Federal Funding Commitments for ICP

Category	Number of Projects Approved in 2006-2007	Total Federal Funds Allocated in 2006-2007 ($M)	Number of Projects Approved as of March 31, 2007	Total Federal Funds Allocated as of March 31, 2007 ($M)
Green Municipal	12	2.7	2,429	1,050.0
Local Transportation	-	-	731	421.9
Cultural and Recreational	-	-	611	355.0
High-Speed Access for Public Institutions	-	-	3	9.2
Rural and Remote Telecommunications	-	-	5	0.7
Affordable Housing	-	-	7	6.8
Tourism	-	-	61	78.7
Other	-	-	36	15.4
Total	12	2.7	3,883	1,937.6

Figure 2B: ICP Funding Allocated to Projects, by Investment Category as of March 31, 2007 (%)

Total Federal Share of ICP Approved Projects: $1,937.6M

Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF)

Reflecting the Government’s commitment to urban and rural growth, the $1-billion MRIF, created in 2001, focuses on smaller-scale municipal infrastructure projects that support sustainable development, improved quality of life and economic opportunities and increased connectivity for smaller and rural communities. A minimum of 60 per cent of the MRIF’s nation-wide expenditures is devoted to projects addressing environmental quality objectives such as water and wastewater treatment. MRIF also supports roads, bridges, cultural and recreation infrastructure in communities across Canada. The MRIF also has a component to address the infrastructure needs of First Nations communities.

As part of its infrastructure investment activities, Infrastructure Canada also works to build capacity and generate knowledge on infrastructure and community issues working with municipalities and other partners. Up to one per cent of the jurisdictional allocation under the MRIF is available for a Municipal Capacity Building component that seeks to encourage the use of integrated asset management by small-scale Canadian municipalities. The goal of this component is to promote the implementation of integrated approaches to public infrastructure planning and management; encourage the use of asset management in support of decision making; promote the integration of demand management in public infrastructure planning and management; and encourages the sharing of project results with other municipalities and the public.

Results Achieved

Infrastructure Canada concluded the final federal-provincial agreement for the delivery of MRIF with the signing of the agreement with the Province of British Columbia in June 2006. In addition, arrangements with federal delivery partners were finalized with the signing of three MOUs:

• Industry Canada for Ontario projects, on August 14, 2006;
  
• Western Economic Diversification Canada, for the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, each signed on September 5, 2006; and
  
• Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, on March 6, 2007.

During 2006-2007, 636 new MRIF projects were approved, with a total federal contribution of $443.9 million. Information on federal MRIF funding commitments is provided in Table 2.6. Since the MRIF was established in 2001, 963 projects have been approved, totalling $648.2 million in federal contributions. Figure 2C illustrates how the MRIF projects approved as of March 31, 2007, are distributed by investment category. For more information about MRIF projects, visit http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/ip-pi/mrif-fimr/projects-projets/index_e.shtml. Additional information concerning MRIF projects, by province/territory, is shown in Table 4.6 in Section IV.

Table 2.6: Federal Funding Commitments for MRIF

Category	Number of Projects Approved in 2006-2007	Total Federal Funds Allocated in 2006-2007 ($M)	Number of Projects Approved as of March 31, 2007	Total Federal Funds Allocated as of March 31, 2007 ($M)
Water	190	105.4	251	159.9
Wastewater	171	152.4	261	227.4
Solid Waste	23	8.1	35	10.1
Environmental Energy Improvements	7	12.2	12	16.0
Local Roads	196	82.1	322	128.1
Public Transit	4	7.9	4	7.9
Cultural	32	11.5	40	13.0
Recreation	55	53.4	74	65.0
Connectivity	3	2.0	5	4.4
Tourism	2	0.8	6	6.3
Municipal Capacity Building	5	0.2	6	0.6
Service Infrastructure	4	8.0	5	9.5
Total	6361	443.9	9631	648.2

Figure 2C: MRIF Funding Allocated to Projects, by Investment Category as of March 31, 2007 (%)

Total Federal Share of MRIF Approved Projects: $648.2M

Green Projects and Green Objectives

Infrastructure Canada is committed to achieving green objectives in the funding programs it delivers or coordinates. For local infrastructure projects to be considered “green”, they must improve the quality of the environment and contribute to cleaner water, soil or air, or improve the quality of human life. Each green project must fall into one of these categories: water, wastewater, solid waste, public transit, or energy efficiency. Over half of projects and funds are directly supporting green objectives.

