Parks Canada has reversed a decision encouraging its employees to use Amazon Business for purchasing office supplies, following backlash over the timing of the message. Amazon last month pulled out of Quebec entirely.
In a statement to CTV News, the federal agency said “the email that went out yesterday regarding the Amazon Business program for procurement misses the mark, its timing and substance was not sensitive to the current dynamics and does not meet the public’s expectations.” Parks Canada said it is “rescinding the directive effective immediately” and letting all employees know about the change.
Parks Canada emphasized its commitment to supporting Canadian and Indigenous-owned businesses, describing itself as a “proud supporter of Canadian businesses and Canadian-made products.”
The initial memo came at a tense time, as Amazon recently announced it would close all its warehouses in Quebec and switch to a third-party delivery model. The closures, which include seven facilities, sparked backlash across the province, as just under 2,000 jobs would be affected.
Amazon, for its part, denied that the closures were related to unionization efforts at its Laval distribution centre. But this centre was the first Amazon workforce in North America to unionize. It definitely sends a message to other locations that are trying to form a union.
Quebec’s Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), one of the largest union groups in the province, launched a boycott campaign against Amazon in response to the job cuts. The union is also pursuing legal action, accusing the company of abandoning workers in Quebec.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, wrote a letter to Amazon, urging the company to reconsider, saying, “It is not too late to reconsider your decision.” Private businesses have the right to close up shop
Amazon spokesperson Barbara Agrait told iPhone in Canada at the time, “Following a recent review of our Quebec operations, we’ve seen that returning to a third-party delivery model supported by local small businesses, similar to what we had until 2020, will allow us to provide the same great service and even more savings to our customers over the long run.”
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I can't wait for the federal government to create CANAZON which will cost 20 billion dollars, no one will use it and then it goes bankrupt. Oh well, we will just tax more….
Why? Quebec sees it as a betrayal because of amazons business decision? WTAF?
Quebec betrays Canada every chance they get. During the tariff crisis, one of the key lessons was that Canada needs to diversify our markets. “Team Canada”. Building a pipeline to the east is the most obvious first step. Quebec immediately says they won’t allow it to cross Quebec. They’ll take the transfer payments generated by oil, but no pipelines. Total betrayal.
But the feds are the bad guy for trying to save a buck by using Amazon? Hell, Amazon’s decision means other Canadian and Quebec distribution/delivery companies get the business. Seems like a win-win for everyone but the union.
So what's with Alberta loving Trump and the only province swapping spit with the corrupt dictator over energy. Trying address this tariff war yet that premier is bending over.
The intelligent goal is to avoid a tariff war. The idiotic response is to escalate with tantrums.
Smith was successful in getting the tariffs that affect AB reduced. Maybe her strategy was superior.
The real solution is to be more diversified and less reliant on the US. Quebec selfishly screws the rest of Canada over. Time to let them leave.
Honestly since when is "supporting Canadian business" ever been a theme in the past like 20 years in Canada under the Liberals?
Never.
As long as supporting means taxing to death, imposing ridiculous levels of suffocating regulations and otherwise handicapping them, then as long as they’ve been around.
Just wait for Carney. After he is appointed as our next PM without an election, he’ll prorogue or buy off Singh. Then he’ll impose the most destruction carbon taxes on our businesses in history (while claiming to have remove “consumer” carbon taxes). He already announced he’ll be adding a punitive carbon tariff on countries that don’t fall inline with his ideology, just as we’re dealing with the fallout of tariff threats ourselves.
We are in for years more of self-inflicted wounds.