Construction industry arrives in Ottawa to urge continued government action on infrastructure, procurement, and a national workforce strategy
Today, on the eve of its annual Hill Day, the Canadian Construction Association is calling for government action to turn this year’s pro-construction commitments into projects Canadians can see on the ground.
OTTAWA, November 17, 2025
The Canadian Construction Association (CCA), the national voice for Canada’s construction industry, addressed the media today ahead of its largest Hill Day, bringing 115 delegates from across the construction sector to hold more than 100 meetings scheduled with parliamentarians.
CCA President Rodrigue Gilbert responded to Budget 2025, the newly released Major Projects Office (MPO) project list, and the new Buy Canadian measures, emphasizing the steps needed to turn federal commitments into delivered projects.
“We welcomed Budget 2025’s investments, the creation of the MPO and the intent behind Buy Canadian,” said Gilbert. “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.”
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 stressed the importance of modernizing federal procurement, calling for 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.
Gilbert also underscored the need for a national workforce strategy, noting that the projects identified through the MPO represent major construction demand including site preparation, transportation links and processing facilities that cannot progress without sufficient labour.
CCA noted that 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. He 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 said. “Now we need the policy environment that ensures major projects can advance quickly and responsibly, and that Canadians see real results on the ground.”
Contact
Anthony Valenti
Manager, Media Relations
Canadian Construction Association
613-608-2716
[email protected]
About the Canadian Construction Association
CCA represents more than 18,000 member firms drawn from 57 local and provincial integrated partner associations across Canada. CCA gives voice to the public policy, legal and standards development goals of contractors, suppliers and allied business professionals working in, or with, Canada’s institutional, commercial, industrial, civil and multi-residential construction industry.
The construction sector is one of Canada’s largest employers and a major contributor to the country’s economic success. The industry, 99.9 per cent of which is made up of small and medium enterprises, employs more than 1.6 million Canadians and contributes 7.3 per cent of Canada’s Gross Domestic Product.