THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN
TO BUILD A STRONGER MANITOBA
MANITOBA’S CORE INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITIES
THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN
TO BUILD A STRONGER MANITOBA
MANITOBA’S CORE INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITIES
1Introduction
3
Reaching out
4
By the numbers
5
Roads, highways & bridges
8
Flood protection
10
Municipal infrastructure
12
Funding core infrastructure
Introduction
E
conomic uncertainty has stretched many
countries to the limit, putting jobs and
economies at risk. Yet, despite so much
uncertainty around the world, Manitoba has
remained strong, growing steadily.
Today, Manitoba’s unemployment rate is
among the lowest in Canada. We are building
and improving in every corner of our province.
Together we are creating opportunities for
our kids, right here at home.
Some have said our province has been lucky,
but Manitobans know better.
Our successes come from the hard work of the
people who live here: practical, but willing to
act boldly when presented with opportunity.
And from having a government that knows
we do better when we work together.
Together, we have tackled uncertainty head
on, protecting those things that matter most
to families and ensuring Manitoba businesses
can continue innovating and growing.
Investments in our roads, bridges, flood
protection and other important infrastructure
have created thousands of well-paying jobs
and helped move made-in-Manitoba goods
and services more efficiently around our
province and across our borders.
Over the next five years, the Manitoba
government will build on the momentum
and sustain this growth with targeted
investment in core infrastructure – creating
new training opportunities and tens of
thousands of new jobs.
This is not the first time that Manitoba has
encountered challenges like the ones we
face today. Two decades ago, economic
uncertainty meant our core infrastructure was
cut or neglected, creating what’s known as an
infrastructure deficit. That underinvestment
meant aging bridges went unrepaired and
highway trucking routes and municipal streets
were left to crumble.
It took years to repair much of the damage
and serves as a reminder that ignoring
infrastructure harms families and our
economy.
The last five years
A little over five years ago, the world economy
took a sharp fall. Many families, around the
world, saw their life savings disappear over
night. They saw the value of their home –
their single largest asset – plummet.
That’s why the Manitoba government chose
a plan to protect families and the jobs that
support them.
We made investments in infrastructure at
rates never before seen in Manitoba. For
example, investments in highways have more
than tripled from $174 million in 1999, to $532
million this past year.
The federal government also realized the
importance of infrastructure in not only
protecting jobs but also creating new ones,
and growing the country’s economy.
The Building Canada Plan brought the
provincial government, municipalities and
Ottawa together to build Manitoba’s key
infrastructure priorities.
Three levels of government working together,
renewed some of our most important assets,
kept Manitoba businesses working and
created thousands of jobs – the majority in the
private sector.
Five years later, Manitoba has remained
strong, with an economy that has grown
faster than the national average. But
economic uncertainty has lingered longer
than anyone had expected.
The global recovery remains fragile and
Manitoba is not immune.
1
The next five years
Last spring, the federal government
announced the creation of a new Building
Canada Plan, recognizing the new
infrastructure needs of growing communities.
The federal government has recognized that
investments in infrastructure are also a key
ingredient in keeping our economy moving
forward.
To ensure the right priorities are set, extensive
consultations were held across Manitoba
with families, municipalities, business and
labour groups and industry associations.
Their message was clear, new investments in
our core infrastructure are needed to keep
Manitoba competitive and keep our economy
growing.
To take advantage of these matching dollars,
Manitoba took steps to increase the provincial
sales tax by one cent on the dollar, creating
the needed revenue. That difficult decision
has not been without some controversy.
Neglecting our infrastructure, as was done
in the past, is not an option. We must build
and renew to carry Manitoba through the
lingering effects of the most severe recession
since the Great Depression.
Instead, some have called for a return to
across the board cuts to schools, hospitals
and services for families in order to raise the
needed revenue. We have seen firsthand the
impacts of these types of cuts and we have
rejected that approach.
We will work with all levels of government,
business and labour groups and industry
associations to chart a path forward, together.
We will target investments in our core,
economy-growing infrastructure: roads and
bridges, flood protection and municipal
infrastructure.
A one-cent increase in the PST will allow
Manitoba, the federal government and
municipalities to come together again to
build the infrastructure our steadily growing
economy and expanding neighbourhoods
require.
The new $5.5 billion Five-Year Plan to Build
a Stronger Manitoba will pave the way
toward a brighter future for Manitoba. For
our economy, it will mean a $6.3 billion boost
and a $5.4 billion increase in our exports. And
for Manitoba families, the Five-Year Plan will
create good job opportunities – more than
58,000 of them.
