Why stronger partnerships between municipalities and construction professionals are essential to delivering BC’s growing infrastructure needs.
With municipal elections approaching across British Columbia on October 17, infrastructure investment, housing development and economic growth are once again central to the conversation. For companies working in civil construction and utility infrastructure, these discussions raise an important question: are municipalities doing enough to engage the people responsible for turning infrastructure plans into completed projects?
The Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) recently called on municipal candidates across the Lower Mainland to establish Construction Advisory Committees, creating a regular forum for municipal representatives and construction professionals to identify challenges, improve processes and advance practical solutions. It’s a recommendation that deserves serious consideration.
Bringing Construction Expertise into the Conversation
Berto Contractors specializes in building, upgrading and relocating the infrastructure that communities depend on every day. From electrical utility installations and telecommunications networks to joint utility projects and civil construction, the company understands the coordination required to deliver work safely and efficiently, particularly in established urban environments.
Many of the challenges encountered during construction originate well before crews arrive on site.
Permitting requirements, approval timelines, procurement practices and coordination between municipal departments can all influence how a project progresses. When decisions are made without sufficient consideration for construction sequencing, existing utility infrastructure or site conditions, even relatively straightforward work can become considerably more complicated.
For contractors, uncertainty makes it difficult to schedule crews, secure specialized equipment and coordinate activities involving multiple utilities and project partners. Delays in one area can affect an entire construction schedule, increasing costs and placing additional pressure on available resources.
These consequences extend beyond the construction industry. Municipalities ultimately bear the cost of inefficient processes, while businesses, residents and communities wait longer for essential infrastructure improvements.
“The people delivering infrastructure projects have a clear understanding of where challenges arise and how they can be avoided. Bringing that experience into the planning process earlier can make a meaningful difference to project schedules, costs and ultimately the communities we’re building for,” says Sonia, President of Berto Contractors.
Contractors bring practical knowledge that can help identify potential problems earlier, improve project coordination and support more realistic schedules and budgets. Incorporating that expertise into municipal planning can contribute to better outcomes for everyone involved.
Planning for the Infrastructure Our Communities Need
Across the Lower Mainland, continued development is increasing demand for reliable electrical distribution, telecommunications networks, underground utilities and civil infrastructure. Supporting this growth requires careful consideration of how new infrastructure will connect with existing systems, particularly in densely developed neighbourhoods.
Electrical distribution, telecommunications, water, sewer and transportation infrastructure frequently occupy the same limited underground space. Upgrading or relocating one system can affect several others, requiring coordination between utility owners, engineers, municipalities and construction teams.
Berto’s experience delivering joint utility work has reinforced the importance of understanding these interdependencies before construction begins. A utility relocation, for example, may require multiple approvals, carefully sequenced activities and coordination with other contractors working within the same project area.
When these requirements are identified early, teams are better positioned to anticipate conflicts, establish clear responsibilities and develop practical construction schedules. When they are overlooked, the resulting changes can create unnecessary delays, additional costs and disruption to surrounding communities.
The construction industry has valuable expertise to contribute during these early stages. Bringing contractors into the conversation before plans are finalized can help municipalities better understand the implications of their decisions and identify opportunities to improve delivery.
This is particularly relevant as British Columbia continues to invest in major infrastructure projects and municipalities work to accommodate growth within increasingly complex urban environments.
Moving from Commitments to Construction
The upcoming municipal elections present an opportunity to establish a more productive relationship between local governments and the construction industry.
The VRCA’s broader Build Lower Mainland campaign identifies three priorities: the cost to build, the time to build and the people needed to build. These challenges are closely connected, and addressing them requires more than additional funding or new policy commitments.
Construction Advisory Committees could provide an effective mechanism for bringing municipal decision-makers and industry professionals together. However, their value will depend on whether they lead to practical improvements in how projects are planned, approved and delivered.
Three priorities deserve particular attention: greater predictability in permitting and approvals, earlier coordination between municipalities and utility providers and clearer accountability for project scheduling and execution.
There is also an opportunity to improve how municipalities approach infrastructure work involving multiple utilities. Better alignment between departments, utility owners and construction teams can reduce duplicated effort, minimize unnecessary disruption and help ensure that projects move forward in a coordinated manner.
These improvements require a willingness to engage with contractors as experienced project partners whose knowledge can inform decisions well before construction begins. The objective should be to make infrastructure delivery more efficient, without introducing another layer of consultation or administration.
Turning Industry Experience into Better Outcomes
The construction industry has a responsibility to contribute to these discussions. Municipalities cannot be expected to fully understand the operational challenges of infrastructure delivery without opportunities to hear directly from those doing the work.
Equally, municipal leaders have an opportunity to recognize the value of that expertise and establish more consistent channels for industry engagement.
“We see firsthand how important coordination is when multiple utilities, contractors and public agencies are involved. The same principles that make a construction project successful should guide how municipalities approach infrastructure planning. Clear communication, accountability and collaboration need to start well before anyone arrives on site,” says Sonia.
British Columbia has no shortage of infrastructure priorities or construction expertise. The opportunity now is to bring those resources together more effectively, creating an environment where important projects can move forward with greater certainty, efficiency and accountability. That’s a goal worth working toward, regardless of who takes office on October 17th.
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