Some Canadians are pushing their local municipalities to reevaluate who they’re doing business with as the trade war ramps up.
Vancouver resident Ajinkya Chodankar said he wants the City of Vancouver to prioritize a Canadian alternative to an American e-scooter company city council chose for a pilot project.
“They should at least reassess their stance,” Chodankar said.
In February, Green Coun. Pete Fry’s ‘Choose Canada’ motion passed unanimously.
It directs staff to review all city business through a “Buy Local/Buy Canadian” lens – and report back to council.
“I think in the face of that, it would be a little bit hypocritical to allow an American company to do business literally across City Hall,” Chodankar said – standing one block away from a proposed Lime Scooter parking station.
The U.S. company’s shared e-scooter program launched last summer.
Coun. Fry said, in hindsight, had the contract been presented this year, council may have made a different decision given the geo-political climate.
He added, while Lime won the competitive bidding process, he could see the city assessing more e-scooter options for Vancouverites.
“And then maybe it’s up to the consumers to decide if they want to support Canadian or a multinational like Lime,” he said.
Canadian-based company Bird, wants to be considered.
It wrote a letter to the mayor and council Feb. 18, saying “if council ‘means what it says’ about supporting our national businesses then you should be choosing the only global Canadian-owned operator of these services.”
Stewart Lyons, the CEO of Bird Canada, said it’s up to the city whether it wants to amend the contract or add the Canadian company to it.
“That way, you know, everybody’s happy,” he said.
Sonia Kandola, Lime’s Director of Government Relations, said, “Lime in Canada is proudly operated by Canadians, who focus daily on helping Vancouver residents and visitors get to the people and places that matter most – safely, affordably, and sustainably.”
Lime said it has dozens of staff members working full-time in Canada serving 11 cities, and in peak season, employs or works with well over 100 people across the country.
Mayor Ken Sim told CTV News, “Lime won a competitive bidding process to provide shared e-scooters in Vancouver, and they’ve met the terms of their contract while investing in local jobs and partnerships.”
Sim added, “We have directed city staff to explore opportunities to prioritize Canadian suppliers where possible, and we’ll be reviewing procurement policies with that in mind. In every case, our goal is to ensure the best possible service and value for Vancouverites.”
In a statement to CTV News, the City of Vancouver said, “staff are continuing to review a range of measures that the city could potentially consider in response to tariffs and supply chain disruptions as directed by the council motion, ‘Choose Canada, Tariffs, and Buy Local Imperative,’ including permit fee reductions and updates to the City’s business licensing regime.”
Staff will report back on its findings at an upcoming council meeting.
