Value of the industry

Driving economic growth, global connection, and access to essential community services for 40 million Canadians through vital and valued infrastructure.

Every aspect of our modern lives is touched by the infrastructure designed, built and maintained by the construction industry.  

It’s schools for our kids and the hospitals that care for us. It’s the reason we have clean water and that our homes and businesses are heated and running with electricity. It’s the roads, bridges and trade corridors that connect our communities not only to each other but to the global marketplace.  

Your quality of life depends on construction.

Fueling Canada’s economic engine

The construction industry is an economic powerhouse, driving job creation, strengthening supply chains, supporting investment, and feeding the growth of other economic sectors. 

Construction employs over 1.6 million people in Canada, creating an employment creation ripple effect in other sectors like engineering, manufacturing, technology and retail. The industry contributes about $151 billion to the economy annually, accounting for 7.4 per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Connecting Canadians to what they need

Infrastructure protects, connects and provides. Roads, highways, bridges, airports and public transit connect people to each other, their workplaces, and the goods and services they need to participate in society and prosper.

Providing a cleaner, greener future

The construction industry welcomes its role in Canada’s mission to net-zero. With buildings representing almost 40 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, the Canadian construction sector is poised to make a real impact on reducing carbon emissions. 

Adopting low-carbon, high-performance technologies, building materials and methods, following climate resilient building guidelines, and incorporating life-cycle carbon project assessments are just some of the ways the industry is focused on a cleaner, greener future.

Enriching communities

Construction breathes life into neighbourhoods. People who work in construction create gathering spaces, schools, hospitals, and cultural centres, enriching the lives of individuals and fostering a sense of belonging. Equally important are the basic needs that construction delivers through important public services like telecommunication and broadband networks, electricity and water.