Canada is having an important conversation about energy, but we are missing a critical part of it.
We debate generation; nuclear, hydro, renewables, oil and gas, often through the lens of ideology, jurisdiction or timelines.
But in doing so, we are overlooking a fundamental reality: energy doesn’t move on its own. It doesn’t reach homes, hospitals, factories or data centres without the infrastructure that carries it.
And that infrastructure; the roads, water systems, sewer networks, transmission corridors and utility connections that make growth possible, is too often treated as an afterthought, slowed by fragmented processes and layered approvals.
It shouldn’t be.
Because energy security isn’t just about how we produce power. It’s about whether we can deliver it reliably, efficiently and at scale to the communities and industries that depend on it.
Across Ontario and throughout Canada, we are at an inflection point. Demand for electricity is surging, driven by population growth, electrification, advanced manufacturing and the rapid expansion of data infrastructure.
Governments are rightly focused on increasing generation capacity. Ontario’s nuclear advantage is positioning the province as a global leader in clean, reliable energy. And the world is watching.
But generation alone doesn’t build an economy.
Without the civil infrastructure that supports it; serviced land, integrated utilities, transportation networks and co-ordinated transmission systems, we create bottlenecks that stall investment, delay projects and hold back growth.
You can’t build housing without water and wastewater capacity. You can’t attract industry without reliable power connections. You can’t scale economic opportunity if the foundational infrastructure isn’t there to support it.
This is the piece we are missing.
And one of the most overlooked constraints sits at the local level: our utilities and distribution systems. They must be modernized to keep pace with the scale and speed of growth underway. Without upgraded grids, expanded capacity and faster, more predictable connections, even the most ambitious projects stall before they begin.
If we are serious about building — housing, industry and clean energy — local infrastructure cannot be a barrier; it must be an enabler. Modernizing distribution isn’t optional. It’s the difference between bottlenecks and breakthroughs, between stalled projects and sustained economic growth.
We continue to advance projects in silos, energy in one stream, housing in another, industrial development somewhere else, without aligning the infrastructure needed to connect them. The result is delay. And delay doesn’t just show up on paper. It means lost jobs, stalled paycheques, delayed health care facilities and missed opportunities for communities ready to grow.
For workers, like the more than 160,000 LiUNA members building and connecting Canada, those delays are immediate. When projects stall, so do livelihoods. When infrastructure lags, opportunity disappears.
For businesses, the impact is just as real. Investment flows to jurisdictions where timelines are predictable, approvals are co-ordinated and infrastructure is ready. If Canada wants to compete, we need to build with that same discipline and urgency.
That means shifting our approach.
We need to treat civil infrastructure, and the construction workers essential to delivering it, as the backbone of energy policy, not an afterthought. Capital can be deployed and equipment procured, but without the recruitment, training and mobilization of a skilled, safe and productive workforce, these projects will never move from ambition to reality.
We need integrated planning, where generation, transmission, housing and community infrastructure are aligned from the outset.
And we need to modernize how projects move forward.
Ontario is already taking steps in that direction through a One Project, One Process (1P1P) approach, streamlining approvals, co-ordinating requirements and reducing duplication so projects can move forward with greater certainty. That kind of alignment is exactly what is needed to unlock progress at scale.
And just as important is investing in the skilled workforce to deliver. Because policy alone doesn’t build projects, people do.
Workforce capacity is not a downstream consideration, it is fundamental to whether projects are delivered on time, on budget, and at the scale required. Integrating labour into infrastructure planning from the outset ensures alignment between project timelines, training pathways and the skilled workforce needed to execute.
A skilled, safe local workforce is the foundation of delivery. Through industry-leading training and apprenticeship pathways, LiUNA members are already building the infrastructure that powers our communities, from energy and water systems to transit and beyond.
Investing in workforce development is not just about preparing for the future, it is about ensuring we have the capacity to deliver it.
Ontario has shown what’s possible when alignment, accountability and workforce capacity come together. Major nuclear refurbishments are being delivered ahead of schedule and under budget, proof that complex, nation-building infrastructure can be built efficiently when the right pieces are in place.
But we can’t stop at generation.
To fully realize Canada’s energy potential and secure our economic future, we must build the systems that carry that power into everyday life.
From below ground to the skyline, infrastructure is what connects ambition to execution.
If we get this right, we don’t just produce energy, we deliver it, unlock investment and build a more resilient, competitive country.
If we don’t, we risk having the power, but not the capacity to use it.
The path forward is clear.
And the time to build is now.
Victoria Mancinelli is director of public relations and strategic partnerships with LiUNA. Please send Industry Perspectives Op-Ed comments and column ideas to [email protected].
