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INTRODUCTION

The Western Canada Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association (WCR&HCA) originally known as the Prairie Roadbuilders Association had its origins in 1943. Its founding members were the roadbuilder associations from the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. At that time they were the nucleus of the Prairie Roadbuilders Section of the Canadian Construction Association (CCA).

In 1956 the Alberta Roadbuilders Association joined and the 'Prairie Roadbuilder Association' name was formally adopted. When the British Columbia Roadbuilders Association joined in 1973, its name was again changed to the Western Canada Roadbuilders Association. To more fully reflect the broad nature of industries it represents, the name was further amended in 1996 to its current Western Canada Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association (WCR&HCA).

Mandate
From its inception, the WCR&HCA has been concerned about the need to properly invest in Canada's infrastructure including its transportation network. The record of the Annual Convention held in Saskatoon in 1953 shows that the following resolution was adopted:

"1. Continued Federal Aid Asked in the Building of Highways

WHEREAS - The increase in volume of road using traffic and the economic development of this country has far exceeded the rate of construction of road facilities and has resulted in a steadily increasing back log of road requirements; and

WHEREAS - A properly integrated road system is necessary from the standpoint of improved lines of transportation for use in both peace and war. To provide access to undeveloped areas, to provide mobility of defence projects, to expand our tourist industry, to provide dust-free roads and has become vital in the daily economic life of our country; and

WHEREAS - The Construction of the Trans-Canada highway demonstrates that the Federal and Provincial Governments can work together in accord;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED - That the Prairie Roadbuilders section of the Canadian Construction Association urges that the Federal Government in Canada set up a National Highway Commission to co- ordinate the planning, financing and construction of main highways in Canada and provide the Federal appropriations in keeping with the financial abilities of the Canadian people, to be made available to the provinces on a percentage basis having due regard to area, population, vehicle registration and the ratios of mileage of road per unit of population."

The arguments cited in support of a National Highways Commission to administer the planning, financing and construction of main highways in Canada were as sound at the 1953 convention, as they are today.

TRIP/Canada
Commitment to the above principles led the WCR&HCA to initiate in 1983, formation of The Road & Information Program Canada (TRIP/Canada). Since then a number of TRIP/Canada reports on the condition of Canada's municipal infrastructure and highways were prepared and circulated nationally to all three levels of government. The WCR&HCA supported the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) calling for and completing a series of reports addressing the concept of and funding for a National Highways System.

National Transportation & Infrastructure
The WCR&HCA has consistently maintained a focused attention on national infrastructure policy issues. In 1996/97 the Board of Directors adopted a National Infrastructure Policy (NIP) which targeted its attention at three program component parts: the municipal infrastructure deficit then estimated at $44 billion (now in the vicinity of $200 billion); the national highways system requirements then estimated at $12 billion (now in the vicinity of $50 billion); and strategic infrastructure investments aimed at creating new areas of economic activity.

The above policies were subsequently adopted by a number of national and provincial associations including the Canadian Construction Association (CCA), the Coalition to Renew Canada's Infrastructure (CRCI) and TRIP/Canada.

Recognizing that TRIP/Canada's mandate should be broadened, the WCR&CHA successfully recommended in 1997, that TRIP's name should stand for "The Road & Infrastructure Program Canada (TRIP/Canada).

In 1998 the WCR&HCA prepared a brief (updated in 1999) on national infrastructure policy, which fleshed out the "Guidelines to a New Infrastructure Program", adopted by the Premiers at their 1996 and 1997 Annual Premiers Conference. The brief was then used in national, provincial and municipal government lobby efforts to pursue adoption by the federal government of a formal National Transportation & Infrastructure Policy.

Transportation Awareness Partnership (TAP)
"If the public had an appreciation for the critical contribution that transportation makes towards life in Canada, to the same extent it has for healthcare and education, the public sector would be better able to address its policy challenges and issues more effectively."

Independent of one another, a broad range of transportation stakeholder organizations in western Canada came to similar conclusions. To change public policy, we must have the support of an informed and active public opinion.

It is in this regard that the Transportation Awareness Partnership (TAP) was formed in 2004 with the support of the WCR&HCA Board and active participation of the Chief Operating Officers of the four member Associations. Its objective was to participate in an awareness campaign that sought to accomplish the following objective: "To raise public awareness, understanding and appreciation of the significance of transportation inn people's daily lives."

The TAP Steering Committee consisted of seven (7) with two (2) representatives from the WCR&HCA. It assembled a number of viewpoints from across western Canada and then nationally about the viability of pursuing a national education campaign whose objective it would be to raise the public and therefore public policy profile of the importance of transportation to the general well-being and standard of life that Canadians had come to enjoy.

Notwithstanding best efforts of the TAP Steering Committee the effort ended when there was insufficient interests from a broad enough group to raise the necessary capital to pursue such a campaign.

What was accomplished was the basis around which the WCR&HCA pursued its next national policy initiative launched in 2005.

Western Canada Transportation System (WCTS)

The WCR&HCA President chairs a western Canada private sector group - Western Canada Transportation System Group (WCTS Group) - whose mandate is to pursue the development and funding of the WCTS - a multi-modal transportation system designed to underpin western Canada's economy which is overwhelmingly dependent upon trade.

