Michael Lewis
Special to Ontario Construction News
Toronto city council has unanimously approved a motion directing staff to craft a buy local, buy Canadian campaign in the face of tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The approval also applied to a motion moved by Coun. Stephen Holyday that asserts Canada’s independence amid the president’s repeated suggestion that the nation should become the 51st U.S. state.
At its meeting Wednesday council endorsed the motion from Eglinton-Lawrence Coun. Mike Colle asking the city manager to develop a comprehensive outreach to Toronto residents and businesses encouraging them to buy local goods and services to support the city’s economy and protect jobs.
An amendment to the motion also requests that Ottawa attach a label to identify products as made in Canada.
The second motion, also unanimously adopted, calls on council to affirm Canada’s sovereignty after multiple statements from Trump suggesting he’d use “economic force” to compel Canada to join the U.S.
“As troubling and absurd as these messages are to Canadians, the comments could be used to distract from serious international relations discussions,” Etobicoke Centre Coun. Holyday said in his motion.
He said council needs to affirm Canada’s sovereignty to help quash the theory promoted by Trump that a significant number of Canadians aspire to be American.
City manager Paul Johnson told councillors that U.S. materials, goods and service contracts represent less than 10 per cent of total procurements in Toronto’s $78 billion budget.
He added that an across-the board ban on buying from U.S. suppliers would not serve the city’s interests. “There’s a lot of complexity,” Johnson said.
In supporting both motions, Mayor Olivia chow reiterated that the city would review its procurement practices and its contracts with U.S suppliers.
That’s despite Trump’s agreement Tuesday to allow a 30 day pause on imposition of his planned 25 per cent levy on Canadian and Mexican exports to the U.S.
“Yes, we are grateful for a one-month reprieve,” Mayor Chow said. “But you never know.” She added that the city is considering a series of initiatives to support local procurement to counter Trump’s “economic attack.”
The tariff delay came after Prime Minister Trudeau said Ottawa would add spending on top of the $1.3 billion it had already committed to bolster Canada-U.S. border security.
