The Town of Swan River says it intends to participate in one or more procurements run by Canoe Procurement Group of Canada from January 2026 to December 2026, and directs suppliers to Canoe’s portal and designated tender sites for notices. See the town’s bids & tenders page.
Canoe is a nationwide buying group that runs competitive processes, awards supplier agreements and hosts solicitations on its procurement portal. Vendors are asked to create accounts on the Canoe portal, and the town also points suppliers to PurchasingConnection and MERX for some Canoe postings.
For local businesses, the practical upshot is straightforward: some goods and services Swan River needs in 2026 may be bought through Canoe’s pre‑qualified supplier lists. That means suppliers who want municipal work should register on the Canoe portal, pick relevant commodity codes to get email alerts, and keep an eye on MERX and PurchasingConnection for notices. The Canoe portal states that supplier accounts are free and that suppliers who select commodity codes will receive system‑generated email notifications of matching opportunities.
Municipalities use buying groups like Canoe to pool purchasing power, reduce staff workload and aim for better pricing. The move also follows trade‑agreement rules: the Canadian Free Trade Agreement’s Chapter Five (see Article 504 series) sets transparency and process requirements when public bodies use buying groups, which is why towns publish notices of participation ahead of the covered period.
This shift can change how local contractors find and bid on town work. Some suppliers may welcome easier access to larger, multi‑jurisdictional contracts; others, especially very small local firms, may need to adapt to national contract terms or pursue subcontracting opportunities with Canoe‑approved vendors. The town’s notice does not list specific contract categories, so businesses wanting clarity should contact Swan River’s municipal office or CAO Will Tewnion for details on which services will be covered through Canoe in 2026.
Other municipalities across Canada issue similar notices when joining Canoe for a year (see, for example, a MERX “Notice of Intent” posting). Vendors unfamiliar with the system can start by setting up a free Canoe account, reviewing open Canoe solicitations on the portal, and registering with MERX and PurchasingConnection so they don’t miss invitations to bid.
