New legislation will deliver key infrastructure faster, strengthen economy

CANADA, May 1 - Candy Ashdown, board chair, Langley School District –

“Langley has experienced rapid growth in recent years, and we are working hard to build the schools that families need. Legislation that offers new tools to accelerate the construction of classrooms and schools is a positive step for our community. We look forward to working closely with government on continuing to ensure students have the high-quality learning environments they need to thrive.”

Everett Baker, mayor, City of Grand Forks –

“After the City of Grand Forks experienced catastrophic flooding in 2018, our main focus was on taking care of our community. In the years following, we completed over 40 different permitting processes to build back stronger. I hope this legislation could be used to help more communities rebuild what they’ve lost in a faster, more streamlined way, so municipalities can stay focused on supporting people and not lengthy or overlapping approval processes.”

Vivian Eliopoulos, president and chief executive officer, Vancouver Coastal Health –

"This new legislation is an important step forward in helping hospitals and health-care sites get built more efficiently and effectively. It will provide the tools to improve services, modernize infrastructure and better support the health and wellness of the communities we serve.”

Neil Fassina, president, Okanagan College –

“Post-secondary institutions across B.C. and throughout Canada are facing increased cost pressures as we work to meet the needs of our students, employees and communities. This legislation will support colleges, like Okanagan College, to move more quickly to build required facilities for students to get the training and education they require to be job ready.”

Colleen Giroux-Schmidt, vice-president, Innergex –

“This new legislation shows us that advancing critical infrastructure and upholding strong environmental standards are not mutually exclusive. It provides a clear path to get vital projects built and deliver the clean energy, modern grid systems and resilient communities the B.C. needs to anchor our prosperity without compromising our commitment to environmental stewardship.”

Patrick Johnstone, mayor, City of New Westminster –

“The infrastructure projects act is a good step toward accelerating the infrastructure our communities need to support growth. It will allow for greater collaboration between the Province and municipalities so we can work together delivering the schools, hospitals and other critical infrastructure our residents demand. This legislation provides a framework for prioritizing the needs of people in our growing communities and streamlining to deliver projects more efficiently.”

Geoffrey W. Payne, president and vice-chancellor, University of Northern British Columbia –

“Colleges and universities in B.C need the facilities to equip students for the future and the changing needs of the workforce, but we’re facing growing financial pressures as we try to do that. This legislation will allow us to work closer with government on projects that our students need so we can deliver faster and help strengthen our communities.”