Provincial Community Benefits
British Columbia
Community Benefits Coalition of BC
The Community Benefits Coalition of BC was started by members of the labour movement and local companies who believe that projects paid for by B.C. taxpayers can and should provide tangible long-lasting benefits that go beyond the mere project itself.
British Columbia Infrastructure Benefits (BCIB)
BCIB was established in 2018. The provincial Crown Corporation (public) provides a qualified workforce for the construction of public infrastructure projects operating under the Community Benefits Agreement.
As the employer for all workers on these projects, BCIB makes sure British Columbians get access to good-paying, career-building jobs, skills development and apprenticeships. Providing opportunities to underrepresented workers such as Indigenous peoples, women and people with disabilities will help ensure our Province can meet labour market needs, today and into the future.
Projects
Pattullo Bridge Replacement Project - $1.377B
Highway 1 - $2.46B
Broadway Subway Project - $2.83B
Outcomes to Date
Local Residents - 35% of project trade hours
Women - 23% of project trade hours
LGBTQ2S+ - 16% of project trade hours
Indigenous - 10% of project trade hours
Manitoba
Manitoba Social Enterprise Strategy
The Manitoba Social Enterprise Strategy (MSES) is a co-constructed strategy developed by Manitoba’s social enterprise sector and the Province of Manitoba. This partnership saw the sector and the province come together with equal representation on a steering committee and in the consultation process to develop, evaluate and prioritize action items for non-profit, public and private sectors
Manitoba Housing
One of the goals of the MSES was to double current social procurement through Manitoba housing from $5m/year to $10m/year over 3 years. The strategy was a success, resulting in contracts between Manitoba Housing and six social enterprises: BUILD, Manitoba Green Retrofit, North End Community Renewal Corporation, New Directions, Aki Energy, and the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation, who receive a total of $7m/year in government contracts through Manitoba Housing.
A Social Return on Investment (SROI) report finds that for every $1 invested, $2.23 of social and economic value is created for construction-related purchases from social enterprises in Manitoba. Specifically, the contracts have created 200 jobs for workers on construction projects and workers have been found to have a significantly lower recidivism rate.
East Side Road Authority
Through Community Benefit Agreements, the East Side Road Authority provides contracts to community-owned (existing or newly established) construction companies for pre construction work on the East Side Road (clearing, gravel crushing).
To date, ESRA has invested over $80 million into east side First Nation communities through CBAs. ESRA also provides capacity building through training opportunities.
Outcomes
Over 600 job opportunities have been created for road and bridge projects on the all-season road project. This is largely attributable to local hiring requirements in construction tenders that require 30% of total in-scope contract hours be worked by east side residents for road construction and 20% for bridge construction.
Ontario
Infrastructure for Jobs and Prosperity Act, 2015
This Act was introduced in 2015 to ensure Infrastructure planning and investment should promote community benefits, being the supplementary social and economic benefits arising from an infrastructure project that are intended to improve the well-being of a community affected by the project, such as local job creation and training opportunities improvement of public space within the community, and any specific benefits identified by the community.
As part of the IJPA Long Term Infrastructure Plan, the Provincial Government identified five provincial infrastructure projects as Community Benefits Pilots. These include:
Finch West LRT (2018)
West Park Healthcare Centre (2019)
MacDonald Block Reconstruction Project (2020)
Halton Region Consolidated Courthouse (2020 expected)
Thunder Bay Correctional Complex
The current provincial government has yet to commit to community benefits on future provincial infrastructure projects.
Quebec
Saskatchewan
On Wednesday, May 6, 2020, Premier Scott Moe announced an increase of $2 billion to Saskatchewan's capital plan to stimulate the province's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Saskatchewan's $7.5 billion capital plan presents an opportune time to consider how the province's key objective of economic development can be reconciled with its obligations under trade agreements and can provide community benefits.