Engineers Canada welcomes new federal investments to spur economic growth as announced in Budget 2024. These investments include new efforts to streamline housing construction and to build Canada’s artificial intelligence capacity while emphasizing safety and security. We also welcome expanded supports for post-secondary education, the research and development ecosystem, and employment equity.
“This budget is a positive step for Canada’s engineering profession,” said Gerard McDonald, CEO of Engineers Canada. “The budget contains important new investments that aim to grow our economy in sectors where engineers play a leading role, like construction and artificial intelligence. We look forward to further consultation with the federal government on the implementation of these measures.”
Canada’s professional engineers are ready to contribute to the goal of reducing barriers to housing construction. As the government implements the new Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund announced in Budget 2024, it is essential to recognize the important role professional engineers play in the building process. Engineers ensure that various development scenarios align with provincial building codes, meet local infrastructure requirements, and accommodate user- and site-specific engineering needs. The provincial and territorial engineering regulators hold professional engineers accountable in this work to keep Canadians safe. Engineers Canada eagerly awaits further consultation with the government to ensure the successful implementation of these measures.
New federal supports to build Canada’s artificial intelligence capacity are also encouraging. The federal government must prioritize safety and risk management in the deployment of AI tools where they may impact the health or safety of their users. Engineers are uniquely positioned to help Canada effectively manage these risks. We are therefore encouraged that part of this funding will go to create an AI Safety Institute. We look forward to further consultation on the establishment of this institute and the role that engineers can and must play in its work.
Engineers Canada has long advocated for greater access to post-secondary engineering education for Indigenous students and we are pleased to see Budget 2024’s new commitments to post-secondary students and its expansion of the Post-Secondary Student Support Program for Indigenous students.
We also commend the government’s new investments in Canada’s research and development ecosystem, including strengthening the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and supporting early career research talent. NSERC’s basic research funding advances discovery and innovation in the practice of engineering and drives economic growth.
Engineers Canada also applauds the government’s intention to introduce new measures to improve workplace equity, diversity, and inclusion through amendments to the Employment Equity Act. Engineers Canada is dedicated to bringing greater equity, diversity, and inclusion to the engineering profession, and we look forward to further consultation with the federal government regarding specific amendments to the Act that will improve workplace equity.
We note that Budget 2024 announces a new survey on interprovincial trade barriers with a focus on achieving national regulatory alignment. It also provides support for streamlining foreign credential recognition in the construction sector. Engineers Canada is studying these measures to understand their implications for the engineering profession. Canada’s provincial and territorial engineering regulators are working together to advance interprovincial and international labour mobility and the federal government should support their work.
As the only national voice of the engineering profession, Engineers Canada has advocated to the federal government on critical issues related to the public interest, including housing, infrastructure, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the ways in which engineers can help Canada achieve its net-zero emission targets. Engineers Canada also submitted budget recommendations to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance. Read the full submission on Engineers Canada’s website.
Media Contact
Nathan Durham
nathan.durham@engineerscanada.ca
1 613-232-2474 ext. 265
