Equipment manufacturing executives from across Ontario met with provincial leaders at Queen’s Park on May 11 to advance policies critical to the industry’s role in building infrastructure, supporting agriculture, and driving economic growth.
The meetings marked AEM’s first Queen’s Park Day, bringing together manufacturers from Guelph, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, Campbellville, Essex, and Mattawa to engage directly with Ontario’s leaders. The delegation met with Premier Doug Ford, Minister Victor Fedeli, Minister Trevor Jones, Minister Mike Harris, and Associate Minister Sam Oosterhoff.
Throughout the day, discussions focused on aligning AEM’s policy priorities with the Ontario government’s agenda, including navigating trade tensions and tariff pressures, accelerating investment in infrastructure, modernizing the permitting process, and bolstering food production.
Industry leaders highlighted the scale of equipment manufacturing in Ontario, which represents 39% of the industry’s national footprint. According to AEM’s newly released Canadian Economic Impact Report, the sector supports 147,000 jobs, contributes $24 billion annually to the economy, and generates $54 billion in sales and output each year. In Ontario, the industry supports 60,000 jobs and contributes $9.4 billion to provincial GDP, reinforcing its role as a key driver of economic activity.
“As AEM continues to expand our advocacy efforts in Canada, we are encouraged by our productive dialogue with the Ford government about turning red tape into a red carpet by cutting bureaucratic, environmental, and regulatory hurdles to speed up business investment, manufacturing, and housing development,” said Kip Eideberg, AEM’s senior vice president of government and industry relations. “We appreciate Premier Ford’s emphasis on building 'quicker, faster, and immediate,’ and look forward to continued collaboration to cement Ontario as the manufacturing powerhouse of Canada.”
Legislative asks included:
- CUSMA: Preserve and strengthen Canada- United States- Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) as the cornerstone of North American manufacturing.
- Investment Incentive Permanence: The Ontario Made Manufacturing Tax Credit (OMMITC) is currently set to expire Jan. 1, 2030. AEM asked for a commitment to extend it and establish a structural floor.
- Precision Agriculture Framework: Ontario is the only major agricultural province without a standalone precision agriculture policy. AEM asked for a dedicated provincial framework with equipment adoption incentives.
- Workforce Development: AEM asked for provincial support to fill the estimated shortage of 3,000 qualified technicians across Canada to service modern equipment.
- Canadian Equipment in Infrastructure Procurement: As Ontario executes its $210 billion capital plan, AEM asked to embed procurement preferences for Canadian-manufactured construction, agricultural, and resource equipment.
- Environmental Regulation: AEM asked to maintain federal Tier 4 and Tier 5 alignment for off-road equipment emissions and prevent the development of Ontario-specific standards that diverge from the national framework.
Following the meetings with the Ford government, the executives participated in a media roundtable to discuss the state of the industry and equipment manufacturers’ policy priorities in Ontario.
AEM’s inaugural Queen’s Park Day marked an important step in strengthening relationships with provincial leaders and ensuring the industry’s voice informs policy decisions shaping Ontario’s future.
To learn more about AEM’s Canadian advocacy efforts, or to get engaged, please contact AEM’s Director of Government Affairs in Canada Alexandre Mattard-Michaud at amattard-michaud@aem.org.
