Minto updates procurement policy to reflect Buy Ontario rules

MINTO – Council here is updating its procurement policy to reflect provincial requirements to prioritize Ontario and Canadian goods and services in certain purchases.

Council approved the change during a Sept. 8 meeting, directing the clerk to amend schedules related to the town’s procurement bylaw to include references to the Buy Ontario Act.

According to a staff report, the town last updated its procurement policy in September 2024. Since then, the Buy Ontario Act (Public Sector Procurement), 2025 received Royal Assent on Dec. 13, 2025, followed by a provincial directive that took effect for municipalities this spring.

Treasurer Gordon Duff told council the legislation requires municipalities to prioritize Ontario and Canadian organizations in procurement.

“I don’t see this as a radical change because we tend to do that anyway,” Duff said. “A lot of things we buy are heavy materials, with a significant transportation cost. So we tend to buy locally, or at least provincially.”

The provincial directive requires municipalities to prioritize procurement of goods and services from Ontario and Canadian organizations and businesses, while restricting procurement from U.S. businesses in specified categories, the report notes.

The directive also contains special provisions for purchases of light-duty passenger fleet vehicles and capital infrastructure projects.

Duff said the new rules do not mean the municipality is prohibited from purchasing products from outside Canada in all circumstances.

“It doesn’t mean we can never go outside Canada … as long as you have a business case for going outside,” he said.

It notes in the report that suppliers outside Canada may be used in limited circumstances and outlines provisions for exemptions on a case-by-case basis.

One criterion is a market assessment demonstrating that following the directive would increase the estimated cost of a procurement by 25 per cent or more and that there is no reasonable alternative available that would reduce the cost impact while meeting the municipality’s business objectives.

Staff reported there are no quantifiable additional costs associated with amending Minto’s procurement policy.

Duff said he has seen references to the Buy Ontario Act appearing in grant application guidelines, which was one reason to formally incorporate the legislation into the town’s policy.

“I think it would be a good move for the Town of Minto to explicitly put it in,” he explained, adding other municipalities have also been modifying their procurement bylaws to reference the legislation.

Duff and the clerk will work on the wording required to incorporate the references into Minto’s policy.

“It’s a relatively minor change,” Duff said. “But I think it’s important.”

Council received the report and approved the recommendation without further questions or discussion. The motion directs the clerk to amend schedules related to Bylaw 2024-049 to include references to the Buy Ontario Act.