Business View Magazine | December 2020

265 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2020 Canadians from coast to coast to coast are seeing the benefits of the Plan—our government has already committed over $65 billion and invested in thousands of projects. And the new COVID-19 Resilience stream will further benefit Canadians by investing in more pandemic-resilient infrastructure projects, such as retrofitting schools to allow kids to go to class safely, upgrading hospitals and long- term care homes to deal with social distancing requirements, or building new parks, cycling and walking paths. Building a strong, sustainable and inclusive country This health crisis is showing us where we have gaps in our infrastructure. We’re working closely with all orders of government and other partners and stakeholders across the country to keep a sharp focus on long-term objectives that will improve the quality of life in all our communities—from better public transit to affordable housing and clean water. One critical gap this pandemic has highlighted is the need for access to high-speed Internet – it is one of the main lifelines during this current health crisis to live, study, work, and compete in today’s digital world. We see new examples every day of why reliable Internet and mobile connectivity are essential and will be critical to our economic recovery post-COVID-19. In the 2019 federal budget, the federal government announced $1.7 billion to support high-speed Internet, including $1 billion for the new Universal Broadband Fund (UBF). The UBF is part of a suite of initiatives to ensure high-speed Internet access for all Canadians, especially those in rural and remote locations. Around the world we are seeing how “smart” approaches and connected technologies are helping communities respond to COVID-19 and plan for a recovery that rebuilds communities so they are more resilient than before. The Canadian Smart Cities Challenge encourages MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA