{
  "id": 1557744,
  "title": "First step in levelling government-contract playing field? Define ‘local’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/first-step-in-levelling-government-contract-playing-field-define-local",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-17T20:15:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2026/08/17/first-step-in-levelling-government-contract-playing-field-define-local"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham is pledging to establish a level playing field for local businesses competing against national and multinational companies on city contracts for goods and services. However, the exact definition of what constitutes a \"local\" company remains unclear. Two recent controversies highlight the challenges in defining \"local.\"\n\nIn April, Aramark Canada, the Canadian branch of a U.S.-based global hospitality giant, won a $70,000 contract to provide food and beverages to two city-owned golf courses. This was surprising as Aramark was replacing Salisbury House, a well-known Winnipeg restaurant chain, in these contracts. A few days later, the opposition Progressive Conservatives criticized the NDP government for awarding a three-year, $36-million contract to Aramark for providing bakery products to hospitals and jails.\n\nDespite these controversies, Gillingham plans to study procurement policies in other municipalities and create a permanent list of pre-qualified bidders to assist local businesses in competing for city contracts. However, there is a concern that Gillingham's suggestions may not be significantly different from the city's current practices. The inquiry into the construction scandal of the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters found that former chief administrative officer Phil Sheegl manipulated the bidding process, which ultimately led to fraud and corruption. This incident demonstrates that simply giving local companies an advantage does not guarantee better outcomes for taxpayers.\n\nUltimately, the city's responsibility is to find the best goods or services at the best price to provide the greatest value. A definition of \"local\" that only considers employing Manitobans may actually work against the intended goal of supporting local businesses. The most effective approach would be to focus on finding the best good or service at the best price, regardless of the company's location.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}