Re-Building Canada
As countries go, Canada is a fairly young one. But in terms of infrastructure we're kind of sagging under the influence of age, the disability of overuse of now-fragile structures that have managed to outlive their best-before dates, and which now beg for replacement, updating, and attention to public safety. That's what comes of complacency, of leaving things too long; public procrastination, and the annoyance of having to spend big money on restoration and replacement.
Nothing lasts forever. And aging infrastructure has a habit of deteriorating, sometimes in a manner that isn't adequately detected beforehand, then collapsing and surprising everyone. Especially those who are caught in the event. Of, for example, a bridge collapsing, or a public service building parking garage suddenly breaking down, or roads suddenly washing out as a result of tardiness in updating sewer systems. Whatever can go wrong, most certainly will, given enough time and neglect.
Yet, in Canada, it's been revealed that the federal government was given warning two years ago of the critical shape of the country's infrastructure, particularly in light of climate change, where the physical condition of water infrastructure, roadways, bridges, public buildings were in such a critical state that the public's health along with the economy were being placed in imminent jeopardy.
An obviously intolerable situation for a wealthy country to simply submit to this kind of neglect. And Canada's cities and towns are now looking to the federal government for guidance and commitment. New research and analysis has pointed out the increased risks of flooding, and sewage overflow, leading to vulnerabilities in the quality of potable water as a result of municipal infrastructures incapable of meeting the demands of a growing population.
The engineering community within Canada has alerted municipalities, provinces and the federal government to the rapidly increasing deterioration of roads and bridges, helped along by the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. Cities now face an enormous remedial task related to the replacement or upgrading of water mains and sewers.
The cost to remediate waste water treatment plants, sewer systems, and ensure clean drinking water is estimated at roughly $31-billion. In Montreal alone fully one-third of the sewer mains have reached the end of their life expectancy, with another third ready for replacement by 2020. Add to that the fact that in the city - as occurs regularly elsewhere given aging infrastructure - fully 40% of potable water leaks out of age-faulty underground water mains.
Toronto must replace 462,00 water meters for improved efficiency and the reduction of operating costs, at a rough estimation of $7.7-billion. In Ottawa the House of Commons was forced to close early as a fire safety precaution one recent afternoon because of a critical drop in water pressure in the downtown area. All of these needed upgrades rest on the ability of the population to absorb the necessity of increased taxes.
And then there are other issues of quality of life in cities and towns across the country, those items dear to everyone's heart that offer recreational opportunities to residents; public parks, skating rinks, public pools, libraries, art and community centres. These social facilities are considered the expendable "cream"; when expenses are being cut back and programs deleted, these are the first considered to let go.
Or they would be, if taxpayers refused to pay an ever-increasing freight to keep them alive. While recognizing the indispensability of critical services, from water and hydro, public transit, policing and fire departments, public health services and ambulance services, people also agonize over the need of other social services that offer another type of quality experience to give meaning to our lives.
Well balanced municipalities recognize the utter necessity of supporting public housing and assisting organizations that work for poverty reduction.
We're increasingly looking at the feasibility of public-private partnerships, where private funding works in tandem with public funding; where public services are leased out to private concerns to run them efficiently, with a modest profit for the private company.
These efforts don't always work, when on occasion private companies realize they aren't earning the returns they require to make a profit, and then the operation of the facility in question - a skating rink, an art and theatre complex, a community recreation complex - is turned back over to the municipality.
We're looking for ways in which we can maximize the return on our investments with the least pain.
In the U.S. engineers there feel it will take about $1.6 trillion to restore its infrastructure to needed working condition. In Canada, the total figure given for overall infrastructure reconstruction stands at $123 billion. There's no way out, it's a hard reality that the quality of life is dependent on the country committing itself to these upgrades.
Led by the federal government which has committed billions of dollars for that very purpose, to kick-start the country into a broad, sweeping fix-up to face the future with confidence.
Nothing lasts forever. And aging infrastructure has a habit of deteriorating, sometimes in a manner that isn't adequately detected beforehand, then collapsing and surprising everyone. Especially those who are caught in the event. Of, for example, a bridge collapsing, or a public service building parking garage suddenly breaking down, or roads suddenly washing out as a result of tardiness in updating sewer systems. Whatever can go wrong, most certainly will, given enough time and neglect.
Yet, in Canada, it's been revealed that the federal government was given warning two years ago of the critical shape of the country's infrastructure, particularly in light of climate change, where the physical condition of water infrastructure, roadways, bridges, public buildings were in such a critical state that the public's health along with the economy were being placed in imminent jeopardy.
An obviously intolerable situation for a wealthy country to simply submit to this kind of neglect. And Canada's cities and towns are now looking to the federal government for guidance and commitment. New research and analysis has pointed out the increased risks of flooding, and sewage overflow, leading to vulnerabilities in the quality of potable water as a result of municipal infrastructures incapable of meeting the demands of a growing population.
The engineering community within Canada has alerted municipalities, provinces and the federal government to the rapidly increasing deterioration of roads and bridges, helped along by the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. Cities now face an enormous remedial task related to the replacement or upgrading of water mains and sewers.
The cost to remediate waste water treatment plants, sewer systems, and ensure clean drinking water is estimated at roughly $31-billion. In Montreal alone fully one-third of the sewer mains have reached the end of their life expectancy, with another third ready for replacement by 2020. Add to that the fact that in the city - as occurs regularly elsewhere given aging infrastructure - fully 40% of potable water leaks out of age-faulty underground water mains.
Toronto must replace 462,00 water meters for improved efficiency and the reduction of operating costs, at a rough estimation of $7.7-billion. In Ottawa the House of Commons was forced to close early as a fire safety precaution one recent afternoon because of a critical drop in water pressure in the downtown area. All of these needed upgrades rest on the ability of the population to absorb the necessity of increased taxes.
And then there are other issues of quality of life in cities and towns across the country, those items dear to everyone's heart that offer recreational opportunities to residents; public parks, skating rinks, public pools, libraries, art and community centres. These social facilities are considered the expendable "cream"; when expenses are being cut back and programs deleted, these are the first considered to let go.
Or they would be, if taxpayers refused to pay an ever-increasing freight to keep them alive. While recognizing the indispensability of critical services, from water and hydro, public transit, policing and fire departments, public health services and ambulance services, people also agonize over the need of other social services that offer another type of quality experience to give meaning to our lives.
Well balanced municipalities recognize the utter necessity of supporting public housing and assisting organizations that work for poverty reduction.
We're increasingly looking at the feasibility of public-private partnerships, where private funding works in tandem with public funding; where public services are leased out to private concerns to run them efficiently, with a modest profit for the private company.
These efforts don't always work, when on occasion private companies realize they aren't earning the returns they require to make a profit, and then the operation of the facility in question - a skating rink, an art and theatre complex, a community recreation complex - is turned back over to the municipality.
We're looking for ways in which we can maximize the return on our investments with the least pain.
In the U.S. engineers there feel it will take about $1.6 trillion to restore its infrastructure to needed working condition. In Canada, the total figure given for overall infrastructure reconstruction stands at $123 billion. There's no way out, it's a hard reality that the quality of life is dependent on the country committing itself to these upgrades.
Led by the federal government which has committed billions of dollars for that very purpose, to kick-start the country into a broad, sweeping fix-up to face the future with confidence.
Labels: Canada, Environment, Realities, Values
posted by Pieface @ 5:59 PM
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