2
Getting there, together
Our Five-Year Plan is responsible and forwardlooking. And it is ambitious.
But, as Manitobans, we don’t expect anything
to be handed to us. We never have. We know
that the harder the challenge, the sweeter
the success.
Our momentum is growing and all
Manitobans can play an important part in
that progress.
Reaching out
O
ver the last decade, Manitoba has invested
more and more each year in repairing
and building infrastructure. Across the
province, you can see a changing landscape
and thousands of families and businesses have
benefited from these construction projects.
Together we have made a lot of progress, yet
more needs to be done to keep Manitoba
strong and to stimulate our economy.
Last year, the provincial government reached
out to Manitobans to hear their ideas on how
best to target new revenue from the PST and
prioritize infrastructure.
The advice from municipalities, business and
labour leaders, and industry associations form
the foundation of the Five-Year Plan to Build a
Stronger Manitoba.
The federal government has recognized this
reality with the new Building Canada Plan,
an important step forward. A time-limited
increase in the PST means Manitoba can take
full advantage of the matching dollars that
are available through this federal fund.
What we heard:
• New construction should benefit families and businesses, giving Manitobans the best value for
their hard-earned tax dollars with good jobs and business opportunities.
• Core infrastructure investments will benefit the economy most: expanding trade, attracting new
investment and strengthening Manitoba’s competitive footing.
• New PST revenues should be dedicated to core infrastructure projects – roads, bridges, flood
protection and municipal infrastructure – over and above existing investment levels.
• Unused funds should be carried forward to future years to ensure that all planned projects
proceed and infrastructure funds do not lapse.
• Clear and transparent reporting on how PST revenues are invested is needed to provide
accountability and ensure that new revenues are invested in core infrastructure.
• Manitoba cannot afford delays. Delays will harm Manitoba’s competitive position and
compromise quality of life.
• Innovative approaches and better planning are needed between government and industry to
mobilize resources, increase labour productivity, improve supply logistics and reduce costs.
3
5
By the numbers
YEAR
PLAN
T
he Conference Board of Canada has projected the benefits of Manitoba’s new Five-Year Plan
and the results may surprise you. It’s not just about municipal infrastructure, flood protection,
roads and bridges.
BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE
pays off
1
$
These investments
will create more than
1.16
58
,900
jobs
$
EACH DOLLAR
INVESTED
BENEFIT TO
ECONOMY
for families.
These investments will stimulate Manitoba’s economy.
BOOST TO
ECONOMY:
BOOST TO
EXPORTS:
$6.3
$5.4
BILLION
BILLION
NEW HOUSING
STARTS:
2,100
NEW EQUIPMENT
& MACHINERY
ASSETS FOR FIRMS
$1.4
BILLION
2100
Find the full Conference Board of Canada analysis at SteadyGrowth.ca
4
BOOST TO
RETAIL SALES:
$1.4
BILLION
$3.7
BILLION
Roads, highways & bridges
F
amilies and businesses count on Manitoba’s
19,000 kilometres of provincial highways
and roads, and over 3,300 bridges and
crossings to get around and to get their
products and services to their customers.
Decades of underinvestment, however,
have taken a toll on Manitoba’s aging
infrastructure. Greater investment in recent
years has helped, but more must be done to
meet the needs of our growing population
and expanding businesses.
More than $3.7 billion will be invested in our
roads, highways and bridges over the next
five years to better connect communities and
strengthen our major trade corridors.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Trade corridors to U.S.
With Winnipeg at the heart of the continent,
Manitoba is a key hub in North America’s
trucking operations. CentrePort Canada is an
important asset that, with the right future
investments, will solidify Manitoba’s role
in moving goods across North America, for
decades to come.
Southwest Perimeter: CentrePort is
connected to Highway 75 by the southwest
Perimeter Highway. The Five-Year Plan
will invest $200 million in improvements,
including new interchanges to help move
Manitoba products seamlessly from
CentrePort to Highway 75 and south to
the U.S.
Highway 10: Highway 10 is Manitoba’s
longest highway and another important
trade route connecting from as far north as
Flin Flon and south to the US. The Five-Year
Plan will invest $265 million in Highway 10,
including new passing lanes, pavement and
curve realignments.
The Manitoba government will invest $680
million in these important trade routes to
better connect wholesalers, manufacturers,
contractors and producers to their customers.
These investments will create an estimated
7,750 jobs for Manitobans.
