2110: Think Long-Term, Ontario!

- Infrastructure education is key to casting an informed ballot on October 25 -

TORONTO Sept. 23 is

The answer is what Consulting Engineers of Ontario (CEO) is hoping to help voters understand, especially before the October 25 municipal elections across the province.

"Citizens need to understand that water, bridges, transit, energy, and even aspects of healthcare, are infrastructure issues directly impacted by political decision-making," said Barry Steinberg, P. Eng., president of CEO. "It is near impossible to cast an informed ballot without this knowledge and votes decide who makes decisions and sets priorities in coming years."

CEO is launching an educational campaign called 2110: Think Long-Term, Ontario! to help people decipher what is being said about infrastructure, what it means to them and why they need to think long-term. "The cost of infrastructure is paid for by generations," said Steinberg. "We would like to see Ontarians be more forward-thinking so future generations will not bear the brunt of short-term decisions. This is not a four year consideration; it is a 50 to 100 year consideration."

The goal of 2110: Think Long-Term, Ontario! is to have people consider the following:

• Core and social infrastructure affect lives on a daily basis. Core infrastructure is vital to the economy.  It can be physically touched such as roads, bridges and public transit.  It also includes invisible infrastructure not commonly seen or thought of such as electrical distribution and water pipes or treatment plants. Social infrastructure enhances our quality of life like arenas, recreation centres and universities.
• Population growth in Ontario's urban centres will require expanded infrastructure to accommodate newcomers.
• Most Ontario schools were built in the 1920s and are in need of re-investment. Similarly, the province's roads are in need of repair and expansion as well as water pipes that were installed as far back as the early 1900s.
• Infrastructure is largely paid for with the public purse and costs increase when investment is deferred.

According to a 2007 Federation of Canadian Municipalities study, Canada's municipal infrastructure deficit rests at $123 billion. The province of Ontario is estimated to have an overall infrastructure deficit of $100 billion. CEO was also among a select group of provincial stakeholders from various sectors that presented their recommendations for a 10-year capital plan for infrastructure needs to the then Minister and Deputy Minister of Energy and Infrastructure.

The campaign starts with the public and then will concentrate on specific sectors throughout the year on the need for a well-informed, integrated, and science and engineering-based process. "When people turn on their tap, they expect water to come out. When they turn on their TV, they expect electricity. We don't see, or often care, what is bringing the water or electricity to our homes and businesses until there is a problem.  That needs to change and that is the goal of 2110: Think Long-Term, Ontario!" said Steinberg.

Consulting Engineers of Ontario is a non-profit association representing over 225 engineering firms across Ontario employing over 18,000 people who contribute to the economic, environmental and social quality of life.

For further information:

For media inquiries contact:
Brown & Cohen Communications & Public Affairs Inc. 416-484-1132
Kaitlynn Dodge ext. 5 [email protected]  or
Wendy Kauffman ext. 3 [email protected]