Question Period Note: Buy Canadian

What is the Government of Canada doing to ensure that its investments in housing and infrastructure are supporting Canadian businesses?

• This government is acting to protect, build, and transform our economy with a comprehensive suite of measures including a new Buy Canadian policy to prioritize domestic suppliers and Canadian materials.

• The policy will be comprehensive – not only direct purchasing but efforts extended to the activities of Crown corporations and the breadth of federal investments.

• Build Canada Homes and the Canada Infrastructure Bank will support this policy by maximizing the impact of every federal dollar, strengthening Canada's economic competitiveness, creating good jobs for Canadian workers, and delivering lasting prosperity for businesses across the country.

• Global supply chain disruptions and shifting markets are redefining how countries grow their economies. In response, the Government of Canada is developing a comprehensive industrial strategy to strengthen domestic capabilities, build Canadian expertise, and help industries pivot to new markets and opportunities.

• Early actions included the One Canadian Economy Act and Interim Policy on Reciprocal procurement. Within the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio, action has included:

  • Emphasizing the importance of maximizing economic benefits for Canadian industries in letters of Approval in Principle for infrastructure projects funded under direct delivery programs. Letters to successful applicants encourage funding recipients to consider prioritizing Canadian materials when undertaking infrastructure investments.
  • Letters have been sent to portfolio organizations to emphasize the importance of applying Buy Canadian approaches.

• A September 5, 2025 announcement by the Prime Minister built on these measures with a suite of complementary initiatives to invest in workers (e.g., new reskilling package, digital job search platform, and alliances to bring together employers, unions, and industry groups) and support businesses (e.g., strategic response fund, liquidity relief, enhanced regional tariff response).

  The announcement also included a comprehensive Buy Canadian policy, for which Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada is collaborating with other federal departments on to develop an implementation approach. This includes the activities of its portfolio Crown corporations: Canada Infrastructure Bank, The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated, Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority and Canada Lands Company Limited.

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