Highway 75: In Western Canada, Highway
75 is the busiest corridor for Canadian
products heading to U.S. markets. The FiveYear Plan will invest $215 million to build
Highway 75 to interstate flood standards,
including higher bridges over the Morris
River and rebuilding 53 kilometres of
northbound lanes. For families and
businesses, these investments will mean
better access to important roads during
periods of flooding.
PTH 8 resurfacing
5
Trade corridors to neighbouring
provinces
Each day, many Manitoba businesses export
their products east and west to our provincial
neighbours. To ensure these goods can
continue to move efficiently, more must be
done to ease urban bottlenecks and improve
driving conditions.
Trans-Canada: The Trans-Canada Highway
is Western Canada’s primary trade corridor
to Ontario. The Five-Year Plan will invest
$320 million in the Trans-Canada, east
and west of Winnipeg, including fully
paved shoulders, resurfacing, intersection
improvements, rumble strips and new
bridges.
Headingley: Truck traffic leaving CentrePort
Canada for Western Canada can expect
a significant bottleneck at Headingley.
The Five-Year Plan will build a by-pass to
connect CentrePort Canada to Highway 1
to move goods more efficiently, improve
safety and reduce congestion.
Yellowhead Highway: The Yellowhead
Highway (Highway 16) is an important
link to Saskatchewan. The Five-Year Plan
will invest $100 million to improve driving
conditions, including passing lanes, on over
100 kilometres of road.
Highway 75 – gravel pit
6
The Manitoba government will invest
more than $500 million to improve these
important interprovincial trade corridors.
These investments will create an estimated
5,700 jobs for Manitobans.
Highway 6 and Northern Roads
With an area nearly four times the size of
North Dakota, Manitoba is a large province
with diverse communities spread throughout.
It is often said that Manitoba’s future
prosperity lies in the vast resources of our
north.
The Manitoba government will invest
$188 million to upgrade Highway 6, the
primary route between Winnipeg, the
Interlake and Manitoba’s North. These
investments will pave Highway 6 to wider,
national highway standards, replace a number
of bridges, improve intersections and add
passing lanes. The Manitoba government
will also invest over $37 million in Provincial
Roads 373 and 374, which serve Norway House
and Cross Lake. These combined investments
will create an estimated 2,500 jobs for
Manitobans.
East Side Road network
More than 34,000 Manitobans live in remote
communities on the east side of Lake
Winnipeg.
The Manitoba government has worked in
close partnership with these communities
to better connect them with the rest of
Manitoba, For example, this year the new
road to Bloodvein First Nation will open.
These investments improve the quality of life
and create training opportunities and jobs for
families on the east side of Lake Winnipeg.
For the rest of Manitoba, these improvements
mean better access to the rich wildlife and
tourism this part of our province offers.
The Manitoba government will work to
develop new routes and transition more
winter roads to better connect more
communities on the east side of Lake
Winnipeg.
Bridges
Manitoba has over 3,300 bridges and
crossings. Over 1,000 of these were built in the
1950s and 1960s. Past investments have not
kept pace with Manitoba’s replacement needs.
From 1995 to 1999 for example, only $50
million was invested in Manitoba bridges.
Over the last five years, Manitoba has made
steady progress, investing $437 million in
repairing and replacing bridges, but more
needs to be done.
The Manitoba government will invest
over $700 million in our province’s bridges
including, a new interchange on the south
Perimeter at PTH 13 (McGillivray Blvd),
expanding Brandon’s Daly Overpass to four
lanes, and building new bridges over the
Morris River.
Highway 75 – survey crew
A commitment to industry
1
We will provide a detailed, multi-year project plan
this spring and update every year for industry
planning purposes.
2
We will release a tender schedule early, each
fall, that identifies all projects planned for the
following construction season.
3
We will bundle projects, where appropriate,
to reduce the number of tenders and create
efficiencies in project planning and administration.
4
We will continue to explore innovative tender and
project delivery techniques to get the best return
on each dollar invested.
5
We will meet regularly with industry to improve
cooperation and help industry grow their
workforce with expanded apprenticeship and
training opportunities.
7
$320
MILLION
Flood protection
M
anitoba’s many lakes, rivers and
waterways are part of what makes our
province a great place to live. Yet each year,
we face the threats of flooding. For families,
businesses and producers, the effects can be
devastating. Investments in flood protection
are paying-off. The floodway has already
saved more than $30 billion in damages.
A total of $320 million will be invested in
flood protection around the province over the
next five years to better protect communities
from flooding.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin
Outlets
Floodwaters can devastate families, businesses
and producers. Manitoba is renowned for our
flood readiness, though record flooding in
2011 pushed Manitoba to the limit.
