HALTON HILLS, ON – Mayor
Rick Bonnette, a leading and long-time opponent to Buy America Act, has been
invited to participate in a media event in Montreal to further press for the
end of this discriminatory practice.
Two news conferences will be held on January 20, the first in
Montreal in the morning, and a second one in Quebec City. The event is being
organized by the Partners of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction
(PICCA) and started as a Quebec initiative. Mayor Bonnette was invited to participate
by Hellen Christodoulou of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction, which
is co-ordinating PICCA, who wrote, “You are considered a trendsetter by taking
a stand on local procurement and I admire your vision.”
One of the key goals of PICCA is to: “actively defend on behalf of
the Canadian steel industry, free and fair trade, for an open and competitive
market in the procurement practices at the federal, provincial and municipal
levels.”
Mayor Bonnette will be joined at the news conference by Halton
Hills Regional Councillor Clark Somerville. In his role as second
vice-president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Mr. Somerville has
also been an advocate for ending the “Buy American” legislation. The Town’s
Economic Development Officer, Doug Penrice, will also be attending.
“This Buy America Act continues to cost Canada important and vital
jobs. We will not stop speaking out against this legislation until we see this
practice end,” added Mayor Bonnette.
