The federal government recently announced the Major Projects Office and Build Canada Homes agencies designed to administer funds and accelerate infrastructure—but will they streamline or weigh down progress with bureaucracy? Riccardo, Melissa Di Marco, and David Ho pull up chairs to a roundtable discussion of this timely and complex topic. In this episode of Uncharted Conversations, they explore the often default solution of agency development when issues arise and whether those at the helm are genuinely equipped to solve these particular problems. 

Questions of risk aversion and fragmented decision-making prompt skepticism from both private infrastructure bodies and Canadian citizens. The three seasoned experts unpack the structural and political realities that influence how agencies perform, reflecting on past examples, and consider whether the present country-wide urgency might push leaders to act differently this time.

The conversation poses an essential question: Are these agencies being created to lead, or just to manage? Infrastructure in Canada today faces overlapping jurisdictions, unclear mandates, and high public expectation. Success will depend on more than just good intentions—it will require clarity of purpose, empowered leadership, and swift execution within a narrowing window of opportunity.

Key Takeaways

• The challenge of clearly defining what problem an agency is meant to solve;
• How funding concerns can block and distract from forward progress;
• The sometimes murky relationship between provincial and federal in major programme delivery;
• The risk of adding bureaucracy instead of leadership in moments of urgency;
• The opportunity for optimism in the face of Canada’s infrastructure crisis.

Quote:

“I think if somebody tried to create a new version of a provincial infrastructure agency today [like Infrastructure Ontario], they would be burdened with expectations of fixing almost everything, and I think might be quite unfair.” -David Ho

The conversation doesn’t stop here—connect and converse with our community via LinkedIn:

• Follow Navigating Major Programmes: https://www.linkedin.com/company/navigating-major-programmes/
• Follow Riccardo Cosentino: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cosentinoriccardo/
• Read Riccardo’s latest at https://riccardocosentino.com/   
• Follow David Ho: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidtho-ontario/
• Follow Melissa Di Marco: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-di-marco/

Music: "A New Tomorrow" by Chordial Music. Licensed through PremiumBeat.