Eganville – The Buy Ontario Act may be a good idea in principle, but the implementation and practicality make it a challenge for small municipalities.
“One of the biggest problems now is voting equipment if you can believe that” said Bonnechere Valley (BV) CAO Annette Gilchrist last Tuesday in her presentation to council. “All 444 municipalities are running an election.”
The Buy Ontario Act (Bill 72) prioritizes local businesses and workers by mandating public sector entities prioritize Ontario made goods and services or Canadian ones in procurement. The challenge is not everything is made in Ontario or even in Canada, she explained.
She said the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) is asking the province to move the timeline to 2027 to give municipalities time to adjust their procurement procedures, as well as provide flexibility and exemptions. For a municipality like BV, it is challenging because some things, like the voting equipment, is not manufactured in Ontario or Canada. Other things, it is challenging to determine where they are manufactured, she said.
“We are small, so please help if this is what you are going to have us do,” she said.
Bonnechere Valley Mayor Jennifer Murphy, who also serves as the warden of Renfrew County, said this issue is a challenge for not only BV but all municipalities in the county, as was reflected by recent discussion at the county.
“This was not well thought out,” she said. “The idea behind it was excellent.”
The mayor said the idea of buying as much as possible from Ontario or Canadian sources makes sense, but there are some impracticalities.
“What makes a pick-up truck Canadian or made in Ontario?” she said.
The mayor pointed out when the issue was discussed at the county each county councillor drew from their own area of expertise and hers is in the automotive world.
“On your car, I guarantee you have parts from all over the world,” she added.
Figuring out what part of a vehicle is made in Ontario or Canada, or what part of something else is made in Ontario or Canada is challenging, she repeated.
“It is onerous on staff,” she said.
Prioritizing Ontario businesses makes sense but there has to be more flexibility in the bill because it is impossible in many cases, she said.
“This act, I don’t see how it is going to work for procurement of anything,” she said.
Using the example of road salt, she said there has been a shortage in the province this year.
“What if we had to go to one of those salt distributors in the States?” she asked.
Ms. Gilchrist said it is challenging for staff in making purchasing recommendations.
“We don’t have the resources to make this happen,” she said.
Right now, the bill would be especially challenging for small northern and rural municipalities where options and resources may be more limited, she added. Having more information would help municipalities, she said.
“Can we please have some exemptions,” she said.
Trying to implement this act would require a lot more work on the part of staff and would make decisions take more time, Mayor Murphy said.
“You need three months leeway,” she said.
Ms. Gilchrist said having the Buy Ontario Act as it stands now would be a challenge.
“As hard as it is to implement, it is just as hard to enforce,” she said.
