Buy Canadian: Keeping Jobs, Innovation, and Prosperity at Home

Buy Canadian: Keeping Jobs, Innovation, and Prosperity at Home

By the London Chamber of Commerce

Canada stands at a crossroads in its approach to national infrastructure investment. As VIA Rail prepares to award a $3-billion contract for new train cars—one of the largest transportation procurements in recent years—our country has an opportunity to demonstrate what Buy Canadian truly means.

This contract is about far more than trains. It’s about whether Canadian tax dollars will continue to fuel economic growth and innovation here at home—or be exported abroad.

In 2018, VIA Rail awarded a nearly $1-billion contract to Siemens USA to renew its corridor fleet between Quebec City and Windsor. That contract, awarded without any Canadian content requirement, meant that Canadian taxpayers funded U.S. manufacturing jobs, while our own world-class manufacturers stood on the sidelines. Unfortunately, the current procurement process appears poised to repeat the same mistake.

At a time when Canada faces mounting trade challenges with the United States—including barriers imposed under Buy American policies—our federal government should be leading by example. Canadian manufacturing has the capacity, expertise, and workforce to deliver high-quality, reliable rail cars. The question is not whether we can build them here—it’s whether we will be given the opportunity to do so.

Awarding this contract to a Canadian manufacturer such as Alstom Canada would showcase homegrown talent and ensure that federal investments directly support Canadian workers, communities, and supply chains. It would also strengthen key domestic industries, including steel and aluminum—sectors that remain vital to Canada’s broader economic resilience.

Supporting Canadian suppliers isn’t protectionism—it’s pragmatic economic policy. It ensures that federal spending builds domestic capacity, creates lasting employment, and supports innovation in key industries like clean transportation and advanced manufacturing. It also positions Canada to compete globally by reinforcing our own supply chains.

“Public procurement is one of the most powerful tools government has to strengthen the national economy,” says Kristen Duever, Chief Operating Officer of the London Chamber of Commerce. “When Canadian taxpayers fund major infrastructure projects, those investments should translate into Canadian jobs, Canadian innovation, and long-term Canadian prosperity.”

The federal government’s recently announced Buy Canadian policy was a step in the right direction. Applying it to VIA Rail’s procurement would send a clear signal that Canada values its skilled workforce and its manufacturing future.

Public investment should serve the public good. When Canadian taxpayers fund a $3-billion project, the resulting jobs, innovation, and prosperity should stay in Canada.

The London Chamber of Commerce urges the federal government and VIA Rail to lead by example—Build Canada Strong. Buy Canadian.