Its origin is a 2005 Report of the Western Transportation Ministers (WTM Report). The WCTS Group working in collaboration with the four western deputy Ministers undertook an update of the 2005 Report. It added the needs of the Territories and was held up in preparation. The WCTS Group submitted to the Deputy Ministers views on how to ease 'regulation / trade congestion' to enhance free trade and competitiveness in western Canada.

While the update was completed (in late summer of 2009) showing a transportation investment requirement exceeding $20 billion, it has yet to be formally adopted. Reasons:

  1. Focus and attention by all provincial governments on accessing the federal stimulus programs funded by the federal government to enhance and encourage economic activity in the recessionary period;
  2. In a slow process each of the four western provincial deputy ministers of transportation either retired or were shifted to other portfolios; and
  3. We now have four new ministers in each of the four western provinces.
The cumulative effect of the above has slowed the effort.

In recent discussion with some of the WCTS Group, the emerging view is that the initiative should narrow its focus to the development, construction and funding of a strategic WCTS corridor in the context of the 'Trans Canada' providing the physical strategic highway footprint forming the backbone connecting western Canada to eastern Canada with strategic links south to the United States Border.

The principles underlining such activity should reflect the National Framework Document on Strategic Gateways and Corridors, and the principles of the Asia Pacifica Gateway & Corridor Initiative (APGCI). The APGCI witnessed in excess of $1 billion invested in western Canada trade supporting transportation infrastructure, of which roughly $800 million was invested in British Columbia.

In addition to the above, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan have signed a declaration on 'Open Skies' to establish a process for Canada's Western Provinces to coordinate and advance activities to pursue more Open Skies agreements between Canada and other nations with resulting benefits for Western Canada. Open Skies agreements would remove air access restrictions between Canada and other nations, providing all provinces with a greater opportunity to market themselves internationally as a North American cargo shipment hub.

There is reason to be optimistic that this public policy initiative may result in significantly enhanced investment in transportation system assets in western Canada.

It will be the continued objective of the WCR&HCA to make the WCTS a reality to benefit not only western Canada but the nation as well.

National Affiliations
The WCR&HCA is an active member of the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) and is an active and driving member of the CCA Civil Infrastructure Council (CIC) formerly known as the Roadbuilder & Heavy Construction Council and TRIP/Canada.

WCR&HCA Priorities
The primary priority of the WCR&HCA remains to support initiatives to create sustained and sustainable infrastructure funding mechanisms to help fund the rehabilitation, modernization and future development needs of Canada's infrastructure.

Its horizon reaches to areas of related interest and concern to industry which it attempts to address though its national and regional affiliations.

Priorities for 2010 as adopted by the Board at its March 10, 2010 meeting include:

Sustainable and sustained federal investment in the nation's infrastructure
The WCR&HCA will commit resources to pursue collaboratively through the WCR&HCA, the CCA and the CIC as a priority matter for public and government relations attention, sustainable and sustained federal investment in the nation's infrastructure as a continuing stimulus to provincial and municipal investment in core municipal and transportation infrastructure.

Western Canada Transportation System (WCTS) & Removing Impediments for Trade
The WCR&HCA will pursue steps in this area of priority as follows:

  1. A WCTS narrowed in focus to a 'national highway system' which connects western Canada to eastern Canada with strategic links south to the United States Border;
  2. It will encourage regulatory reform including initiatives such as the Open Skies Agreement signed by British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan which support removing trade flow impediments;
  3. Support harmonization, equivalency and streamlining of environmental assessments and permitting as between provinces and between provinces and the federal government; and
  4. Pursue the above in a manner consistent with the principles of free trade including federal priorities as outlined in the National Framework Document on Strategic Gateways and Corridors, and the Asia Pacifica Gateway & Corridor Initiative (APGCI).
 Foreign Trade Zones (FTZs)
The WCR&HCA will continue supporting the expansion of a fully fledged, globally marketed FTZ policy for Canada to assist Canadian enterprises being globally competitive and to be used as incentive mechanisms to locate trade, logistics and related investments in Canada, all to support the National Framework on Strategic Gateways & Corridors aspiration of ensuring that Canada is the international trade gateway and the APGCI which reflects supporting trade/transportation investments.

Hours of Service (HOS) Exemption
The WCR&HCA will continue efforts in collaboration with the CCA/CIC, pursuit of an industry specific exemption from the federal Hours of Service Regulation concurrent with supporting literature to assist in lobby efforts with provincial jurisdictions; and as part of the above, an objective standard based definition and distinction between intra and inter provincial companies.

Promotion of Careers in the Heavy Construction Industry
The WCR&HCA will support the development of a national website along with related promotional material for the purposes of promoting careers in and attracting new workers to the heavy construction industry.

Organization
The WCR&HCA headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba has four member associations which represent the heavy construction industry in western Canada. They are: B.C. Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association (BCRHCA), Alberta Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association (ARHCA), Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association (SHCA) and the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association (MHCA).

The governing body of the WCR&HCA is its Board of Directors. It is made up of two (2) directors plus the Chief Operating Officers from each of the four member provincial associations. The office of Chairman rotates annually, with the annual convention hosting association concurrently holding the office of Chairman.

View the current WCR&HCA Organization Structure.

For further information please contact Chris Lorenc, B.A., LL.B., WCR&HCA President at 204 947 1379 or e-mail at clorenc@mhca.mb.ca