The City of Burnaby is taking comprehensive action to support Canadian businesses and workers, building on the dollar-for-dollar retaliatory federal and provincial response to punitive trade tariffs imposed on Canada by US President Donald Trump.
“More than 99% of the City of Burnaby’s total spend over the last five years has been with Canadian vendors, totalling almost $3.8 billion, and we’re looking closely at our purchasing to see where we can refine and do even better,” said Mayor Mike Hurley. “Burnaby is proud to join Canadians from coast to supporting their local businesses by buying Canadian products – a strong, unified response to the threats and intimidation tactics being employed by the US President.”
On February 4, City Council directed staff to explore opportunities and actions to “Buy Canadian and Buy Local.” While the majority of current City purchasing is from Canadian vendors, City staff have identified additional actions that include:
- Seeking competitive quotes from Canadian-owned businesses when making purchases;
- Requiring all bidders to provide a list of major suppliers and manufacturers to identify whether these contractors are sourcing materials from the United States;
- Working with other municipalities and provinces to explore further strategies to strengthen local and national procurement; and
- Creating a “Buy Local and Buy Canadian Working Group” within the City to find substitutes for US products and develop a long-term strategy to build economic resilience.
The City is committed to a thoughtful and strategic approach and will provide updates as required.