Gas Tax Fund (GTF)

In Budget 2005, the Government announced that $5 billion would be provided for the benefit of municipalities over five years by sharing a portion of federal gas tax revenues. The goal of the GTF is to provide reliable and predictable multi-year funding to municipalities to achieve national environmental outcomes of cleaner air, cleaner water and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. These objectives involve capital investments in public transit, water and wastewater treatment, solid waste management, community energy systems and local roads and bridges. Budget 2006 confirmed this funding commitment for the remaining four years. Budget 2007, tabled in March, plans to extend the GTF until 2014, adding new funding for a total of $13 billion since its inception.

Flexible, long-term GTF funding enables municipalities to initiate projects quickly, to make investments in infrastructure that address local needs and to help contribute to the achievement of national environmental outcomes. The GTF also includes a capacity building component to help municipal jurisdictions to develop integrated community sustainability plans (ICSP) which is a key component of each GTF agreement. An ICSP is a long-term plan, developed in consultation with community members, which provides direction to help the community realize its sustainability objectives for the environment and the cultural, social and economic dimensions of its identity. Provinces and territories have agreed that, over the life of the GTF agreements, they would ensure the development of the ICSP or approved equivalent plan, either by a local government or at some higher level appropriate to the province or territory.

Results Achieved

In 2006-2007, the last of the GTF agreements was signed with Newfoundland and Labrador on August 1, 2006. Infrastructure Canada continued negotiations with the Province of Ontario for the distribution of $5.8 million in gas tax funds, set aside for the benefit of Ontario’s unincorporated areas. Funding is expected to flow in early 2007-2008. In 2006-2007, provincial and territorial GTF signatories received $590.2 million.

Table 2.7 provides a breakdown of the 252 funded projects and Figure 2D displays the GTF investment by category for 2005-2006 which is the latest information by category available for the program. Further, Table 4.7 in Section IV provides additional information, by province/territory, concerning the GTF.

During 2006-2007, Infrastructure Canada consulted with provincial and territorial officials concerning ICSPs, as part of regularly scheduled GTF Oversight Committee meetings established to monitor overall strategic implementation of the agreements, discuss implementation issues and key activities in the provinces and territories, coordinate planning for future collaborations and make decisions when required. Infrastructure Canada also organized a workshop for all GTF signatories in December 2006, to clarify the obligations of the parties, exchange views, discuss implementation issues, share best practices and strengthen networking.

For additional information concerning these agreements and allocations, visit, http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/communities-collectivites/agreements-ententes/gas-essence_tax/index_e.shtml.

Table 2.7: GTF Project Funding by Category 2005-2006¹

Category	Number of Category Projects Funded	GTF Spent ($M)
Capacity Building	4	0.8
Community Energy Systems	10	1.3
Local Roads and Bridges	93	8.8
Public Transit	32	87.7
Solid Waste	13	7.3
Water	28	3.0
Wastewater	72	7.3
Total	252	116.2

Figure 2D: GTF Investments by Category 2005-2006 (%)

Public Transit Fund (PTF)

The PTF provides $400 million, allocated over two years, to support projects that provide better and more flexible public transportation options for Canadians, thereby reducing congestion, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing airborne pollutants and improving the quality of the environment. Funds are transferred to municipalities or other eligible recipients through agreements between Canada and the provinces and territories. Allocation in most jurisdictions is based primarily on transit ridership.

Results Achieved

In 2006-2007, all outstanding provincial and territorial funding agreements for the PTF were signed:

• The Newfoundland and Labrador agreement was signed on March 30, 2007;
  
• The Nova Scotia agreement was signed on November 24, 2006;
  
• The Nunavut agreement was signed on December 1, 2006; and
  
• The Northwest Territories agreement was signed on March 31, 2007.

In 2006-2007, provincial and territorial PTF signatories received $19.1 million.

For additional information concerning these agreements and allocations, visit http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/communities-collectivites/agreements-ententes/public_trans_commun/index_e.shtml.

2.2 Program Activity 2: Policy, Knowledge and Partnership Development

Table 2.8: Financial Resources ($ thousands)

Planned Spending	Authorities	Actual Spending
17,401	18,428	13,773

Table 2.9: Human Resources (FTEs)

Planned	Actual	Difference
73	63	10

Policy Development

Infrastructure Canada works with its partners to identify and assess public infrastructure needs, to evaluate priorities and funding pressures and to develop policy options for the Minister’s consideration.

Results Achieved

In 2006-2007, Infrastructure Canada continued to deliver high quality and timely policy support and advice to develop strategic policies based on sound knowledge and strong partnerships.

