On Thursday, October 23, ACEC convened its annual Parliament Hill Day — one of our signature advocacy events and a key opportunity to reinforce the essential role of consulting engineering firms in shaping Canada’s future. More than 50 participants from member firms across the country travelled to Ottawa to engage directly with the political decision-makers in charge of our federal government, making this our largest Parliament Hill Day to date.
Engaging Federal Decision-Makers
During 40 meetings scheduled throughout the day, ACEC members engaged with Members of Parliament (MPs), Senators, political staff, and high-level civil servants to share key recommendations on building infrastructure with long-term vision and strategy, making sure every dollar of investment goes further and benefits their communities.
Our members spoke with:
MPs from across the country who sit on a variety of committees, including:
- the Committee on Finance
- Indigenous and Northern Affairs
- Government Operations and Estimates
Several Parliamentary Secretaries and Shadow Ministers, including:
- the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
- the Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board
- the Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State for Rural Economic Development
- the Shadow Minister for Natural Resources
- the Shadow Minister for Public Services and Procurement
At the staff level, there were productive conversations with staff from the offices of:
- the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure
- the Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, One Canadian Economy, and Internal Trade
- the Minister of Finance
- and the Minister of Natural Resources
These conversations reinforced a shared objective: ensuring Canada can meet its infrastructure needs – both local and national – through expert planning, long-term strategy, and effective partnerships. Our members demonstrated the sector’s technical expertise, regional knowledge, and ability to help the federal government deliver resilient infrastructure that strengthens communities, supports economic prosperity, and prepares Canada for future challenges.
Advancing ACEC’s 2025 Pre-Budget Priorities
During Parliament Hill Day, ACEC members highlighted the central recommendations from our 2025 pre-budget submission – proposals designed to help Canada build with vision, strategy, and expert partners:
- Advance and implement a National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA).
- Establish a long-term funding program to address Canada’s infrastructure deficit.
- Create a National Infrastructure Corridor to support economic independence and long-term prosperity.
- Champion modern, collaborative procurement and project delivery models.
For more information on these recommendations, please click here.
Strengthening Relationships, Building Canada’s Future
ACEC’s advocacy efforts are ongoing and take a variety of forms, including meetings, traditional and social media, pre-budget submissions, etc. Parliament Hill Day remains an invaluable opportunity to bring the voice of consulting engineering firms directly to federal leaders and reinforce ACEC’s advocacy work. By strengthening relationships with Parliamentarians and senior officials, our members help shape policies that support effective infrastructure planning and reinforce the foundational role of engineering in Canada’s prosperity.
Budget 2025 reflected ACEC’s recommendations with the inclusion of the $51 billion Build Communities Strong Fund, a long-term infrastructure funding program. The Budget also included commitments to connecting natural resource and critical mineral sites, our communities, and ports, in line with ACEC’s recommendation regarding a National Infrastructure Corridor.
We extend our sincere thanks to all participants, whose leadership and insights made this year’s Parliament Hill Day a success. Your engagement ensures that consulting engineering firms continue to drive the smart, resilient, future-ready infrastructure Canadians expect and deserve.
