Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) have gained popularity in various parts of the world, including Canada. These agreements are designed to ensure that large infrastructure projects do not just benefit contractors, but the communities they are built in as well.
A CBA is a legally binding agreement between the contractor who is awarded a project and the community where the project will take place. The agreement outlines the benefits local residents and businesses will receive from the project, such as jobs, training opportunities, apprenticeships, and other economic benefits, as well as the duration of these benefits.
Canada has seen an increase in the use of CBAs, especially in Ontario, where local governments have used them to ensure that large infrastructure projects benefit the community as a whole. For example, the City of Toronto recently announced that they would be using CBAs for the construction of the new SmartTrack transit system.
These agreements are beneficial because they ensure that the communities where projects are taking place are actually benefiting from them. In many cases, large infrastructure projects only benefit the contractors and do not provide any long-term benefits for the community. CBAs help to address this issue by ensuring that the community is involved in the decision-making process and that the benefits of the project are shared among all stakeholders.
CBAs are also beneficial because they help to address the issue of unemployment and underemployment in many communities. By ensuring that local residents are given priority in hiring and training, CBAs can help to create a more skilled and diversified workforce, which in turn can lead to greater economic growth and development in the community.
In conclusion, CBAs are a valuable tool for ensuring that large infrastructure projects benefit the communities where they are built. They help to address issues such as unemployment and underemployment, and ensure that local residents and businesses receive the full economic benefits of these projects. As such, they are becoming increasingly popular in Canada and around the world.
