Canada’s new Buy Canadian Policy is no longer just a statement of intent—it is now a concrete industrial action with shovels in the ground, trains on the drawing board, and thousands of Canadian jobs tied directly to its success.
In La Pocatière, Quebec, the Honourable Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, joined representatives from Alstom Canada to highlight the first major federal investment delivered under the Buy Canadian Policy: a more than $950-million commitment for 55 new subway trains for Toronto’s Line 2.
Announced January 15, the investment represents a defining moment for Canada’s industrial strategy—linking public transit modernization directly to domestic manufacturing, Canadian supply chains, and long-term workforce growth.
At its core, the project is about more than trains. It is about anchoring economic activity inside Canada’s borders, strengthening regional manufacturing ecosystems, and ensuring that public dollars translate into tangible benefits for Canadian workers and communities.
From Policy to Production
The Buy Canadian Policy is designed to ensure that government procurement prioritizes Canadian materials, Canadian manufacturing, and Canadian expertise. The Line 2 subway train investment puts that principle into practice.
Under the project, the new trains will contain 55% Canadian content, a significant benchmark that reflects the government’s intent to increase domestic industrial participation in major infrastructure procurements.
The economic footprint is substantial. The investment will support 150 jobs at Alstom’s Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville facility and more than 100 jobs at the company’s La Pocatière plant. Nationwide, the project is expected to sustain over 900 direct jobs and 1,700 indirect jobs, reinforcing manufacturing activity across multiple provinces.
Minister Lightbound framed the investment as a direct demonstration of what Buy Canadian is meant to achieve.
“The investment we are highlighting today clearly demonstrates that when we choose to buy Canadian, we support good, quality jobs right here in Quebec. By supporting over 600 jobs in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, La Pocatière, Kingston and Thunder Bay, we are strengthening our manufacturing expertise, boosting our regional economies, and affirming our commitment to building a modern, sustainable transportation network that truly serves our communities.”
The project spans multiple regions, connecting design, engineering, assembly, and supplier networks into a single national industrial effort.
Strengthening Canada in a Shifting Global Economy
The Line 2 investment arrives at a moment when global supply chains are under pressure and industrial policy has become a central tool of economic resilience.
For the federal government, Buy Canadian is positioned as both an economic development strategy and a competitiveness strategy—one that seeks to protect existing manufacturing capacity while attracting new investment into Canada.
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, underscored the broader context.
“When we buy Canadian, we are supporting our workers. In a period marked by shifts in global trade dynamics, the Government of Canada will continue to protect, create, and attract investment in Canadian industry and manufacturing. Today’s announcement is proof of that: by encouraging Canadian expertise, we strengthen our economy, protect good jobs, and build a more resilient future for everyone.”
By embedding Canadian content requirements into major procurements, the government is seeking to ensure that Canada remains not just a consumer of advanced technology, but a producer of it.
A Pan-Canadian Manufacturing Effort
Alstom’s role in the project highlights how large-scale transit procurements can mobilize a national industrial base.
The company’s Canadian operations will span multiple facilities and functions. Engineering work will be led out of Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville. Final assembly will take place in Thunder Bay. La Pocatière will provide production support, alongside an expanded network of local suppliers across the country.
Michael Keroullé, President and CEO of Alstom Americas, emphasized both the operational scope and the economic impact.
“We would like to thank the Toronto Transit Commission and our government partners for placing their trust in Alstom to supply the new subway trains. These next-generation, state-of-the-art trains will help improve service performance and passenger comfort. These new vehicles will be designed by our engineers in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville and assembled in Thunder Bay, with support from our La Pocatière plant and an expanded network of local suppliers. Creating nearly 1,000 jobs across the country, including 280 in Quebec, these new metro trains set a new standard in manufacturing in Canada, by Canadians for Canadians.”
The phrase “by Canadians for Canadians” captures the spirit of the Buy Canadian approach—aligning infrastructure renewal with national industrial capability.
Modern Transit, Domestic Value
Beyond the manufacturing impact, the Line 2 trains are central to Toronto’s transit modernization. The new fleet will replace aging vehicles and support improved reliability, performance, and passenger comfort on one of the country’s busiest subway lines.
For Ottawa, the project demonstrates how climate-aligned, sustainable transportation investments can also serve as engines of industrial growth.
With Quebec positioned as a major contributor to design, engineering, and production, the investment reinforces the province’s role as a cornerstone of Canada’s rail and transit manufacturing ecosystem.
Setting the Template
As the first investment highlighted under the Buy Canadian Policy, the Line 2 subway project sets an early template for future federal procurements: large-scale, long-term projects that combine infrastructure delivery with domestic industrial participation.
The message is clear. Canada intends to use its purchasing power strategically—to build modern public infrastructure while simultaneously strengthening the country’s economic foundation.
In doing so, Buy Canadian moves from policy document to production line, from aspiration to action—placing Canadian workers, Canadian factories, and Canadian communities at the centre of Canada’s next generation of growth.
