Buy Ontario Act excludes Indigenous businesses, association says

NEWS RELEASE

ANISHNAWBE BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION

************************

The Anishnawbe Business Professional Association has formally submitted a strategic review to the Government of Ontario, warning that the newly enacted Buy Ontario Act, 2025 (Bill 72) systematically excludes First Nations businesses and threatens to widen the economic gap in Northern Ontario.

In a letter addressed to the Hon. Stephen Crawford, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement, the ABPA argues that while the act aims to prioritize “Ontario businesses,” its definitions inherently favour southern, urban and non-Indigenous entities.

By setting rigid thresholds for employee counts and permanent headquarters, the legislation ignores the reality of the Northern economy and the constitutionally distinct status of First Nations.

“The Buy Ontario Act in its current form is a tool of exclusion,” said Jason Rasevych, president of the ABPA. “It was drafted with a southern-centric bias that fails to recognize the Indigenous economy as a massive driver of provincial growth. We are not asking for charity; we are asking the province to remove the handcuffs placed on our economy by archaic and biased procurement policies.”

The economic opportunity

The submission highlights the scale of the opportunity at hand. The Indigenous economy contributes more than $30 billion annually to Canada’s GDP, a figure projected to reach $100 billion. Locally, a Jan. 2025 study revealed that the Indigenous economy in Thunder Bay alone generates $1.55 billion in economic output and supports more than 3,000 jobs.

The ABPA’s proposal aims to keep this capital circulating within Ontario by addressing “economic leakage,” ensuring that provincial infrastructure spending remains in the North to fuel further growth.

A roadmap for collaboration

The ABPA has outlined five forward-thinking recommendations to help the ministry integrate this economic engine into the Supply Ontario framework:

1. Mandatory 5 per cent target: Implement a binding five per cent Indigenous procurement target to drive immediate market activity.

2. Bid Value Reduction (BVR): Adopt innovative mechanisms that allow Northern businesses to compete on value and local impact, not just lowest price.

3. Modernize definitions: Update the “Ontario business” definition to recognize the unique structure and reach of First Nations and Métis enterprises.

4. Trusted verification: Partner with the Chiefs of Ontario business registry to ensure the integrity of the supply chain.

5. Active partnership: Integrate the ABPA’s Procurement Navigator Project directly with Supply Ontario to actively match government needs with Indigenous suppliers.

“We are excited to bring these solutions to the table,” Rasevych added. “The Indigenous economy is ready to be a cornerstone of Ontario’s future. Our roadmap offers a pragmatic, data-driven path to integrate this dynamism into the province’s supply web. We look forward to collaborating with Minister Crawford to transform the Buy Ontario Act into a global gold standard for inclusive economic policy.”

************************