This infrastructure category includes the following:
• Cultural, social, community and recreational facilities (government buildings, public housing, public buildings, multi-purpose complexes, indoor and outdoor recreation facilities, and parks and playgrounds); and
• Waste management (landfills, municipal recycling facilities and hazardous waste disposal/storage/ recycling facilities).
The infrastructure stock included in the "cultural, social, community and recreational" category is relatively broad and heterogeneous in the types of facilities it includes. These facilities are generally operated by local governments and need immediate attention, as many facilities are in poor condition and have inadequate capacity. Aging and accumulated deterioration have also strained these facilities considerably. According to the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (2007), the current deficit for sports and recreational facilities alone is $15 billion.24 This estimate covers only the repair, rehabilitation or replacement of the existing facilities, and does not account for new infrastructure needed to address deficient capacity or new needs in a community.
In the 1996 FCM-McGill survey, which included parks and recreational facilities, public buildings and community and social services in this category, the deficit for this category was estimated at $255 per capita, for a total of $7.55 billion.
The current deficit in this area is great and is estimated to be $40.2 billion. Some municipalities have already planned considerable expenditures in this area to deal with the present crisis. In terms of new needs, about $18.1 billion will be required in the near future to address this infrastructure category. This need is prevalent in larger cities and is associated with rapid urban growth. At the same time, many communities with populations of less than 100,000 may need to build new facilities in the near future.
Finally, waste management occupies a smaller share of the total deficit. The deficit for existing infrastructure is estimated at $7.7 billion, with an additional $4.3 billion required to meet new needs.
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24 Canadian Parks and Recreation Association, Letter to Infrastructure Canada (2007).