The Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce and local economic leaders are asking the federal government to make sure new trains are built in Canada to support local jobs. On March 19, 2026, the Chamber and the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission sent a formal letter to federal ministers regarding a major train purchase in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The groups are calling for specific rules that require new equipment for VIA Rail to be built by Canadian manufacturers.
The upcoming project to buy new train cars for the national rail service is expected to cost more than $3 billion. Local leaders argue that this massive investment should benefit workers in Canada rather than companies in other countries. They noted that the United States already uses similar rules to protect its own industry, which often prevents Canadian manufacturers from winning contracts south of the border.
This request follows a recent win for the local economy where the Alstom plant in Thunder Bay secured a $2.3 billion contract to build new subway trains for Toronto. That deal was also the result of local efforts to prioritize Canadian manufacturing. Community leaders want to keep that momentum going to ensure the local facility remains busy and manufacturing jobs stay in the city for the long term.
The formal letter was sent to several federal ministers to ensure that public money is used to support domestic industrial capacity. By requiring Canadian content for the new VIA Rail fleet, the Chamber aims to protect local workers from being passed over in favor of international competition.
