The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that infrastructure plays a crucial role in the global economy. The Globe's Jamie Sturgeon writes that it encompasses assets that are critical to transport people, data, energy or commodities. According to Jeffrey Johnstone, an analyst with Johnstone Wealth Management Group at National Bank Financial, high-priority assets are always given capital expenditure, regardless of whether the economy is thriving or experiencing a downturn. He adds, "So, at a very high-level investment thesis, it's an essential part of an overall portfolio." Investors, such as the biggest pension funds and asset managers, have traditionally sought out toll roads, airports, railways, commercial shipping and electrical systems as a means of safeguarding their investments against inflation, diversifying their holdings, and generating predictable cash flows. However, in the last 15 years, infrastructure investment has shifted from being primarily a restricted market for government and institutional capital to one that is now open to investors of all sizes. Infrastructure has matured since 2008 into a stable and more accessible asset class with a market capitalization of more than $1-trillion (U.S.).