As Canada navigates tariffs, an ongoing trade war, affordability pressures and a changing labour market, the federal government is right to support businesses, workers and strategic sectors. Investments in defence, infrastructure, energy and major projects are reassuring; they show Canadians that we are not standing still.

But there is more to national resilience than energy projects, trade corridors and industrial capacity. While multi-billion-dollar investments in industry are crucial, Canada's charitable and not-for-profit sector cannot be forgotten.

Too often this sector is seen as an afterthought, lucky to receive whatever funding is left after the "serious" economic decisions are made.

But charities and not-for-profits are employers and providers of vital services. They provide food, shelter, mentorship, services, recreation, care, connection, and belonging.

In short, charities and non-profits are infrastructure.

They are the social infrastructure that holds communities together, especially when economic pressure rises. They are where volunteers, local leaders, donors, and community organizations turn concern into impact. They are where people of different ages, backgrounds, and regions work side by side for something larger than themselves.

That matters profoundly right now.

As economic anxiety ramps up, people need more than programs and policy. They need connection, opportunities to contribute, and to feel that they belong in their community and in the country.

Charities and not-for-profits make that possible every day, and at Trans Canada Trail we see it in action.

Across the country, local trail groups, volunteers, municipalities, Indigenous communities, conservation authorities and charities help maintain and improve spaces that connect people to nature, each other and their communities. Trails support wellbeing, environmental stewardship, active living, tourism, and local economies. But all that requires investment. 

A new study titled “The Cost of Doing Nothing” shows just how strong the return on that investment can be, and how much is riding on keeping it that way. 

Every dollar spent on timely maintenance can save five dollars or more in future rehabilitation costs. That kind of return matters most along the nearly 11,000 kilometres of land-based trail running through the rural communities, small towns and wilderness regions that depend most on outside support, and where steady investment keeps the trail in good shape for decades to come. 

The study projects that without sustained financial support by 2045, the Trail stands to lose $2 billion a year in tourism spending, roughly 1,000 jobs concentrated in smaller and rural communities, and $1.14 billion in annual value delivered to the Canadians who use these trails for free.

The same research links trail use to measurable public health benefits. Safe, accessible trails make every day physical activity possible, improving the health of Canadians. 

Across the nonprofit sector, investment protects value, neglect compounds costs. That is as true of a hiking trail as it is of a food bank, a shelter or a mentorship program: the institutions Canadians quietly count on. 

Canada is not held together only by policies, markets or infrastructure corridors. It is held together by the belief that whether you live in a large city, a rural community, the North, a coastal town or an inland region, you are part of something bigger.

Charities and not-for-profits help strengthen social cohesion. They understand local needs. They create practical ways for Canadians to help one another.

Relatively modest funding can unlock volunteer hours, community partnerships, local economic activity, better wellbeing and stronger civic participation. It can help people find purpose at the very moment they might otherwise feel left behind.

Of course, Canada needs competitive businesses, strong supply chains, reliable energy, modern infrastructure and good jobs. But we don't need to choose between economic resilience and social resilience. A country that invests in both gives people the confidence not only that the economy can adapt, but that communities will not be left to face uncertainty alone.

Charitable work is quiet work. Often underfunded and sometimes overlooked. But as the Trail shows, it is work with a measurable, compounding return: invest in what Canadians have already built together, and it keeps paying communities back for generations. That is nation-building work all the same, and it deserves to be treated like it.

 Mathieu Roy is chief executive officer of Trans Canada Trail. He is a professional engineer with the Order of Engineers of Quebec and former entrepreneur in the environmental sector.