The framing of infrastructure as philosophy rather than just logistics is spot on. The microgrids reference in the energy toolkit caught my attention becuase that's exactly the kind of decentralized resilience that makes sense for Canada's geography. I've seen how centralized grids create single points of failure, especially in remote communities. The hundred small projects idea is more politically difficult than one big ribbon-cutting, but it actually matches how robust systems get built. Durability over spectacle is the right metric.
Thank you — that’s a generous and very perceptive reading. The microgrids point is exactly about matching systems to geography, not forcing everything into a centralized model that looks tidy on paper but fails in practice. The “hundred small projects” idea is harder politically, as you say, but it’s how resilience actually gets built — through redundancy, local knowledge, and durability over spectacle. I really appreciate you calling that out.
Your piece makes a strong case for shifting back to deliberate, resilient infrastructure as nation-building. It's a fair point, especially with aging assets and new needs like Arctic ports. The federal side is moving on this, though. The Parliamentary Budget Officer's September update estimates $159 billion in infrastructure spending from 2025-26 to 2029-30. That's significant, but execution often lags due to coordination hurdles you mentioned. The real question is whether it prioritizes those enduring, place-specific projects over short-term wins.
Thanks — that’s a fair and important distinction. I agree the topline numbers are significant, and the PBO estimate helps ground the conversation. Where my concern sits is less with intent than with follow-through: how that spending is sequenced, coordinated, and ultimately felt on the ground.
As you note, execution is where Canada has often stumbled — particularly when projects cross jurisdictions or require long-term stewardship rather than quick wins. The test won’t be whether money is allocated, but whether it consistently favours durable, place-specific capacity (ports, housing, logistics, connectivity) over projects that look good on paper but don’t compound over time.
In that sense, I see this as a moment of opportunity as much as critique. The question now is whether we use it to rebuild coherence — or repeat the pattern of spending without sustained nation-building.
Great article! Your framing of the current and future focus is absolutely required. And, it's all possible. There are also - as referenced - some small hurdles in the way, but most are simply attitudinal. If CDNs can think past the end of their driveway, they can/will and have come together to build the future. We're at that juncture where much is changing more quickly than a season and time is of the essence.
I'm new to your Substack and have a number of chapters to catch-up on. Thanks for this work!
Thank you, Kathleen — that line about thinking beyond the end of the driveway really stayed with me. It captures so well what this moment asks of us: a wider horizon and a longer sense of responsibility.
And welcome — I’m glad you’ve found the series. As a paid subscriber, you also have access to the full A Quiet Reckoning collection on the Subscriber Resources page, available in both PDF and epub if that’s easier for catching up or reading offline. No rush at all — just there when useful. https://lenispooner.substack.com/p/subscriber-resources
The framing of infrastructure as philosophy rather than just logistics is spot on. The microgrids reference in the energy toolkit caught my attention becuase that's exactly the kind of decentralized resilience that makes sense for Canada's geography. I've seen how centralized grids create single points of failure, especially in remote communities. The hundred small projects idea is more politically difficult than one big ribbon-cutting, but it actually matches how robust systems get built. Durability over spectacle is the right metric.
Thank you — that’s a generous and very perceptive reading. The microgrids point is exactly about matching systems to geography, not forcing everything into a centralized model that looks tidy on paper but fails in practice. The “hundred small projects” idea is harder politically, as you say, but it’s how resilience actually gets built — through redundancy, local knowledge, and durability over spectacle. I really appreciate you calling that out.
Your piece makes a strong case for shifting back to deliberate, resilient infrastructure as nation-building. It's a fair point, especially with aging assets and new needs like Arctic ports. The federal side is moving on this, though. The Parliamentary Budget Officer's September update estimates $159 billion in infrastructure spending from 2025-26 to 2029-30. That's significant, but execution often lags due to coordination hurdles you mentioned. The real question is whether it prioritizes those enduring, place-specific projects over short-term wins.
Thanks — that’s a fair and important distinction. I agree the topline numbers are significant, and the PBO estimate helps ground the conversation. Where my concern sits is less with intent than with follow-through: how that spending is sequenced, coordinated, and ultimately felt on the ground.
As you note, execution is where Canada has often stumbled — particularly when projects cross jurisdictions or require long-term stewardship rather than quick wins. The test won’t be whether money is allocated, but whether it consistently favours durable, place-specific capacity (ports, housing, logistics, connectivity) over projects that look good on paper but don’t compound over time.
In that sense, I see this as a moment of opportunity as much as critique. The question now is whether we use it to rebuild coherence — or repeat the pattern of spending without sustained nation-building.
Great article! Your framing of the current and future focus is absolutely required. And, it's all possible. There are also - as referenced - some small hurdles in the way, but most are simply attitudinal. If CDNs can think past the end of their driveway, they can/will and have come together to build the future. We're at that juncture where much is changing more quickly than a season and time is of the essence.
I'm new to your Substack and have a number of chapters to catch-up on. Thanks for this work!
Thank you, Kathleen — that line about thinking beyond the end of the driveway really stayed with me. It captures so well what this moment asks of us: a wider horizon and a longer sense of responsibility.
And welcome — I’m glad you’ve found the series. As a paid subscriber, you also have access to the full A Quiet Reckoning collection on the Subscriber Resources page, available in both PDF and epub if that’s easier for catching up or reading offline. No rush at all — just there when useful. https://lenispooner.substack.com/p/subscriber-resources