Closing First Nations infrastructure gap could generate $635B: report

OTTAWA — Closing the First Nations infrastructure gap could generate $635-billion in economic output over the next seven years, a new report commissioned by the Assembly of First Nations says.

The AFN and Indigenous Services Canada estimate there is a $349-billion infrastructure gap plaguing First Nations communities that they’re calling to be closed by 2030.

The gap is the result of decades of underfunding and failed fiduciary duties affecting housing, roads, internet connectivity, water treatment plants, ports and schools that the AFN and Indigenous Services Canada say will become more costly to remedy without immediate investments.

The report by the Conference Board of Canada released today says every dollar spent to close that gap will contribute $1.82 in economic output to Canada.

AFN national chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says the report shows that closing the infrastructure gap is not just about righting wrongs, but about bringing forward a transformative economic opportunity for all Canadians.

The report says the economic benefits of closing the gap go far beyond its immediate predictions, and that broader economic impacts will be studied later.