Specific results achieved include:

• Providing policy support to the Minister through the consultations on and development of, a long-term comprehensive infrastructure plan to meet Canada’s infrastructure needs and provide stable, predictable and long-term infrastructure funding to provinces, territories and municipalities. The result of this process, the Building Canada Infrastructure Plan, was announced in Budget 2007 as part of an unprecedented seven year, $33 billion investment for public infrastructure of various types across Canada;
  
• Conducting interim due diligence studies of the funding eligibility of project proposals under CSIF and BIF and providing project selection advice, based on the due diligence process, to the Minister;
  
• Providing ongoing policy support, advice and timely information to the Minister on broad infrastructure policy and project priorities;
  
• Providing parliamentary and cabinet support to the Minister to ensure that Infrastructure Canada perspectives are incorporated in relevant Parliamentary, Cabinet, interdepartmental and portfolio briefing and policy documents; and
  
• Continuing to maintain, foster and enhance strong partnerships with federal departments and key stakeholders through ongoing and regular consultation and discussion.

Knowledge and Partnership Development

Infrastructure Canada, with its partners, seeks to build capacity and develop and share knowledge about infrastructure, cities and communities through research, communications and partnership initiatives. This program recognizes the need to improve our understanding of Canada’s public infrastructure and develop, in partnership with others, best practices to improve the safety and efficiency of how Canada’s infrastructure is built and maintained. During the reporting period, Infrastructure Canada had six main research priorities:

• The state of infrastructure in Canada’s communities;
  
• Communities, cities and public infrastructure;
  
• The economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts of public infrastructure on communities;
  
• Financing mechanisms for public infrastructure and communities;
  
• Technology, innovation and transformative infrastructure; and
  
• Governance issues related to public infrastructure and communities.

In each of these areas, specific issues had been identified in light of Infrastructure Canada’s short-term and medium-term policy and operational activities. These issues were communicated publicly on the organization’s Research Gateway at http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/research-recherche/index_e.shtml.

The cornerstone of Infrastructure Canada’s research role is the Research Strategy, with its three objectives:

• Knowledge generation: To create new, more multi-disciplinary insights on infrastructure, cities and communities issues;
  
• Community building: To increase research capacity by fostering stronger research networks; and
  
• Knowledge transfer: To ensure research results are useable and available to researchers and policy-makers concerned with the sustainability of public infrastructure and communities.

Results Achieved

a) Knowledge Generation

Infrastructure Canada has developed its five-year research funding initiative to generate knowledge and complement its objectives on community building and knowledge transfer. This initiative comprises two programs:

• Knowledge-building, Outreach and Awareness (KOA) Program: In 2006-2007, Infrastructure Canada conducted the third call for KOA proposals. The Program was also used to provide targeted support to a research project led by the Commonwealth Local Government Forum. As a result, nine new contribution agreements were signed with a total value exceeding $800,000 to be disbursed during this and the following two fiscal years; and
• Peer-Reviewed Research Studies (PRRS) Program: In 2006-2007, Infrastructure Canada continued its relationship with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, with the two granting councils assisting with the delivery of the Program, in particular the peer review process. In June 2006 the second call for proposals under the Program was launched and five successful proposals were selected for funding. However, only two of these proposals resulted in contribution agreements signed during the reporting period, with a combined value of more than $110,000, to be disbursed during the following two fiscal years. Agreements for the remaining three proposals will be finalized in early 2007-2008.

Figure 2E illustrates the distribution of KOA and PRRS projects by subject area, with a total funding allocation in excess of $8.4 million as of March 31, 2007.

Figure 2E: KOA and PRRS Contributions Allocated as of March 31, 2007. Total Value: $8.4 million

For more information about these two research programs visit http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/research-recherche/fun-fin/index_e.shtml.

Infrastructure Canada completed 10 in-house research studies in 2006-2007 including The Path Towards Sustainability: An Evaluation of the “Sustainability-ness” of Selected Municipal Plans in Canada; Productivity and Infrastructure: A preliminary review of the literature; and Infrastructure and Identity: Building Canada – People and Projects that Shaped the Nation, that are available at http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/research-recherche/result/index_e.shtml.

In 2006-2007, Infrastructure Canada finalized its work with Statistics Canada on three major projects that have resulted in the development of a robust concept of public infrastructure, as well as inventories of stocks and investments in infrastructure assets. The results of the three studies are posted on the Horizontal Research Roundtable on Infrastructure (HRRI) web portal, available to HRRI members and to federal government officials.

In 2006-2007, Infrastructure Canada successfully concluded its work on a two-year research project with the International Futures Program of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The international project examined the opportunities and challenges facing the infrastructure sector worldwide over the next 30 years, with the aim of developing policy recommendations for OECD governments to enhance the contribution of infrastructure to economic and social development. The results were included in the OECD report:

• Infrastructure to 2030: Telecom, Land Transport, Water and Electricity estimates global infrastructure needs over the next two decades and identifies the key challenges countries will face in meeting these needs. This report can be viewed at http://www.oecd.org/document/60/0,3343,en_2649_36240452_36964924_1_1_1_1,00.html.

