Doug Ford’s government is warning Ontario cities that they risk losing provincial funding if they do not comply with new Buy Ontario rules designed to give preference to domestic goods and services. In a letter dated September 15, Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, urged municipalities to prioritize local procurement in supply chains and upcoming purchases. However, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, representing 444 municipalities, noted that while most municipal spending already supports Canadian businesses, new Buy Ontario rules are adding complexity and costs for cities trying to balance domestic preferences with value for money and project timelines.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Premier Doug Ford’s government is threatening to cut off funding to municipalities that don’t comply with new Buy Ontario rules, but cities say they are already choosing local products amid the trade war with the United States.
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they → threaten → States
Meanwhile, Ontario’s Official Opposition accused Mr. Ford of ignoring his own procurement policies, and the group representing Ontario’s 444 municipalities said some of the new provincial directives come with added costs and complexities.
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some → accuse → costs
In a letter to municipal leaders released Wednesday, Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Rob Flack, urged local leaders to closely review supply chains and coming purchases to “identify every opportunity to increase domestic procurement.”
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Minister → release → procurement
The province last year passed a law requiring the public sector give preference to goods and services provided by companies based in Ontario or elsewhere in Canada, and added municipal requirements in April this year.
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sector → pass → April
That directive applies to purchases such as fleet vehicles, as well as capital infrastructure project procurements.
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directive → apply → vehicles
“Failure to comply with Buy Ontario requirements will force us to reconsider provincial funding made available to municipalities,” wrote Mr. Flack in the letter dated Sept. 15.
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Flack → comply → letter
Asked Wednesday about the letter, Mr. Ford said he is reinforcing his expectation that municipalities prioritize domestic companies.
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municipalities → ask → companies
“It’s just reminding them that, buy Ontario first, buy anywhere else in Canada if you can’t buy it in Ontario.
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you → remind → Ontario
And it’s a shame that I even to have to put that out after you know saying it about 10 million times and you know – get with the program, buy Canadian,” Mr. Ford said at a press conference Wednesday at the opening of a new biomanufacturing facility in Toronto.
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Ford → ’ → Toronto
Riley Brockington, president of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, said this is a period of “significant uncertainty” for the provincial economy.
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this → say → economy
He said even before the new rules were in place, more than 98 per cent of municipal procurement for non-construction goods and services was from businesses with Canadian addresses.
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cent → say → addresses
The association said some of the new Buy Ontario rules are challenging for municipalities – including verifying domestic content and supply chains, and balancing domestic procurement requirements with value for money and project timelines.
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some → say → money
“Municipalities now have several months of experience with the new requirements, and we are hearing from municipalities and industry that some of the rules are adding time, cost and complexity to procurement,” Mr. Brockington said in a statement.
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Brockington → have → statement
“Working together to make the system clear, practical and workable will be critical to achieving our shared goal of strengthening Ontario’s economy.”
The effect of U.S. tariffs on municipalities has begun to dominate discussions at the local level, as cities are starting to look into how the trade war could blow holes in their budgets.
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war → work → budgets
Many have already instituted their own buy local pledges, including Toronto Mayor Oliva Chow, who is running for re-election.
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who → institute → election
Ms. Chow, appearing at the press conference Wednesday with Mr. Ford, said she is already prioritizing local purchases, noting all three levels of government came together earlier this year to announce new subway cars will be built in Thunder Bay.
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cars → appear → Bay
“At this very uncertain, stressful time, in the global turbulence, disruptive trade conversation that’s happening, the Team Canada approach, working together united, we are stronger and we’re proving it right now,” she said.
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she → happen → it
Mr. Ford also talked up his working relationship with Ms. Chow, signalling support for the incumbent mayor he once predicted would be an “unmitigated disaster” for the city.
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he → talk → city
“I just want to say the mayor and I have a phenomenal relationship,” he said.
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he → want → relationship
“We’re going to continue supporting the mayor.
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We → go → mayor
She’s doing an incredible job.
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She → do → job
Tariffs have already emerged as a key issue in the Mississauga mayor’s race, where incumbent Mayor Carolyn Parrish is taking on Bonnie Crombie, who previously held the city’s top job for three terms.
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who → emerge → terms
Ms. Crombie said Wednesday it shouldn’t take a letter from the province to spur the city to act.
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it → say → city
“Mississauga should not need a warning from Queen’s Park to use its purchasing power to support Ontario workers.
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Mississauga → need → workers
Yet Mayor Parrish has failed to put forward a tariff response plan while local businesses face real uncertainty,” she said in a statement.
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she → fail → statement
Ms. Parrish, meanwhile, defended her response and said the city has had a local procurement policy in place since U.S. tariffs were first imposed, with exceptions for items that are part of the United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement and not affected by tariffs.
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that → defend → tariffs
“We adhere to this strategy to the best of our abilities.
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We → adhere → abilities
When the provincial government encourages municipalities to support local businesses, we agree 100 per cent.
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we → encourage → businesses
This is a fundamental approach that helps us to continue building Canada and Mississauga strong,” she said in a statement.
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she → help → statement
Ontario’s Official Opposition NDP, however, accused the provincial government of trying to distract from its own failures to prioritize local companies.
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NDP → accuse → companies
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said the Premier has given American companies – such as Staples, which now runs the provincial school supplies portal – priority over Canadian ones.
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which → say → ones
“It’s a bit rich for this Premier to be lecturing municipalities when he should be cleaning up his own house first,” she said in an interview, adding that Mr. Ford should recall the legislature – which isn’t set to resume until Oct. 27 – to fix the procurement rules.
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which → ’ → rules
The provincial government refuted Ms. Stiles’ criticisms and accused her of playing political games.
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government → refute → games
Giulia Paikin, a spokesperson for Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Stephen Crawford, said Staples employs 11,000 people in more than 300 stores in Canada and was chosen through a competitive procurement.
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Staples → say → procurement
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