Building trades officials and employees embezzled millions of dollars in recent years, raiding the bank accounts of their locals to pay for trips to Las Vegas, lavish jewelry, luxury cars, home renovations and even a new puppy, U.S. Labor Dept. records show.

Even as Canada’s government boosted national infrastructure spending by 11% from 2015 to 2017 and launched the Canada Infrastructure Bank to attract and funnel private-sector project dollars, private investment declined 18% in the same period, says a report by a think tank at Ontario’s Western University.

Unions counter the move is a safety risk