By Paul West, Director, Global Public Sector
Canadians are proud of our sense of community and the public services that help us look after each other. We strive to build a society that is caring and responsible; this social conscience sets us apart and makes us strong as a nation.
In a technology-driven world, data stewardship is critical to keep Canadians safe while delivering the services we rely on. We have a robust Canadian technology sector to deliver the innovation and security in digital solutions we need, so it makes sense to buy Canadian and support digital providers in this country.
Love thy neighbour and thy community–it’s the Canadian way of life
As part of a wider community, we benefit from contributing to the common good and living in a safe and healthy environment. That includes securing our neighbours’ jobs, ensuring a safe and secure place to live, paying our taxes, protecting the environment, obeying local laws and regulations, safeguarding healthcare, and showing a love of country.
When Canadians support Canadians, we ensure a vital and self-reliant economy that supports this collective vision.
The benefits of a self-reliant nation
A self-reliant nation takes responsibility for maintaining its sovereignty by protecting its industry sectors. But in the past decade, Canada has lost over half a million jobs in the manufacturing sector alone, in part because we haven’t prioritized made-in-Canada products when we could so easily buy from abroad.
During the pandemic, we found out to our detriment what it means to rely on foreign-owned manufacturing and services. The shortage of vaccines and the limited manufacturing resources in Canada left us at the back of the line in a bidding war to ensure the health and safety of all Canadians.
Since then, our governments have re-committed to supporting Canadian businesses in technology, manufacturing, and clean energy sectors to protect our national interests.
“Light shone through the cracks, highlighting our vulnerabilities, like an over-reliance on trading partners and the out-sourcing of critical manufacturing. But we are now acting to repair those fractures, filling the gaps to become a stronger, more self-reliant nation,” said John Slater, Chief Security Officer at ThinkOn.[1]
A digital future by Canadians—for Canadians
Our government has committed to investing $180 billion in Canadian solutions, innovations, and businesses.[2] However, we live in a digital world, and data is the currency that drives our economy, so we also need a strategy for protecting the sovereignty of Canadian data.
The Standards Council of Canada acknowledges the impact and opportunity that data sovereignty presents for Canada, “Data is being generated, analyzed, and applied in every aspect of our lives—faster than ever before. The handling and management of data impacts everything from finance to healthcare, from education to recreation, and from manufacturing to retailing.”[3]
To let foreign-owned solutions providers control our data leaves us open to interference from other governments and cyberattacks from beyond our shores, putting Canadians at risk. Data is a critical component of our national identity, so we have a responsibility to protect it.
“Historically, we don’t let foreign interests own or control Canadian hydroelectric systems, air carriers, or other critical infrastructure,” said Slater. “Why? Because we can’t risk having a foreign power control the structures we need to function as a country, leaving Canadian citizens vulnerable.”[4]
Whoever governs the cloud where data is stored, has control over our data. To ensure the inviolability of our data supply chain, we need a made-in-Canada solution.
Protecting Canadian data with a Canadian-controlled sovereign cloud
Strong data stewardship for Canadians requires a cloud-smart solution that keeps data sovereignty at the forefront of an outcome-based strategy.
Foreign-owned cloud service providers (CSPs) jeopardize Canadian data sovereignty by using offshore resources in their solutions. These third parties are not subject to Canadian law, so once they have access to our data, we risk interference from foreign governments.
In its data sovereignty white paper on cloud services, the Government of Canada reported that “As long as a CSP that operates in Canada is subject to the laws of a foreign country, Canada will not have full sovereignty over its data.”[5]
That’s why every country needs its own sovereign cloud provider—ThinkOn is proud to be Canada’s. Canadian-owned and operated companies have a vested interest in and understanding of what’s needed to protect Canadian data; they’re more likely to dedicate resources, research, development, and the education of skilled talent here, a policy that is a priority at ThinkOn.
Procurement practices in Canada – Are Canadians being served?
What are the rules for public procurement in Canada and how do they serve Canadians? According to Canada Buys, the official source for tender and award notices for the Government of Canada and the broader Canadian public sector, “The Canadian procurement process must be ‘open, fair, and transparent’ (‘open’ means that anyone can bid; ‘fair’ means that bidders and prospective bidders are treated equally; and ‘transparent’ means that the rules are known to everyone).”[6]
As a collaborative nation with a world view, Canada respects the rights of all nations to conduct business globally in a fair and equitable manner. We welcome fair and transparent transactions with foreign-owned businesses in an exchange of goods and services, both here at home and as Canadians offering goods and services to companies and governments in other countries.
