Manitoba should publish condition/needs assessment of highways: MHCA
The Province of Manitoba has never released publicly a report on the state of its highways and bridges and the estimates of what it would cost to bring them to good condition, the MHCA told attendees at the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce Deputy Ministers’ Dinner November 21.
“We know they need a lot of work – in fact, $9 billion worth of work,” MHCA Chair Dennis Cruise told the gathered deputy ministers, individuals from businesses and other organizations.
“Why have we never seen the province’s report on the condition and investment need of our transportation system? To our new government, to our fresh start, I say ‘Trust us. Trust Manitobans to be part of that discussion. Now.’”
MHCA was a presenting sponsor of the dinner, an annual feature of the Chamber’s event calendar. Cruise was delivering the address in place of MHCA President & CEO Chris Lorenc, who was out of the province.
The City of Winnipeg, by contrast, has an asset management plan and publishes a condition report and assessment of the level of investment required to repair existing infrastructure assets and to build the assets required for a future population and growing economy.
Cruise noted that investment in transportation infrastructure holds immediate and long-term return of revenues to government, because of its direct tie to trade productivity.
Trade accounts for 53% of Manitoba’s economy, and directly/indirectly 240,000 jobs. For that reason, transportation infrastructure investment must be core to the provincial economic policy and plan.
“Let’s see a provincial economic plan that says we can trust Manitobans with the facts, that commits to publicly releasing a report showing how we will build a transportation system capable of delivering the goods, that invites everyone to the discussion about how we plot a fresh start.”
To read Cruise’s full address, click here.