An emergency channel was built to ease the
pressure along Lake Manitoba and Lake St.
Martin, but it is clear that a longterm solution
is needed to protect Manitobans in those
regions.
The Manitoba government will work to
make the channel a permanent water control
structure and build a new Lake Manitoba
outlet. These large-scale projects require
extensive consultation, engineering and
environmental assessment work but will
expand our ability to manage water.
8
Portage Diversion
The Portage Diversion first came online in
1970 to better protect communities and
homes along the lower Assiniboine River and
the City of Winnipeg. It is an important part of
Manitoba’s flood fighting efforts, and played
an important role in 2011.
The Manitoba government will invest to
rehabilitate the 29-kilometre diversion
channel and upgrade the control structures
to improve this key asset.
Shellmouth Dam
The Shellmouth Dam, located near Russell,
stores run-off water from the Assiniboine
River and provides important flood protection
for communities downstream, including
Brandon and Winnipeg.
Working with the federal government,
Manitoba has done extensive work on the
dam and its control structures in recent years.
The Manitoba government will build on
these improvements, including modernizing
mechanical and electrical works, and
rehabilitating the gate control structure.
Brandon Dikes
Community Dikes
Manitoba’s second-largest city, Brandon,
was hit hard by the 2011 flood. Emergency
dikes were quickly constructed to protect
the community from flooding and maintain
access in and out of the city. Since then, the
Manitoba government has worked with
the city to complete a new dike to protect
18th street.
Dry and safe towns and cities can more easily
attract new residents and business to their
community.
The Manitoba government will work with
the City of Brandon to provide permanent
protection for families and businesses, up to
a 1-in-300 year flood level. This will include
raising and widening the existing dikes
between 18th and 1st Street, improving
drainage around the dikes and flood proofing
the pump stations to keep wastewater and
drainage systems functioning.
Community ring dikes along the Red River
Valley and other communities have been an
important ongoing part of Manitoba’s approach
to fighting floods, including the completion
of flood protection work in St. Laurent and
Wawanesa.
The Manitoba government will work with
several Manitoba communities to better
protect against flooding.
New dikes in Brandon and other communities will become important assets to local municipalities. The costs
associated with this work are reflected in the Five-Year Plan’s investments in Manitoba municipalities, over and
above the $320 million dedicated to flood protection.
Red River Floodway
expansion
9
$1.5
BILLION
Municipal infrastructure
W
ith each day, Manitoba is attracting
more and more newcomers who are
settling in Winnipeg, Brandon, Steinbach and
communities across our province. They are
building a good life for their families and they
are helping strengthen our economy and our
communities. Growing communities depend
on strong, local infrastructure like good roads,
clean water and community facilities. Over
the last decade, Manitoba has invested more
and more in municipal infrastructure but
declining investments in the 1990s and aging
infrastructure have held us back.
More than $1.5 billion will be invested
in municipal roads, clean water, active
transportation and other municipal
infrastructure over the next five years to
meet the needs of families and businesses
in our growing communities.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Winnipeg roads
Today, more than half of all Manitobans call
Winnipeg home, and in the next twenty years,
Winnipeg’s population is expected to reach
one million. Perhaps it’s no wonder, with
affordable home prices, big city amenities
and attractions, and a high quality of life.
With that growth, however, comes traffic
congestion and greater wear on our roads.
Over the last decade, the Manitoba
government has invested heavily in
Winnipeg’s nearly 7,000 kilometres of roads,
but it is clear that more needs to be done. The
Manitoba government has proudly partnered
with the City of Winnipeg on projects like
rebuilding the Disraeli Bridge, building the
new Kenaston Underpass and extending the
Chief Peguis Trail because they mean families
can get around the city more quickly and so
can locally made products and services.
10
The Manitoba government will invest $250
million to renew and upgrade Winnipeg roads.
We will also work with the City of Winnipeg
and the federal government to prioritize
projects like further extending the Chief Peguis
Trail from Main Street to McPhillips Street.
Together, we will take another step forward
in meeting our largest city’s infrastructure
needs and create good job opportunities for
electricians, carpenters, heavy equipment
operators and many more Manitobans.
Municipal roads and bridges across
Manitoba
Cities, towns and municipalities of all sizes need
good roads to attract families and businesses to
keep their neighbourhoods and communities
strong. Manitoba cities and towns are growing
and need modern infrastructure and new
investments.
The City of Steinbach, one of Manitoba’s fastest
growing communities, saw its population
grow by more than 20 per cent from 2006
to 2011. To support a high quality of life
for families and attract new businesses, the
Manitoba government has worked closely with
municipalities like Steinbach to improve their
local infrastructure.
