Ontario to cancel $100-million contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink, Premier Ford says

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday he was cancelling a $100-million provincial contract for rural satellite Internet with Starlink, a company controlled by billionaire Elon Musk, a key supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Ontario won’t do business with people hell-bent on destroying our economy,” Mr. Ford said in a statement issued by his Progressive Conservative Party re-election campaign.

Mr. Ford also said he was banning all U.S. companies from bidding on Ontario government contracts, until the 25 per cent U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods being imposed on Tuesday are removed.

“U.S.-based businesses will now lose out on tens of billions of dollars in new revenues,” he said. “They only have President Trump to blame.”

He said the ban means U.S. firms will miss out on any piece of the $30-billion in goods and services the Ontario government and its agencies procure from the private sector each year, as well as any future contracts awarded as part of the province’s planned $200-billion in infrastructure spending over the next decade.

Mr. Ford’s political rivals, NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, have both called for an end to the Starlink contract.

In a statement posted to “X” Monday, Ms. Crombie said it was the right decision but questioned why Mr. Ford entered into business with Mr. Musk to begin with.

“I’ve been calling to rip up the sweetheart deal Doug Ford gave Elon Musk on Starlink since inauguration. Glad it’s finally happening,” she wrote.

“But let’s be clear: this contract never should have been signed in the first place. Just another backtrack by Doug on his backward priorities.”

B.C., Quebec and Nova Scotia have also announced moves to restrict how their provinces do business with U.S. companies as retaliation for the tariffs.

Mr. Ford, and the governments of several provinces, have also announced bans on U.S. alcohol sales at provincial liquor stores.

-With files from Laura Stone