By Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal The Anishnawbe Business Professional Association (ABPA) is forewarning that the newly enacted Buy Ontario Act, 2025 (Bill 72), systematically excludes First Nations businesses and threatens to widen the economic gap in Northern Ontario. Jason Rasevych, ABPA president, said the association has submitted a strategic review in a letter to Stephen Crawford, Ontario minister of public and business service delivery and procurement. In the letter, ABPA argues that while the act aims to prioritize Ontario businesses, its definitions favour southern, urban, and non-Indigenous entities. Rasevych told The Chronicle-Journal that the legislation ignores the reality of the Northern economy and the constitutionally distinct status of First Nations by setting rigid thresholds for employee counts and permanent headquarters. He called the Buy Ontario Act,…
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