Our Urban Futures: Report Save article Remove saved article

Canada’s economic activity has always been closely linked to public infrastructure. Early railways, seaways, and highways promoted trade and settlement, and cheap and abundant power drove manufacturing and helped cities grow. Much of this infrastructure depended on federal funds. It created access to international markets, catalysed northern development, and encouraged the integration of regional economies (Gramlich, 1994). But that was the past. For years now, federal support has been shrinking.

As federal infrastructure funds withered,