Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke yanked a corporate report that recommended council award a $740,000 contract to a U.S. company to build and provide mobile bleachers for outdoor events from its Monday night's meeting agenda in light of the tariff war President Donald Trump is inflicting on Canada.
She did this at the outset of the Feb. 10 meeting, hours after Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian aluminum and steel.
"The recommended proponent is a U.S.-based company. However, given the fast-evolving situation with these new tariffs, and the very real threat they pose to the Canadian economy, I would like to withdraw this report from tonight's agenda and defer it's consideration to a later date," Locke declared. "This is not a decision that we take lightly."
The report from Laurie Cavan, Surrey's general manager of parks, recreation and culture, urged the politicians to award to Century Industries, LLC a $672,896.00 contract for eight mobile towable bleachers, with a spending limit set at $740,185.60.
Cavan noted Surrey hosts hundreds of outdoor events each year "including sports tournaments, concerts and parades, with hundreds to thousands of spectators in attendance. There is a growing demand for increased seating opportunities at these city events. Mobile towable bleachers provide these temporary seating solutions. Each unit accommodates approximately 156 individuals, is rated for highway transport, and can be assembled in under 30 minutes."
Locke said since 2020 more than 99 per cent of the City of Surrey's procurement has been awarded to Canadian suppliers and .58 per cent to U.S. companies. "Clearly our city has been, by and large, supporting Canadian firms. But in light of these new tariffs, we must do more. I firmly believe that we can respond effectively to protect Canadian interests and we can, and we must, take meaningful steps to ensure Canadian businesses and workers are safeguarded."
She said that while the City of Surrey's procurement processes are founded on transparency and fair competition, it is the responsibility of elected officials to protect local businesses and Canadian-made products, "particularly in the present circumstances."
Locke said Surrey city staff is examining how to best refine the city's procurement processes "in this period of uncertainty. We want to ensure that as many contracts as possible go to companies that bolster Canadian supply chains and support our national economy."
"It is deeply concerning that our closest trading partner has chosen to implement measure that can so severely impact Canadian businesses and workers," Surrey's mayor said. "In these challenging times we must stand together and adopt an approach that serves the best interest of Canadian industries, jobs and importantly families."