The Manitoba government will invest over
$76 million in municipal roads and bridges
to strengthen local assets and ensure the
province’s many communities can continue to
grow. These investments will also create good
opportunities for families and businesses in
those communities.
Water and wastewater treatment
facilities
Clean water is a basic necessity. With growing
populations and expanding businesses, many
of Manitoba’s municipalities must modernize
and expand their wastewater treatment
facilities to keep up.
The City of Portage la Prairie is one example.
Local producers and three large food
processing facilities are providing families in
the area with steady jobs. These important
employers, and a growing population have
put Portage la Prairie’s aging wastewater
treatment facilities to the test. Neglecting
these realities would put the health of Lake
Winnipeg and other waterways at risk.
The Manitoba government will work with
municipalities and the federal government to
prioritize upgrading or replacing wastewater
treatment facilities in communities like
Portage la Prairie, Selkirk, Virden and
Thompson. Together, we will also build a new
water treatment plant to provide running
water to CentrePort Canada, Headingley and
neighbouring communities.
Winnipeg rapid transit
A strong public transportation system is the
hallmark of any thriving city. For many families
in Winnipeg, public transit is how they get to
work, how they shop for groceries and how
they make the most of all that Winnipeg has
to offer. The Manitoba government and the
City of Winnipeg will again partner to build
the second phase of Winnipeg’s rapid transit
system.
The extension of rapid transit and the
widening of the Jubilee underpass will
better connect the southwest regions of the
city and the University of Manitoba with
the downtown. This will also ease traffic
congestion for drivers and reduce greenhouse
gas emissions.
The Manitoba government will dedicate up to
$225 million toward this next phase of rapid
transit.
Building Canada Plan
Governments at all levels agree that more
must be done to meet the infrastructure needs
of our municipalities. Increases in construction
and material costs, and the sheer volume of
projects have made collaboration between
governments essential.
The federal government’s Building Canada
Plan introduced in 2007 brought Ottawa, the
Manitoba government and municipalities
together to identify shared infrastructure
priorities that have improved the quality
of life for families, created good jobs
for Manitobans and grew our economy.
These collaborations have built important
projects like new roads in Waverley West,
the CentrePort Canada expressway, a new
wastewater treatment plant in Brandon and
the Thompson Regional Community Centre.
Moving forward, municipalities, the federal
government and the Manitoba government
will come together again to identify common
priorities for the new Building Canada Plan to
improve infrastructure in municipalities across
the province.
11
Funding core infrastructure
T
he Manitoba government has committed
that every dollar raised from the new point
of PST will be matched by new investments
in core infrastructure, over and above the
existing baseline investment level.
The $420 million in planned investment, over
and above the PST commitment, accommodates
a projected federal contribution of up to $234
million over five years (half of the $467 million
earmarked for Manitoba over ten years),
and provides flexibility to carry forward any
underinvestment in a given year, including
2013/14 which falls outside of the Five-Year Plan
The Conference Board of Canada has
confirmed that Manitoba’s $5.5 billion
planned investment will in fact exceed its PST
commitment by over $400 million:
Progress on the Five-Year Plan, as well as its
economic impacts, will be independently
reviewed and publicly reported annually.
$5.5 billion: Total planned investment
(–)$3.6 billion: Baseline investment
($729 million/year)
(–)$1.5 billion: Projected revenue from
new point of PST
= $420 million in investment over
PST commitment
Five-Year Plan
2013/14
Forecast
2014/15
Budget
2015/16
Planned
Roads, Highways & Bridges
Flood Protection
2016/17
Planned
2017/18
Planned
2018/19
Planned
5-Year
Total
(millions of dollars) 532
707
746
755
762
771
3,741
64
42
49
54
68
107
320
Municipal Infrastructure
258
277
288
299
315
327
1,506
Total Planned Investment
854
1,026
1,083
1,108
1,145
1,205
5,567
Baseline Investment (2012/13)
729
729
729
729
729
729
3,645
One Point PST Commitment
196
276
288
300
313
325
1,502
Core Infrastructure Commitment
925
1,005
1,017
1,029
1,042
1,054
5,147
Investment Over/(Under) Commitment
(71)
21
66
79
103
151
420
NOTES:
Municipal Infrastructure is the Building Manitoba Fund net of transit operating support.
$71 million in projected underinvestment in 13/14 will be more than offset by the
$420 million investment over and above the PST commitment in the Five-Year Plan.
12
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