Oak Bay council is set to discuss proposed changes to its purchasing policy that could limit where it buys goods and services.  

The item on council's agenda for Monday (Feb. 24) follows a notice of motion Coun. Andrew Appleton submitted at the district's Feb. 10 council meeting, calling for restrictions to Oak Bay's purchase of American products, if the U.S. implements the 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods that it announced on Feb. 1. A decision on the U.S. tariffs has been paused until March 4. View Royal, Saanich and Victoria have made similar moves.

B次元官网网址淭he tariffs ... will have a direct and substantial negative impact on Oak Bay residents in the form of economic disruption, potential job losses and inflationary pressures," reads the notice of motion. B次元官网网址淭he districtB次元官网网址檚 purchasing policy includes language referencing the importance of local suppliers and shifting spending away from goods and services that B次元官网网址榥egatively affect the environment and societyB次元官网网址� and therefore the district has a moral duty to take such action that is in its power to respond to the impact of American tariffs."

Appleton's notice of motion adds that some goods and services without available alternatives that are B次元官网网址渆ssential to the health and safety of Oak Bay residentsB次元官网网址� should be exempt from purchasing policy changes. It also notes that vendors and contractors that rely on American goods and services to conduct their business should be treated the same as local companies.

"Thank you, Coun. Appleton for bringing this forward. It's timely. I did see that there were some tariffs being applied even today at the last second," said Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch at the Feb. 10 council meeting. B次元官网网址淭imes of chaos abound."