Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | November 19, 2025
OTTAWA — The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) recently hosted its largest Hill Day, bringing 115 delegates from across the construction sector to hold more than 100 meetings scheduled with parliamentarians.
It was an opportunity to discuss the recently unveiled budget, the newly released Major Projects Office (MPO) project list, and the new Buy Canadian measures.
“We welcomed Budget 2025’s investments, the creation of the MPO and the intent behind Buy Canadian,” said CCA president Rodrigue Gilbert in a statement. “But without a predictable infrastructure pipeline, a modernized procurement approach and a strengthened construction workforce, these commitments risk stalling before they reach the job site.”
The CCA emphasized the importance of establishing a long-term, stable infrastructure plan that gives companies the certainty to invest in people, equipment and innovation.
The association also stressed the importance of modernizing federal procurement with systems that support “fair risk-sharing, encourage innovation and align with the evolving Buy Canadian policy. CCA highlighted the need for careful consultation on supply-chain impacts to ensure project timelines are not unintentionally slowed.”
A national workforce strategy is also critical, Gilbert noted, because projects identified through the MPO represent major construction demand including site preparation, transportation links and processing facilities that cannot progress without sufficient labour.
“While the new federal investments through the Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP) represent a positive step toward supporting skills development, the program does not include the roughly 70 per cent of construction workers who are non-unionized,” the CCA release points out.
Gilbert emphasized the importance of ensuring that all workers, regardless of training pathway, can access the skills and opportunities required to support Canada’s growing project pipeline.
“Our industry is ready to build the strong, sovereign country that Canadians deserve,” Gilbert added. “Now we need the policy environment that ensures major projects can advance quickly and responsibly, and that Canadians see real results on the ground.”