With respect to a Canada-first policy in procurement for public services, The Canadian Content Policy of the federal government “…encourages industrial development in Canada by limiting, in specific circumstances, competition for government procurement opportunities to suppliers of Canadian goods and services.” [7]
That’s a commitment that was reinforced in the recently released Canada Budget 2023, which calls for a made-in-Canada plan to support a strong middle class, an affordable economy, and a healthy future.”[8]
“Fair and transparent transaction” means respecting the interests and regulatory framework of the country where business is being conducted. That’s why procurement practices here in Canada should favour Canada-first rather than Canada-only policies when goods and services available here will better serve Canadians. That’s what “love thy neighbour” is all about.
Canada-first puts people to work
Good stewardship in public services means contributing to the well-being of Canadians. When we buy Canadian, we keep Canadian workers employed, and that contributes to a vibrant Canadian economy.
Unfortunately, foreign-owned companies often hide profits made in Canada in offshore tax havens, and that means that they are pulling funds out of the country that could be used to support public services and innovation in Canada.
In addition, offshore purchasing displaces a preference for made-in-Canada policies, resulting in disemployment in Canadian industry sectors, as evidenced by the loss of manufacturing jobs in Canada over the last decade.[9]
According to Dave Waddell of the Windsor Star, “A national study of the manufacturing sector between 2003 and 2018 reveals just how painful the restructuring in the sector has been with a loss of about 532,000 jobs.”[10]
Canada-first policies: A secure future for every Canadian
In a global market, it makes sense to work with the best experts, wherever they reside. But supporting Canadians who understand Canadian laws and values better protects our data and contributes to our quality of life.
Canada’s Digital Charter states that “Canadians must be able to trust that their personal information and that of their children is protected, that their data will not be misused, and that organizations operating in this space communicate in a simple and straightforward manner with their users.”[11]
Everyone benefits when we buy Canadian-made solutions for our public services. That’s how we strengthen our communities, fuel our economy, provide education and opportunity for career advancement, and pay for the high standard of services and state-of-the-art facilities Canadians expect.
Digital opportunity in sovereign Canada
As the Standards Council of Canada reports in its Canadian Data Governance Standardization Collaborative, “We have a tremendous opportunity to leverage and use data better in our society to drive growth and keep Canadians safe.”[12]
By utilizing cloud-smart Canadian-made data solutions designed for the Canadian public sector, we’re dedicating ourselves to making Canadian data thrive—and supporting Canadians and their jobs as well.
Learn more about the benefits of buying Canadian or to find out how ThinkOn’s dedication to data sovereignty for Canadian public service.
[1] Canadian Government Executive, John Slater, “Securing Canada’s Data Supply Chain Now—and for the Future,” https://canadiangovernmentexecutive.ca/securing-canadas-data-supply-chain-now-and-for-the-future
[2] Infrastructure Canada, “Investing in Canada Plan—Building a Better Canada,” https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/about-invest-apropos-eng.html
[3] Standards Council of Canada, Canadian Data Governance Standardization Collaborative, https://www.scc.ca/en/flagships/data-governance
[4] Canadian Government Executive, John Slater, “Securing Canada’s Data Supply Chain Now—and for the Future,” https://canadiangovernmentexecutive.ca/securing-canadas-data-supply-chain-now-and-for-the-future
[5] Government of Canada White Paper: Data Sovereignty and Public Cloud, https://www.canada.ca/en/government/system/digital-government/digital-government-innovations/cloud-services/gc-white-paper-data-sovereignty-public-cloud.htm
[6] Government of Canada, Canada Buys, How Procurement Works, https://canadabuys.canada.ca/en/how-procurement-works
[7] Government of Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, https://buyandsell.gc.ca/
[8] Government of Canada, Budget 2023, “A Made-in-Canada Plan: Strong Middle Class, Affordable Economy, Healthy Future,” https://www.budget.canada.ca/2023/home-accueil-en.html
[9] The Smart Prosperity Institute, “The Big Shift: Changes in Canadian Manufacturing Employment, 2003 to 2018,” https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/publications/big-shift
[10] Windsor Star, Dave Waddell, “Study highlights magnitude of manufacturing job losses,” https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/study-highlights-magnitude-of-manufacturing-job-losses
[11] Government of Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, “Canada’s Digital Charter, Building a Foundation of Trust,” https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/innovation-better-canada/en/canadas-digital-charter-trust-digital-world
[12] Standards Council of Canada (SCC), Canadian Data Governance Standardization Collaborative, https://www.scc.ca/en/flagships/data-governance