Shovel Ready Projects for Post Shut-Down Stimulus

[milomilo]

Them doing a gender analysis doesn't mean it has to amount to anything. Just like when TMX was thrown out by the courts they were asked to assess the impact on marine life - so the government did that, found that it did have an impact, and came to the exact same conclusion as before. It's just box ticking.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by milomilo

By that standard I don't think any cities would qualify as "well run", as I don't think it's normal for them to be sitting on ready to go plans for projects. Sure, they have a long list of things they intend to do, and some may have fairly detailed plans. But the actual engineering designs, property acquisitions, RFPs, contract issuance etc will take a long time. Calgary's Green Line for example, despite being developed for years, is still far from shovel ready.

I can see some mundane work like road maintenance, school upgrades happening relatively quickly (if the federal government gives them money). But I think some people are imagining we can just start building the hoover dam in a few weeks.

I think of "shovel ready" as a marketing term. We have already been on lockdown for over a month now, and CERB is currently set to last 4 months. The economic fallout from this is going to last at minimum a couple of quarters and probably a couple of years. Lots and lots of projects could be started during the economic depression we are in.

Canada has not been building enough infrastructure and the next year or two will be a good time to play catch-up. The same thing goes for private-sector construction in many Canadian cities. It's good that construction sites are still running in many provinces.

It's too bad the federal government was already in drunk sailor spending mode back when the economy was doing reasonably well. And spending time and energy on woke social issues instead of, say, pandemic preparedness (we should have been studying ahead of time how zoonotic viruses may disproportionately impact nonbinary PoC!).

[Spocket]

Winnipeg's south Perimeter upgrade may be shovel-ready. I'm not sure if detailed design has been done.

Otherwise, the next BRT line to the eastern part of the city may be ready as well but again, not sure if the detailed design work has been done.

Of course, the last time this was on the table, the province and feds announced the highway 1 and highway 16 interchange and overpass. Never happened even after the sod turning.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by someone123

It's too bad the federal government was already in drunk sailor spending mode back when the economy was doing reasonably well. And spending time and energy on woke social issues instead of, say, pandemic preparedness (we should have been studying ahead of time how zoonotic viruses may disproportionately impact nonbinary PoC!).

Eeew someone, you must be soooooo unpopular!

[Spocket]

Originally Posted by goodgrowth

When it comes to direct benefits from a budget and flow of money perspective men are the prime beneficiaries. So no I am not totally being facetious and I think there is something to it.

I don't think major infrastructure projects could pass from a "gender budgeting" perspective. Assuming they adhere to it strictly.

How do you figure?

Women put in the least amount of cash and take out the maximum benefit from the system. That's fine but I don't see how you think men are somehow the prime beneficiaries. I'd like to see the breakdown of that claim.

As I recall, back in 2008, the government had the money all ready to go for a number of projects until women's groups decided that women were somehow being ignored. They insisted that some of the stimulus money go to industries that were traditionally female-dominated. But that approach made absolutely no sense since it was the male dominated professions such as those in construction and engineering that had suffered the most by far. So, rather than putting the money to its best use, we got a lot of money to industries that were doing relatively well while ignoring the industries that were decimated. Since we don't live in a gender vacuum, that meant that construction workers couldn't afford to pay their mortgages and that resulted in families being put in the line of fire. That's what happens when you mix up ideological radicalism with economics.

[goodgrowth]

Originally Posted by Spocket

How do you figure?

Women put in the least amount of cash and take out the maximum benefit from the system. That's fine but I don't see how you think men are somehow the prime beneficiaries. I'd like to see the breakdown of that claim.

As I recall, back in 2008, the government had the money all ready to go for a number of projects until women's groups decided that women were somehow being ignored. They insisted that some of the stimulus money go to industries that were traditionally female-dominated. But that approach made absolutely no sense since it was the male dominated professions such as those in construction and engineering that had suffered the most by far. So, rather than putting the money to its best use, we got a lot of money to industries that were doing relatively well while ignoring the industries that were decimated. Since we don't live in a gender vacuum, that meant that construction workers couldn't afford to pay their mortgages and that resulted in families being put in the line of fire. That's what happens when you mix up ideological radicalism with economics.

I think you misunderstood me. I wasn't saying it like it was a good thing. I was saying that applying "gender analysis budgeting" would impede major infrastructure spending.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by goodgrowth

I think you misunderstood me. I wasn't saying it like it was a good thing. I was saying that applying "gender analysis budgeting" would impede major infrastructure spending.

Which was, of course, incorrect.

[wave46]

Originally Posted by goodgrowth

I think you misunderstood me. I wasn't saying it like it was a good thing. I was saying that applying "gender analysis budgeting" would impede major infrastructure spending.

I doubt that 'gender analysis budgeting' was anything but a marketing thing.

