Dear Prime Minister Carney:
Thank you for your commitment to protecting Canadian manufacturing and jobs through the Buy Canadian policy announced this past September. We strongly support applying this approach to VIA Rail’s upcoming rail car procurement—an investment of over $3 billion CAD funded by Canadian taxpayers.
This is a critical opportunity for VIA Rail to lead by investing in Canadian innovation, creating local jobs, and strengthening our manufacturing sector. In 2018, VIA Rail awarded a nearly $1 billion CAD contract to Siemens USA to renew its corridor fleet on the Quebec City–Windsor route without requiring any Canadian content. We understand that the current process also lacks such requirements, leaving Siemen USA well-positioned to win again with its California facility.
This is happening at a time when Canada faces a damaging trade dispute with the U.S. and while Canadian rolling stock exports continue to be blocked by aggressive Buy American policies. Requiring high Canadian content will safeguard jobs and support domestic manufacturing.
By choosing Canadian-made rail cars built by Alstom Canada, VIA Rail can showcase homegrown talent and ensure reliable service for passengers nationwide. Thunder Bay’s Alstom plant has played a vital role in our national story—building wartime equipment during World Wars I & II and delivering high-quality transit vehicles for the Toronto Transit Commission and Metrolinx for over 30 years. Thunder Bay is ready to assemble VIA Rail’s new fleet. Securing this contract would provide hundreds of direct and indirect jobs and strengthen Canada’s supply chain.
A Buy Canadian commitment sends a powerful message that our national rail service values Canadian excellence and invests in the people and industries that make Canada strong. We urge VIA Rail to lead by example and prioritize Canadian suppliers.
Sincerely,
Charla Robinson, President, Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce
Jamie Taylor, CEO, Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission