Greater Sudbury to award contracts to firms with a 90 per cent Canadian workforce

Greater Sudbury will be updating its purchasing bylaws to ensure companies that provide goods and services to the city have an office or facility in Canada, and that at least 90 per cent of their workforce is Canadian or non-U.S. based.

The motion was championed by mayor Paul Lefebvre and adopted unanimously by city council Tuesday night during a committee meeting.

The change comes as two U.S.-based companies bid to become the operators for the city's new $200 million arena being planned for the downtown.

"That's coming into play," said Lefebvre. "We have to make sure that whoever bids, anything that we do, is Canada first." 

He says this is part of Greater Sudbury's efforts to protect its local economy in the face of a Canada-U.S. tariff war. 

The two finalists hoping to manage Sudbury's future event centre will now be notified of the city's updated bylaws. 

If they can't meet the requirements, council will consider its options. 

"We all feel very emotional about this," said Lefebvre. "It starts with our procurement policies. We're going to explore this opportunity. If they fit, great. If not, come back to us." 

Lefebvre is not concerned the new requirements could cause delays in securing a company to manage the venue, as the downtown event centre is not set to open until 2028.

"We have one chance to do this right, that's why we want the expertise up front… but if they don't fit, we will try to get that expertise in other ways." 

This latest motion out of Sudbury city council is part of a wider trend of municipalities changing their policies in the wake of the U.S.-Canada trade war. 

Cities and towns across northeastern Ontario are grappling with their procurement contracts as many make efforts to cut out American products and services to support Canada's broader defiance of current and proposed tariffs.