Buy Local campaign gains traction in municipalities across Dufferin County

March 20, 2025 · 0 Comments

Written By JAMES MATTHEWS

Orangeville council has added its collective voice to the effort to promote Canadian suppliers over companies south of the border.

Mayor Lisa Post introduced a notice of motion in February that she was to ask council to support Canadian businesses and the strengthening of the local, provincial, and national economy.

“Recent tariff actions imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump may have significant economic impacts on Canadian industries, businesses, and supply chains,” she said in her motion.

“Municipalities have a role to play in supporting economic resilience by prioritizing procurement practices that favour Canadian companies and products wherever possible.”

She called on municipal staff to review the town’s procurement policies and procedures to ensure priority is given to Canadian companies and products.

Dufferin County made a similar move at the upper-tier level.

Councillor Wade Mills, who is Shelburne’s mayor, asked that the county support his town’s effort to make it easier for municipalities to shun American businesses.

“The threat of tariffs imposed by the United States on Canadian goods remains open and unsettled,” according to the council resolution. “Federal and provincial leaders have encouraged Canadians to support Canadian businesses. Municipalities have significant purchasing power but have traditionally been prevented from giving preference to Canadian suppliers.”

The resolution calls upon Ottawa and the crowd at Queen’s Park to remove any barriers to allowing municipalities from preferring Canadian companies for capital projects and other supplies.

A copy of the resolution will be sent to a number of provincial and federal government ministers, boards of trade, and every municipality in Ontario.

“Council also calls upon the federal and provincial governments to take immediate action to remove trade barriers between provinces,” the resolution states.

Dufferin County’s Community Development and Tourism Department is encouraged to develop a framework to support local businesses including a Buy Local campaign that identifies and promotes local products and services.

“Council requests staff to review existing procurement policies and applicable laws to determine if there are existing mechanisms to allow the Town of Shelburne to offer a preference to Canadian companies for capital projects and other supplies,” Mills wrote in the resolution.