The Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure has released a Long Term Infrastructure Plan (LTIP) for Ontario. The LTIP focuses largely on provincially-owned grey infrastructure including a section on the state of provincially owned assets by each responsible ministry and the anticipated budget needs over the next 10 years. The plan also includes a couple references to green infrastructure.
Under Section 5.7 Managing Natural Resources and the Environment Sustainably it states:
The government will continue to work toward its mandate to manage the province’s natural resources and green infrastructure in an ecologically sustainable way to ensure that they are available for the enjoyment and use of current and future generations. This includes key activities such as:
- managing biodiversity of wildlife and plants
- managing natural heritage and protected areas
- promoting green infrastructure to complement physical, social and cultural infrastructure
- managing Crown land, water and non-renewable resources
- providing leadership and oversight to support the sustainable use of forests for a healthy forest-products sector and thriving forest dependent communities
- supporting the provincial commitment to renewable energy and facilitating the availability of Crown land for renewable energy projects, including water, wind, solar and bio-energy
The LTIP also has an emphasis on building resilient infrastructure to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Beyond grey solutions, GIO believes this section would benefit from including green infrastructure as a key tool for building resilience. Avoidance/protection of natural features and the inclusion of other green infrastructure for their multiple community benefits are a great example of impactful infrastructure that can offer triple bottom line – economic, social and environmental – benefits.
Read GIO’s EBR submission in response to the plan here.