February 4, 2011

‘Business as usual’ for Infrastructure Ontario and Ontario Realty Corporation

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

In the short term, it’s business as usual at Infrastructure Ontario and the Ontario Realty Corp., in advance of an upcoming merger.

In a memo to staff, IO president and CEO David Livingston said the two organizations have worked closely together over the last five years “playing a critical and successful role delivering the largest expansion of infrastructure investment in Ontario’s history.

“In the short term, our two organizations will stay focused on business as usual, ensuring that we continue to provide high-quality services to our stakeholders at Queen’s Park and across the province.”

The province last week announced plans to merge the two government agencies into a single, more efficient organization.

Livingston said legislation governing the new business is expected to be tabled with the next provincial budget. In the interim, IO and ORC are operating as separate legal entities with one CEO and cross-appointed boards of directors. Livingston has been appointed CEO for both agencies.

The merged agency would be responsible for developing, approving and managing provincial infrastructure projects, providing infrastructure-related loans to various public sector clients, managing the province’s real estate services and transactions and overseeing the government’s accommodation needs and maintaining government properties and assets.

One issue that remains up in the air is the fate of the strategic opportunities committee, which was set up to facilitate consultation between ORC and the province’s design and construction industry.

Committee members include Consulting Engineers of Ontario (CEO), the Ontario Association of Architects and the Ontario General Contractors Association.

ORC currently manages one of the largest real estate portfolios in Canada, consisting of about 6,000 buildings and structures.

IO has brought to market 52 infrastructure projects worth more than $21 billion since 2005.

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