U.S.-made steel pipes going into the ground beside Ontario's legislature as Canadian steel jobs disappear
The city says the specialized pipe isn't made in Canada, as Stelco and Algoma cut steel jobs.
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Toronto has started replacing watermains under Queen's Park Crescent East using steel pipe from a West Virginia manufacturer. The $17.7-million contract went to Gio Crete Construction Ltd., a North York firm.
The city says the pipe is not made in Canada. Sabrina Dipietro, the city's senior manager of purchasing client services, said in a statement that Gio Crete sourced the pipe from a U.S. manufacturer "because it is not manufactured here in Canada."
The tender was posted the day after Donald Trump was elected to a second term. The city says it closed before its March 2025 tariff response plan took effect, and that even afterward the contract would have been open to international bidders because of its value.
Algoma Steel layoffs in Sault Ste. Marie took effect in March, and more than 100 workers were laid off by Stelco in Hamilton. Ron Wells, president of United Steel Workers Local 1005 in Hamilton, said of the Toronto watermains, "It's disappointing to hear, obviously," while acknowledging some products "just aren't made in Canada." He wants other levels of government to help build steel supply in Ontario so cities can buy local.
Councillor-elect Mike Layton, whose ward includes the work site, has raised the same question about where public money is spent.
Why was the tender posted the day after the U.S. election, and did it reference any Canadian supply check?
Did the city ask Canadian manufacturers whether they could make this pipe before awarding the contract?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
Who won the watermain contract on Queen's Park Crescent East in Toronto?
Gio Crete Construction Ltd., a North York firm, won the $17.7-million contract to replace watermains under Queen's Park Crescent East in Toronto.
Where is the steel pipe for the Queen's Park Crescent East watermains made?
The steel pipe being used for the Queen's Park Crescent East watermain replacement comes from a West Virginia manufactur
