Globe says SNC's CEO looks for speed on infrastructure
2020-10-13 07:40 ET - In the News
The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that SNC-Lavalin chief executive officer Ian Edwards is calling on federal, provincial and local governments to adopt innovative approaches to technology and decision-making. The Globe's Andrew Willis writes that this tactic allowed SNC to get Montreal's 3.4-kilometre Champlain Bridge built in four years instead of the original seven years. "The point we want to make is there is a better way to deliver infrastructure," Mr. Edwards said. To kick-start the economy, he says that politicians should prioritize easily achievable projects such as electrifying rail lines or renovating public buildings to improve their environmental performance, adding that these shovel-ready undertakings tick a number of boxes for government -- they get people to work quickly and they anchor a greener economy. "We see government intent to build infrastructure as a form of stimulus everywhere we operate, in Canada, the U.S. and U.K.," Mr. Edwards said. He said he heard some brave talk from politicians during the financial downturn of 2007-09, but "a lot of infrastructure investments were not even approved until after the crisis was over, missing a valuable window of opportunity."