Ontario Construction News staff writer
Canada needs to do more to turn investor interest into infrastructure projects, according to a new report from the Canadian Infrastructure Council (CIC).
The council has published Building an Investment-Ready Canada: Six Questions Governments Should Be Able to Answer, a framework intended to help governments and policymakers assess whether infrastructure projects are positioned to attract private capital.
“Investment readiness is ultimately about outcomes. By answering a few fundamental questions about planning, delivery, stewardship, and long-term demand, governments can better position themselves to deliver the infrastructure Canadians need,” said Jennifer Angel, Chair of the Canadian Infrastructure Council.
The report comes as governments face aging infrastructure, growing infrastructure needs and fiscal pressures that limit their ability to rely solely on public funding.
The council says private investment can expand the pool of capital available for infrastructure while allowing public funding to be focused on projects and areas where private financing is not viable.
“Investment readiness is ultimately about outcomes,” said Jen Angel, chair of the Canadian Infrastructure Council. “By answering a few fundamental questions about planning, delivery, stewardship, and long-term demand, governments can better position themselves to deliver the infrastructure Canadians need.”
The report identifies six questions governments can use to assess investment readiness and determine where action may be required. The framework focuses on planning, project delivery, long-term stewardship and demand, while emphasizing the need for governments, Indigenous nations, the private sector and communities to work from a common understanding of infrastructure priorities.
The report was released as Prime Minister Mark Carney convenes the Canada Investment Summit on Sept. 14-15, bringing together institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds and other major capital providers to examine investment opportunities in Canada.
The council said the summit highlights the importance of infrastructure to Canada’s efforts to attract long-term capital.
“Canada starts from a position of strength, but countries compete for infrastructure capital,” said Peter Weltman, vice chair of the Canadian Infrastructure Council. “This paper offers governments a practical framework for turning investor interest into infrastructure that gets built and delivers lasting benefits for Canadians.”
The council said Canada’s challenge is not necessarily attracting investor attention, but converting that interest consistently into projects that move forward.
In November 2025 the first National Infrastructure Assessment was released, providing a data-driven assessment of housing-enabling infrastructure and examining pressures created by population growth and climate change.
