MAPLE RIDGE — B.C. NDP Leader David Eby has pledged new procurement rules that would require provincial ministries, Crown agencies and health authorities to prioritize B.C.- and Canadian-made goods and materials for public infrastructure projects.
The announcement was made Thursday in Maple Ridge during the 2026 B.C. election campaign. Eby said the policy is intended to support local businesses and workers as Canada faces ongoing trade tensions with the United States.
Under the proposed “Built in B.C. and Canada” approach, projects would be required to source from B.C. or Canadian suppliers when they can provide materials on budget and within required timelines.
The proposed rules would:
- Establish minimum requirements for B.C. and Canadian-made materials, including wood, steel, aluminum and cement.
- Count U.S.-made goods and materials against those requirements through penalties.
- Require projects to use B.C. or Canadian suppliers when they can meet cost and schedule requirements.
- Encourage municipalities to adopt similar purchasing practices.
- Support the federal government’s broader Buy Canadian procurement approach.
North Coast Transmission Line
Eby said the policy would immediately be applied to the North Coast Transmission Line (NCTL).
Under the proposed direction, BC Hydro would be required to use Canadian steel for 70 per cent of the towers in Phase 1 and 100 per cent of the towers in Phase 2.
Construction on Phase 1 of the NCTL began earlier this month. The federal government says the project is expected to support major industrial development and create thousands of jobs, while B.C. estimates the project could support approximately 9,700 direct full-time jobs once associated developments are included.
Eby framed the procurement proposal as part of his response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies, saying B.C. should use its own public infrastructure spending to create opportunities for workers and businesses in the province.
Eby also criticized the B.C. Conservatives over their positions on relations with the United States. Those comments are part of the NDP’s campaign messaging; Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson has disputed some of Eby’s characterization of his party’s position.
The proposal comes as the provincial election campaign is underway, making procurement, trade and infrastructure spending key issues in the campaign.
Source context: The procurement commitments above are based on the NDP’s Sept. 24 campaign announcement, while the NCTL project details have been independently confirmed through federal and provincial government releases.
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving diaspora communities across 44 languages. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, NEPMCC, and the Canadian Freelance Union (Unifor). Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
