SEPT/OCT 2014
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business elite canada 105
There’s hardly a week you do not see some
manufacturing facility close,” Leonard said.
Canadian manufacturing is only going to sur-
vive if the federal and provincial governments
level the playing field, whether that means
imposing trade barriers on products entering
Canada or removing barriers that other coun-
tries have, preventing Canadian product from
being exported.
“In Canada there’s nothing that prevents
low wage countries from coming in here and
taking our manufacturing jobs,” he explained.
“The thing we should do is recognize the tax
contribution of a manufacturer. In the case of
Bibby-Ste-Croix, 40 per cent of what we sell
goes back to the government in taxes. If our
product comes in from India or China, there
are no taxes paid by the employees who man-
ufactured that product. I think that should be
taken into consideration, particularly in mu-
nicipal bids and government bids.”
Years ago, Foundry Laperle supplied sinkers
for the buoys used in the St. Lawrence River.
The federal government contract was lost to
a company from China that came in with a bid
two percent lower than Bibby-Ste-Croix. “Now
