For updates on how the U.S tariffs impact the Vaughan business community, visit vaughanbusiness.ca/tariffs.
Vaughan Strong. Support Canadian
Do you own or operate a local business? If so, demonstrate your patriotism by clearly identifying Canadian-made products so customers can easily support the local economy!
As part of the City of Vaughan’s ongoing response to sweeping U.S. tariffs, we are now offering businesses free ‘Vaughan Strong. Support Canadian’ welcome packages filled with materials to help identify local and Canadian-made goods in stores, removing the guessing game for shoppers at the checkout counter.
Each ‘Vaughan Strong. Support Canadian’ welcome package includes the following for display in your business:
- One large sign to display at your store entrance.
- 10 large stickers to place on exterior windows.
- 20 tent cards to display at cash registers.
- 100 small display signs to place on product shelves.
- 1,000 stickers to place beside Canadian product labels.
- 1,000 individual product labels to affix on Canadian items.
To request a welcome package or additional copies of these materials, contact the Economic Development team at ed@vaughan.ca.
What is the purpose of the ‘Vaughan Strong. Support Canadian’ welcome package?
The ‘Vaughan Strong. Support Canadian’ welcome package provides support for businesses to showcase civic pride, helping to identify local products and eliminate the guessing game at the checkout counter. The labels can be placed on Canadian-made goods, helping to increase their exposure to consumers who wish to support Canadian businesses.
This new Vaughan Strong initiative follows Council’s approval of Mayor Steven Del Duca’s Member’s Resolution on March 25, calling for further support for local businesses as they respond to U.S. tariffs. On March 4, Vaughan became the first municipality in Ontario to ban U.S. suppliers after Mayor Del Duca and Members of Council took decisive action to protect the local, provincial and national economy by approving a new procurement strategy that prioritizes Canadian products, goods and services, and bans U.S. suppliers from competing on or being awarded municipal contracts.
How do I express interest in receiving a ‘Vaughan Strong. Support Canadian’ welcome package?
To request a ‘Vaughan Strong. Support Canadian’ welcome package or additional copies of these materials, business owners or authorized representatives must contact the City of Vaughan’s Economic Development team at ed@vaughan.ca.
Before receiving a package, interested businesses must provide their contact information (including the name and address of the business), identify the type of business they operate, and provide proof of business registration.
To verify your business status and receive a package, you will be required to show proof of business registration. This may include a copy or picture of your municipal business license, or for businesses not required to have a municipal business license, a copy or picture of your Business Name Registration, such as a Master Business License or Articles of Incorporation.
Where do I pick up my ‘Vaughan Strong. Support Canadian’ package?
After submitting an expression of interest and once your business status is verified, your package will be available for pickup at Vaughan City Hall, located at 2141 Major Mackenzie Drive.
Instructions for pickup will be provided to you by a member of the Vaughan Economic Development team.
What is considered a Canadian-made good?
Both the terms “Product of Canada” and “Made in Canada” indicate that a product is either partially or fully produced within Canada. The term “Product of Canada” requires a higher minimum threshold of Canadian content (98 per cent), while “Made in Canada” requires a minimum 51 per cent threshold of Canadian content. In both cases, the last substantial transformation of the product must have occurred in Canada.*
For food products, the “Product of Canada” designation is specifically applied when all or virtually all of the major ingredients, processing, and labour used to make the food product are Canadian. This means that all the significant ingredients in a food product are of Canadian origin and that non-Canadian materials are negligible. Likewise, “Made in Canada” (with a qualifying statement) can be used on a food product when the last substantial transformation of the product took place in Canada, even if some ingredients are sourced from other countries. The qualifying statement is required to indicate where the ingredients are sourced from, indicating whether the food product is made in Canada from imported ingredients or a combination of imported and domestic ingredients.**
**Source: https://inspection.canada.ca/en/food-labels/labelling/industry/origin-claims#c5
Do you have any other questions about receiving a ‘Vaughan Strong. Support Canadian’ package? Contact our team at ed@vaughan.ca or call 905-832-2281 to speak with a Service Vaughan representative.
The City of Vaughan is committed to supporting local with U.S. tariffs in effect.
On March 4, Vaughan became the first municipality in Ontario to ban U.S. suppliers. Mayor Steven Del Duca and Members of Council took decisive action to protect the local, provincial and national economy by approving a new procurement strategy that prioritizes Canadian products, goods and services, and bans U.S. suppliers from competing on or being awarded municipal contracts. More information about this policy is available in this statement issued by Mayor Del Duca.
Since January, the Economic Development team has been actively engaging with local businesses, stakeholders and other economic development organizations to address the challenges and concerns related to the new tariffs as well as discuss best practices to support the local business community.
To help local businesses and manufacturers navigate challenges related to the new tariffs, the City’s Economic Development department created the vaughanbusiness.ca/tariffs webpage – a one-stop information hub with supports and resources.