Evidence of meeting #45 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cities.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Vance Badawey Liberal Niagara Centre, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
This question goes to all the participants today.
I thank you for being here. I'm going to ask the same question that I asked the witnesses earlier on today. In your opinion, what are the key components of a national smart city community improvement growth strategy? Jump in.
Director, Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction, University of Cambridge, As an Individual
I'm just gathering my thoughts.
From our perspective, that of managing and constructing infrastructure that we want to get the best value out of throughout its life, I think standards are incredibly important, because we have to be able to manage data among organizations. We have to be able to access each other's data. Inevitably, these things are not going to be generated by a single organization, and different kinds of data can be used in different ways by different organizations. You can get increased value out of data as an asset. So standards are important.
I think, referring to what one of the other witnesses said, clarity from government about what it wants and what it expects is also very important. In the U.K. we wouldn't have taken the leap forward that we have taken around the digital agenda in construction and infrastructure without the government's actually saying, as a client, “We expect BIM level 2 on every project that we fund from here on in.” That took an investment by government, because it had to actually invest in a committee to help the industry do that, as it's such a fragmented industry. But it's now paying dividends, and the industry has sort of turned the tanker around and is now pointing together in the right direction. Those would be the two components I would pick.
Liberal
Vance Badawey Liberal Niagara Centre, ON
Just to help the others along as well.... This is synergistic with what this committee has been working on for past year.
When we look at the assets in our part of the world, such as the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence, and the natural assets of our location in general; when we look at our other assets such as airports, the St. Lawrence Seaway system in relation to water, rail, short and main lines, spur lines and, of course, a road network; when we look at innovation, research and development, and technology; when we look at the private sector and the partnerships we're trying to create, we see that those are different pillars.
Now take it up a level, to the next level. We're working on a national transportation strategy. We're working on a smart infrastructure strategy, and there are many other strategies that the government and our partners in the House of Commons are working on in forming that strategy—and which is also a result of those pillars I just mentioned.
Now take it up to the next level and how it then relates to creating a smart city, community improvement and growth strategies, and therefore, proper—and this is the key part—infrastructure investments, and then, attached to those investments, proper asset management plans and financing plans. That's where I'm going with this question for you about what, then, are the key components for establishing all the above.
If I could go to the other two participants, I would appreciate your comments on that as well.
Canada Research Chair in Information Law, University of Ottawa, As an Individual
I think I would build on the comments of Dr. Schooling here. I think a robust data management infrastructure is one of the requirements. I think data tends to get forgotten in discussions of infrastructure, and the focus tends to be on the hardware, but the software and the data part is tremendously important.
In a country like Canada, a federal state spread over a vast geography, we already see issues and difficulties comparing data from one province to another, one municipality to another, and different municipalities within single provinces.
Canada Research Chair in Information Law, University of Ottawa, As an Individual
There are very significant standards issues. There are very significant issues around the security of the data infrastructure. There are really important issues around ownership, which I mentioned in my comments. If the foresight and the planning is not there, municipalities or governments end up not owning the data related to their assets, and then find themselves having to pay over and over again to use it in different ways.
I think the public policy around data is a tremendously important piece.
Liberal
Vance Badawey Liberal Niagara Centre, ON
I would add to that the importance of our U.S. partners and our relations with the U.S., because a lot of this we share with respect to our interests. Of course, with that, there is the integration of those.
Thinking ahead then, although we invest in our infrastructure, sometimes we have to talk to our neighbours on the other side of the border to ensure that what we integrate, transportation strategies for example, integrate appropriately with those we're doing business with.
Canada Research Chair in Information Law, University of Ottawa, As an Individual
Yes.
Associate Professor, University of Waterloo, As an Individual
If I can jump in, I'll echo the previous two speakers, Dr. Schooling and Dr. Scassa.
From my point of view, to summarize, the key components for making this happen are, first, the vision, which I think this committee has clearly shown. Then, that progresses to an identified and urgent need for this technology. Then the technology itself matures and comes to a point where there's market uptake and demand.
I think that all of these pieces, when supported by proper legislation, are going to make this smart infrastructure vision happen.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
You have half a minute, and then I'll probably conclude the time altogether. It's one o'clock.
February 14th, 2017 / 12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Vance Badawey Liberal Niagara Centre, ON
I just want to make a point for members of the committee.
I thank you folks for being here today, because you are solidifying a lot of the work this committee has been doing for the past year, albeit we are now just putting the pieces of the puzzle together as they relate to all of the strategies we're putting forward.
When you look at the national transportation strategy from one side of the committee; at the smart infrastructure strategy and what the minister has announced most recently to encourage municipalities to be more involved in smart infrastructure; and at the other strategies we're all speaking about now....
Furthermore, a sidebar to that is the investments to be made. When we're looking at $168 billion being invested, in tandem with the dollars being announced by the provinces and territories, both to ensure that those are attached to asset management and, equally, that they are getting returns on those investments as they relate to our assets, both natural, and location—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Thank you very much, Mr. Badawey.
To our witnesses, thank you very much for adding to the study we're doing. We appreciate very much your taking the time and communicating with us.
I move adjournment.