The Department also completed its Infrastructure Canada – Canada West Foundation collaborative project. The resulting study report, New Tools for New Times – A Sourcebook for the Financing, Funding and Delivery of Urban Infrastructure, describes the winning conditions for a broad range of financing mechanisms for infrastructure development and assesses the suitability of these mechanisms in meeting specific municipal infrastructure needs and formats. The Sourcebook also presents some possible implications for the federal government. See this report at http://www.cwf.ca/V2/modules/map.php.

Infrastructure Canada provided administrative and research assistance to the External Advisory Committee on Cities and Communities (EACCC) until the completion of its final report, From Restless Communities to Resilient Places: Building a Stronger Future for All Canadians, submitted in June 2006. To view the Report, visit http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/eaccc-ccevc/rep-rap/index_e.shtml.

b) Community Building

Infrastructure Canada is exploring ways to develop more effective and innovative intergovernmental relationships to help address the complex, inter-related challenges that affect Canada’s economic prosperity and quality of life.

In June 2006, the Alberta Trilateral Partnership on Community Sustainability was created. The partnership involves officials from federal and provincial government departments, the cities of Edmonton and Calgary and Alberta’s two municipal associations. Over the past year, working groups identified key issues and developed action plans in four priority areas: immigration and labour market; Wood Buffalo region; programs inventory; and affordable housing.

Infrastructure Canada played a leading role in Canada’s preparations to host the UN-HABITAT’s 3^rd World Urban Forum, held in Vancouver in June 2006.

c) Knowledge Transfer

Over the past few years, Infrastructure Canada developed the Research Gateway to share infrastructure research and knowledge with researchers, policy-makers and other users. During 2006-2007, enhancements to the Research Gateway (see http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/research-recherche/index_e.shtml) included new research studies, tools and links, as well as information about research projects funded through Infrastructure Canada’s two research funding programs. Additions and upgrades have also been made to the on-line Register of Research (see http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/research-recherche/reg/index_e.shtml).

In 2006-2007 Infrastructure Canada continued to develop its federal research network. This consisted mainly of the working level HRRI. The objective of the HRRI is to undertake, collaborate on and share research on infrastructure, cities and communities and to ensure that research findings are effectively transferred to policy work and processes across the federal government. Infrastructure Canada hosted three HRRI events to share and develop knowledge in each of its research priority areas:

• In April 2006: Presentation on Costing Mechanisms to Facilitate Sustainable Community Planning;
  
• In September 2006: Presentation on Innovative Options for Financing, Funding and Providing Municipal Infrastructure by the Canada West Foundation; and
  
• Also in September 2006: Tools to Assess the Social and Cultural Impacts of Infrastructure on Communities.

Infrastructure Canada also established a new web portal for the HRRI to facilitate the activities of the roundtable and related research collaboration among its members. It features up-to-date research documentation and an evergreen calendar of upcoming HRRI and other infrastructure research events. Access to the web portal is restricted to HRRI members and Government of Canada officials.

These on-line resources were augmented by the InfraGuide project that identified and disseminated best practices, and encouraged innovation to support sustainable municipal infrastructure decisions and actions to protect and enhance the quality of life of Canadians. As this project concluded in February 2007, the Department is considering alternatives to achieve similar objectives on a continuing basis.

In 2006-2007, Infrastructure Canada hosted two workshops:

• Creating the Winning Conditions for Technological Innovation in Municipal Water and Wastewater Infrastructure – A Policy Discussion, in May 2006, as part of the Policy Research Initiative’s conference on Freshwater for the Future; and
• Research to Action, held at the end of November 2006, which brought together researchers from the two research funding programs, along with members of the HRRI and other federal government officials. Participants shared their research results and discussed the challenges and opportunities of applying these results at the policy level.

In 2006-2007, Infrastructure Canada continued its international collaboration to develop and maintain partnerships with multilateral organizations (OECD, World Bank, UN-HABITAT, Commonwealth Local Government Forum, etc.) and other nations to generate and communicate knowledge in support of sound policy making.

Infrastructure Canada also provided significant input and research assistance to the World Bank’s international pilot study to develop global city indicators. In January 2007, Infrastructure Canada hosted a workshop in Montreal for the participating cities to discuss and further develop the draft city indicators that are now being tested, with results to be presented by the World Bank at the World Urban Forum in 2008.

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