TorontoThe Ontario government announced plans to introduce legislation Thursday that would require public-sector organizations to prioritize Ontario-made goods and services first, then Canadian suppliers.Act would require public-sector organizations to prioritize in-province goods, services and vendors Rianna Lim · The Canadian Press · Posted: Nov 20, 2025 10:59 AM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Stephen Crawford, Ontario’s minister of public and business service procurement, said the law aims to create jobs and support the province’s local economy. (Laura Proctor/The Canadian Press)The Ontario government announced plans to introduce legislation Thursday that would require public-sector organizations to prioritize Ontario-made goods and services first, then Canadian suppliers.The province said the Buy Ontario Act would apply to all public-sector organizations, including municipalities, ministries, agencies, contractors and subcontractors.Ontario’s minister of public and business service delivery said the proposed legislation is a measure to protect Ontario jobs in the face of economic challenges, including U.S. tariffs.”It’s about using the public sector’s buying power to back businesses and create jobs in our own backyard,” Minister Stephen Crawford said at a news conference in Toronto.Crawford added the measure would help ensure every possible procurement dollar that can be spent in Ontario remains in the province.”Price matters and getting the best value for our money is critical. But today, value means more than just cost,” he said. “It means keeping public-sector dollars in Ontario and across Canada.”If passed, the legislation would set out specific requirements for how public-sector organizations are to prioritize Ontario goods and services in contracts with vendors. It would also have measures to ensure compliance, with penalties and consequences that could include fines, holdbacks and barring vendors from future procurement.The government said in a news release that it’s working to establish vendor lists of Ontario and Canadian suppliers for provincial infrastructure and procurement processes.In cases where Ontario or Canadian goods and services can’t be procured at a reasonable cost or time frame, the policy will still allow procurement from outside the country, it said.The announcement came after all provinces, territories and the federal government signed an agreement Wednesday intended to free up the trade of many goods across the country.The agreement, which will take effect next month, applies to most products outside of food and alcohol, including manufacturing and industrial products, tires and vehicles.
Ford government to introduce ‘Buy Ontario’ legislation
