Take a Longer-Term Approach to Infrastructure Development

Way Forward Commitment:

Our government will continue to implement its multi-year infrastructure plans. A longer-term approach to infrastructure development provides certainty for investors, who often consider local, regional and provincial infrastructure development when making business decisions. Multi-year planning also creates more certainty for related industries, such as the construction industry, which enhances their ability to plan their human resource needs and create job opportunities for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. In 2018-19, our multi-year infrastructure plan will provide almost $620 million for infrastructure and economic stimulus, including:

  • Memorial University’s Core Science Facility in St. John’s;
  • The Centre of Excellence for Heavy Equipment Industrial Trades at College of the North Atlantic in Stephenville;
  • The continued development of the new regional hospital in Corner Brook;
  • The replacement of the Waterford Hospital and the expansion of community-based mental health services;
  • The development of the Green Bay Health Centre in Springdale;
  • The construction of the Labrador Wellness Centre in Happy Valley-Goose Bay;
  • The construction of new schools in Paradise and Coley’s Point, as well as repairs and maintenance of many existing schools;
  • Paving projects on the Trans Labrador Highway and for the Provincial Roads Program; and
  • Vessel refits and the maintenance of ferries, ferry terminals and wharves.

What We’ve Accomplished:

  • The 2017 edition of The Way Forward: A Multi-Year Plan for Infrastructure Investments was released on March 17, 2017. The multi-year plan outlined commitments to education, health, buildings, roads, and municipal infrastructure from 2017-18 to 2021-22.
  • The second edition of the plan was released in spring 2018, allocating $619.7 million in 2018-19 and $2.5 billion from 2018-19 to 2022-23, including leveraged federal funding.
  • The 2019 edition of The Way Forward: A Multi-Year Plan for Infrastructure Investments was released in Budget 2019 and outlined approved projects and planned spending, by sector, from 2019-20 to 2023-24. In 2019-20, $594.3 million will be invested in new and existing infrastructure, over $3 billion invested over the next five years. This will help grow our economy and is expected to generate an average of $580 million in annual GDP and 5,100 person years of employment per year.
  • The following are some of the projects covered in the plan:
    • Construction of the Centre of Excellence for Heavy Equipment Industrial Trades at College of the North Atlantic in Stephenville. Completion is expected in fall 2019.
    • Replacement of the Waterford Hospital. On July 30, 2019, a Request for Proposals to design, build, finance and maintain (DBFM) the new facility was issued to three short-listed proponents. Proposals are due in early 2020 and it is expected that the successful proponent will be announced in June 2020, with construction starting in the months following. 
    • New regional hospital in Corner Brook. In June 2019, Corner Brook Health Partnership was selected as DBFM contractor for the new hospital. Site excavation is scheduled to begin in September 2019 with construction expected to be completed by 2023.
    • New schools in Paradise and Bay Roberts. Construction began in 2019 with completion of both expected in 2021.
    • Paving projects on the Trans Labrador Highway (TLH). By the end of 2019, paving will be completed for Phase 2: Red Bay to Cartwright Junction. It is anticipated that the final paving tenders for the TLH will be issued before the end of 2019-20.
    • Paving projects for the Provincial Roads Program. The 2019 edition of the Five-Year Provincial Roads Plan was released in January 2019, allocating $77.2 million to provincial road projects for the third year in a row.
    • New long-term care beds in the Central Health Authority region. NL Healthcare Partners was selected in April 2019 as the DBFM contractor for new long-term care homes in Gander and Grand Falls-Windsor. Construction started at both sites during summer 2019 with completion expected in 2021. In addition, a construction tender was awarded in August 2019 for a new protective care extension at the Dr. Hugh Twomey Health Centre in Botwood. Construction is anticipated to start in September 2019 with completion expected in late 2020.
  • This plan will continue to be updated to reflect emerging priorities and released annually.