Everything you need to know about Toronto’s ‘Buy Local, Buy Canadian’ campaign
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Everything you need to know about Toronto’s 'Buy Local, Buy Canadian' campaign
On Feb. 5, Toronto City Council discussed motions to respond to Trump’s tariff threats.
The City of Toronto wants to develop clear and recognizable labels to be placed on all Canadian goods.
: Amartya Smaran/The Green Line.
Eugene Slonimerov
A Belarusian-Canadian who specializes in urban and conflict studies and the arts. Cares about abandoned public spaces, community building, mapping memories and solving the housing crisis. Kensington Market is home.
Feb. 6, 2025
These city meeting notes are part of Documenters Canada. Learn more about our program here.
It’s on everyone’s minds this week: How do we shop locally amidst the potential trade war with the United States?
Prices are expected to increase — and Ontarian jobs might be lost — if the announced 25 per cent tariffs on American goods and the tariffs on Canadian exports to the U.S. are resumed.
Understandably, many Torontonians are stressed and upset. While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on people to buy products made within Canada, the City of Toronto also wants to respond to the potential 25-percent tariffs with its own “Buy Local, Buy Canadian” campaign.
During the Feb. 5 Toronto City Council meeting, Coun. Mike Colle, Eglinton-Lawrence ward, proposed a campaign to encourage Toronto residents and businesses to join the City of Toronto's divisions and agencies in purchasing locally made Canadian goods and services in order to protect local jobs.
Coun. Stephen Holyday, Etobicoke Centre ward, asked Pat Tobin, the general manager of Economic Development and Culture for the City of Toronto, how American tariffs would impact Toronto’s jobs. Tobin stated that the Ontario government forecasts around half a million jobs to be lost in the province — with many in Toronto being affected since the city represents 53 per cent of Ontario’s economy. City staff will provide a more detailed analysis in the future.
Many city councillors joined in on the chorus of support for protecting local jobs and building up economic autonomy in the midst of rising economic nationalism. All the city councillors affirmed that Toronto opposes any proposal for Canada to join the U.S.
Coun. Anthony Perruzza, Humber River-Black Creek ward, asked how much of the city’s service procurement is sourced from the U.S. Paul Johnson, the City Manager, estimated that it's less than 10 per cent. Mayor Olivia Chow stated that the City of Toronto will work on putting Canadian industry first when it comes to procurement, and that all three levels of government should unite as Team Canada.
Coun. Alejandra Bravo, Davenport ward, noted that compliance with existing trade agreements, perfect or not, provides structure in the chaos of today’s economic realities. This means that even in efforts to turn away from U.S. procurement, we should still respect free trade agreements like the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a deal in effect with the EU since 2014.
What were the results of the discussions?
Toronto’s City Council successfully voted to request the Federal Government to develop a standard recognizable label to be placed on all Canadian goods in clear, readable fonts that shows percentages of Canadian content and any foreign content.
The City Council also approved a motion to direct the chief financial officer, treasurer and the city manager to accelerate the development of local procurement approaches to strengthen local businesses and protect local jobs.
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