Canada must invest in its universities as part of the recent federal call for a “wartime effort” to rebuild the nation’s aging infrastructure, writes Universities Canada President Gabriel Miller. Miller highlights the role that universities play in supporting key parts of community infrastructure—including public transportation and water systems—despite being routinely left out of federal programs designed to support this infrastructure. He emphasizes that efforts to revitalize housing and infrastructure will only succeed if Canada’s universities are at their full strength. The author proposes three steps that the federal government can take to address issues around student housing, campus infrastructure funding, and approvals and administrative barriers. “If we’re serious about a wartime-level response to Canada’s infrastructure crisis, we need to mobilize every asset we have,” writes Miller.
