At the request of the Canadian Auto Workers Union, over a dozen Ontario municipalities have adopted “Buy Canadian” policies for all municipal projects, including construction.
Clive Thurston, president of the Ontario General Contractors Association, said it would be virtually impossible for contractors to comply. The materials used for construction come from all over the world, and sourcing them would create a logistical nightmare, he said.
“It’s great to be patriotic, it’s great to want to buy locally, but we cannot ignore the fact that we live in a global economy,” said Thurston.
The details of these policies have also not been clearly defined, as to what the minimum percentage needs to be of domestic origin, he said.