Stupid marketing by government, IMO, but marketing only. We'll know when the next budget is released - if gender is rarely mentioned, it was a fad designed to appeal to certain audiences.

Despite the hue and cry, most people make daily decisions based on facts/preferences and not whether they have an X or Y chromosome.

I rarely find myself standing in line at Tim Hortons or wherever thinking "I really should order my lunch based on my preordained gender biases" and more on the "What do I want for lunch today?" line of thinking.

I mean, yes, there are certain choices I've made in life based on my gender, certainly. However, they're rarely the thing government has much say in.

[milomilo]

If it was true that a city missed out on some federal government money because of gender analysis and didn't get a project, we would definitely have heard about it in the press. But we haven't, so it hasn't happened.

[goodgrowth]

Originally Posted by milomilo

If it was true that a city missed out on some federal government money because of gender analysis and didn't get a project, we would definitely have heard about it in the press. But we haven't, so it hasn't happened.

lol..."if the press didn't say anything it never happened!"

The reality is men overwhelmingly make up the construction industry. Therefore if you are applying gender analysis budgeting then infrastructure can't get significant funding. This is very simple logical conclusion.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by goodgrowth

lol..."if the press didn't say anything it never happened!"

The reality is men overwhelmingly make up the construction industry. Therefore if you are applying gender analysis budgeting then infrastructure can't get significant funding. This is very simple logical conclusion.

Simple, and yet wrong.

[goodgrowth]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Simple, and yet wrong.

Well enlighten me then.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by someone123

It's too bad the federal government was already in drunk sailor spending mode back when the economy was doing reasonably well. And spending time and energy on woke social issues instead of, say, pandemic preparedness (we should have been studying ahead of time how zoonotic viruses may disproportionately impact nonbinary PoC!).

As an officer in Her Majesty's Canadian Navy I take great umbrage at that comment. A more proper term of flagrant needless spending would be "drunk trust fund frat boy" that term properly punches up since there are more PoC's in the navy than there are in the trust fund frat boy community!
You're welcome!

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by goodgrowth

Well enlighten me then.

What good would that do? You've made up your mind despite the complete absence of understanding of government "gender analysis" and without regard that said analysis has never prevented any project from proceeding.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

As an officer in Her Majesty's Canadian Navy I take great umbrage at that comment. A more proper term of flagrant needless spending would be "drunk trust fund frat boy" that term properly punches up since there are more PoC's in the navy than there are in the trust fund frat boy community!
You're welcome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGyPuey-1Jw

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGyPuey-1Jw

The last idea in the song is appealing, depending on the quality of the bed mate of course!

[scryer]

Okay this thread about construction is getting a little weird with gender talk...

I understand that 'shovel-ready' probably means a couple of things but some larger infrastructure projects that I think are shovel ready would include the following:

Vancouver's Millennium Line Extension
This extension has got the studies and the routing all planned out to Arbutus. The city is just doing some preliminary work with moving utilities around before construction starts either late this year or in 2021 (feel free to correct me). The funds are set for the extension up to Arbutus street.

It would be nice if the federal government funded the project so that it extends all the way to UBC. This would cut costs of having to re-excavate the future Arbutus station and it would save money on inflation while at the same time creating a plethora of jobs.

This project specifically benefits economically because Broadway street will densify like crazy creating all kinds of jobs in the medium-long term. It will also solidify Broadway as the secondary economic centre in the region.


Vancouver's Expo Line Extension

Again the studies and alignments have been done up to Fleetwood. So this would be another easy extension into Langley as the preliminary stages of the project are already in motion.

What specifically makes the extension into Langley attractive is that most, if not all, of the expo line would be elevated saving a gargantuan amount of money while creating plenty of economic opportunities in the metro municipalities south of the Fraser River.


Ottawa's LRT Expansions

Another transit expansion that is further along in its preliminary works than Vancouver's Skytrain is Ottaway's LRT expansions. Specifically I think that the Trillium line's link to the airport would be a great opportunity as there is a reduced amount of air traffic now.

I wanted to get into Edmonton and Calgary as I know that they have an extensive list of projects ready to go themselves but I am running out of time today .

Anyways the idea behind funding the transit projects that are ready to go is that they would create jobs right away and they would also spur the development of TOD creating more jobs.

I almost want to create an Amazon wish list for our government .

[J.OT13]

The Trillium Line to the airport is already well underway. Many of the piers to support the elevated rail have already been built. Schedule has it completed by 2023.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by goodgrowth

I have a more sinister political view. Big infrastructure projects don't pass the "gender analysis" test this government likes to use..

This is a fundamental misunderstanding of GBA+. It does not determine project approval at all. Who told you this piece of fake news?

[Hackslack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

What good would that do? You've made up your mind despite the complete absence of understanding of government "gender analysis" and without regard that said analysis has never prevented any project from proceeding.

Maybe it's just a good opportunity to help educate others. If it doesn't resonate with him/her it may for others.