Toronto: The Toronto City Council has purchased American-made steel pipes for a major municipal project, despite local policies designed to prioritize Canadian products. The US steel pipes are being utilized under a $17.7 million contract awarded to Gio Crete Construction Ltd for upgrading drinking water pipelines along Queen’s Park Crescent East.
The move comes at a time when government initiatives are actively pushing to promote Canadian goods and safeguard domestic jobs. Ongoing trade and tariff disputes have already led to hundreds of layoffs at leading Canadian steel manufacturers, including Algoma Steel and Stelco.
Toronto city officials clarified that importing the pipes from the United States was necessary because the specific type of piping required was unavailable domestically. They added that the tender process for the contract had been finalized prior to the rollout of the city’s new Tariff Action Plan.
Labour unions, including the United Steelworkers, along with elected representatives, have criticized the decision. They emphasized that taxpayer dollars should remain within the country and called for strengthening domestic supply chains to eliminate reliance on foreign suppliers in future municipal projects.
