Canada’s core public infrastructure valued above $2 trillion

The replacement value of Canada’s core public infrastructure exceeded $2 trillion at the end of 2024, according to new Statistics Canada estimates released Friday.

The agency’s October 30 report assigns 52% of the total to public water, wastewater and stormwater systems. Roads, bridges and tunnels account for another 30%.

Infrastructure condition remains a central issue. Statistics Canada valued water-related assets reported in poor or very poor condition at $124.3 billion, or 14% of that category’s value. The share was three percentage points higher than in 2022. Municipal roads in poor or very poor condition were valued at $86.6 billion.

Local and regional governments own more than four-fifths of the assets covered by the survey. That makes the national estimates relevant to Montréal-area municipalities responsible for water networks, roads and other systems, although the release does not provide a West Island project-by-project breakdown.

Replacement value is an estimate of what it would cost to replace an asset with a similar new one. It is not the same as a forecast of approved spending or an assessment that every asset must be replaced immediately.

Featured image: Water pipe installation by Rose Galloway Green via Unsplash, used under the Unsplash Licence. WordPress may resize the original. This is an illustrative stock image and does not depict infrastructure measured in the survey.