Title
BUY CANADIAN
That in accordance with Section 284.10 (1) of the Municipal Act, I Mayor Nuttall introduced the following motion to Council:
Whereas if Ontario were a standalone country, it would be the United States's (U.S) third-largest trading partner with a near-perfect balance in two-way trade totalling $493 billion (CAD) in 2023, employing millions of workers on both sides of the border;
And Whereas the City of Barrie is a member of the Ontario Big City Mayor’s Caucus who work collaboratively at the provincial and federal levels to promote awareness, advocacy and strategic policy initiatives to further strengthen the Canadian economy through advancements and investments in the including but not limited to the automotive sector;
And Whereas Premier Doug Ford has outlined the Province of Ontario’s forthcoming Fortress Am-Can Plan, which focuses on strengthening trade between Ontario and the U.S. on key issues including national security, integrated and safe electricity grids, building out critical mineral supply chains and advanced manufacturing supply chains while bringing good jobs back home for workers on both sides of the border;
And Whereas the Federal Government has established the Canada-U.S. Relations Council to support the Federal Government as it deals with possible U.S tariffs that includes representatives from the auto sector, unions, various industries and agriculture;
And Whereas trade between Ontario and the U.S. is very important to our residents and local economies and requires all levels of government to work together in the best interest of those residents;
And Whereas according to data from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, municipalities in Ontario are expected to spend $250 - $290 billion on infrastructure in the next 10 years;
And Whereas municipalities have traditionally been prevented by trade agreements from giving preference to Buy Canadian; and
Therefore, Be It Resolved That the City of Barrie call on the Prime Minister, Federal Ministers and the Federal Government’s newly established Canada-U.S. Relations Council to take any and all measures to protect the interests of the Province of Ontario in any upcoming trade negotiations; and
That the City of Barrie offers its support and assistance, including formal delegations by the Mayor, CAO and/or their designates to the Federal and Provincial Governments to strike a trade deal with the U.S that will benefit all involved when it comes to strengthening our economy and keeping Ontario jobs intact; and
That The City of Barrie calls upon the Federal and Provincial Governments to remove any impediments to municipalities discounting American companies for capital projects and supplies.