Mayor Mark Sutcliffe Tables Municipal Economic Defense Motion to Support Local Exporters Amid Tariff Dispute

OTTAWA, ON — Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe announced a comprehensive municipal economic resilience motion heading to City Council, proposing direct administrative relief for local manufacturing, agriculture, and high-tech exporters impacted by cross-border tariffs.

Municipal Procurement and Fee Waivers

The motion directs the city manager to implement a 'Buy Local First' policy across municipal supply contracts and establishes a temporary deferral of municipal commercial property tax installments for affected industrial warehousing operations. Mayor Sutcliffe noted that national trade tensions directly threaten hundreds of local logistics and tech jobs across eastern Ontario.

Mayor Sutcliffe stated that municipal government must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with local workers and businesses during bilateral trade friction.

Council Debate and Business Community Support

The Ottawa Board of Trade and rural agricultural associations endorsed the municipal support measures, urging other Ontario municipalities to adopt similar procurement safeguards.

City Council will debate and vote on the formal economic motion during the August 26 legislative session.

Policy Implementation

Approved procurement amendments will take effect across municipal departments on September 1, 2026.