A Canadian micro-mobility company is urging the City of Vancouver to reconsider its contract with a U.S. provider, in light of President Donald Trump’s tariff threats against Canada.
In a letter to the Mayor’s Office, Bird Canada, a Calgary-based e-scooter and e-bike sharing company, questioned the City of Vancouver over its partnership with U.S.-based Lime Scooters.
“As you know, e-scooters and e-bikes have been transformative for many Canadian cities, helping to reduce congestion, lower emissions, and improve urban mobility. As Canada’s leading micro-mobility company, we would love the opportunity to one day serve the residents of Vancouver,” wrote Bird Canada CEO Stewart Lyons in the letter.
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
“Unfortunately in the City’s recent micromobility procurement process, an American operator was selected to exclusively provide these services to the city. This is despite the availability of a Canadian option with much deeper experience across the country, and with a better track record, including in nearby Surrey.”
The letter comes after the City of Vancouver unanimously passed a motion spearheaded by Coun. Pete Fry earlier this month, to ensure its procurement contracts go to Canadian businesses over U.S. ones, whenever possible.
In an email response to Daily Hive, the City of Vancouver told Daily Hive that it “buys a small amount of goods and services directly from the United States, consisting of approximately C$6 to C$7 million annually.”
“The majority of the city’s procurement is with Canadian suppliers directly. As directed by council, City staff are currently reviewing procurement policies and agreements,” it stated.
Bird Canada’s head of government partnerships, Austin Spademan, told Daily Hive via email that the company hasn’t heard back from the city after sending the letter.
He noted that every micro-mobility contract Bird has seen across Canada contains the option for a city to opt out.
“So we would assume that the same is the case here… if the [City of Vancouver] wants to move the contract to a larger more experienced Canadian company, they should be able to do so.”
Spademan noted that Bird Canada currently has contracts with other B.C. municipalities including Surrey, and Cranbrook, and recently won a bid to run its program in Vernon.
The micro-mobility company also operates in Quebec, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Alberta.
Bird Canada
Lime issued a response claiming Bird Canada’s letter to the city is “disrespectful to the hundreds of thousands of Canadian riders and the dozens of Canadian Lime staff members who have made Lime Canada’s shared micro-mobility provider of choice.”
“Lime won this competitive permit based on our ability to provide the highest-quality service for Vancouver, with significant investments in local hiring and infrastructure, and it is what we have delivered to the terms of our contract. This will continue to be our focus going forward,” added the company’s director of government relations, Sonia Kandola, in emailed remarks to Daily Hive.
“This letter is nothing but a cynical attempt to make up for a losing proposal that failed to meet the high standard of service Vancouver residents deserve.”
Other Metro Vancouver cities have taken action to support Canadian businesses and the local economy.
The City of New Westminster was one of the first to rule that non-essential travel to the U.S. would be discouraged for its staff. In a previous response to Daily Hive, the City of Surrey said it was also looking to do the same.
Last week, Surrey also scrapped a large contract with an American company, due to “the ongoing uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariffs.”
In a statement to Daily Hive, Mayor Sim noted that Vancouver’s contract with Lime is likely here to stay.
“Lime won a competitive bidding process to operate Vancouver’s shared e-scooter system, and they have delivered on their commitments, including investing in local hiring and infrastructure,” stated Sim. “Our focus remains on ensuring the best possible service for Vancouverites and visitors.”
With files from Amir Ali