Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. Thank you for inviting me to take part in your study on the buy Canadian policy.
My name is James Yurichuk. I'm the founder and CEO of Wuxly. Wuxly is a Canadian-owned manufacturer of advanced outerwear, military soft goods and engineered textile systems.
Since launching in 2015, 99% of everything we've made has been made right here in Canada. We employ more than 50 people directly in Mississauga and 300 in a supply chain from coast to coast to coast. We're exactly the kind of company the buy Canadian policy is meant to support. We're Canadian-owned, Canadian-made and built on a domestic supply chain.
I'm here today because I believe Canada can be a global leader in sovereign, high-performance, cold-weather and soldier systems designed and built right here at home. Like a Swiss watch or an Italian suit, there's something special about Canadian-made outerwear. The buy Canadian policy should take note of this, because there's an opportunity to strengthen Canada's global reputation.
Canadian preference should be strongest in sectors where supply disruption creates national security risks, including defence textiles, PPE, Arctic gear and public safety uniforms. We should treat and prioritize them just as we do critical minerals, steel, aluminum and wood products. If Canada cannot design, engineer and manufacture critical soft goods domestically by Canadian companies, then we are exposed.
We saw this when COVID hit. Wuxly maintained its Canadian supply chain, so we were able to quickly pivot. We produced more than 10 million pieces of PPE for Canada here at home, for frontline workers, when they needed it the most.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, standing by was never an option. Wuxly evolved again and delivered more than 250,000 military soft goods to Europe. Here in Canada we have quickly become a world leader in female combat uniforms, with over 40,000 sets delivered to Ukraine, along with sleeping bags, parkas, tank covers and various soft goods that were all made in Canada.
Today, our engineered textiles are tested, trusted and used in the harshest conditions in the world. We have the domestic industry to build on, but this industry is becoming fragile. According to ISED's numbers, Canada imports roughly 17 billion dollars' worth of apparel imports each year. Too many of those are resold by foreign-owned firms, hollowing out our Canadian operations, talent and IP, with billions and billions of dollars ultimately leaving our economy. Sadly, contributing to this grand number are military clothing imports from Asia, which Canada continues to allow to clothe our Canadian Armed Forces.
Sovereignty is not just about fighter jets, shipyards and exquisite systems. Canada has a real strategic advantage in cold-weather and Arctic textile systems, and our allies are taking notice. We can't let this opportunity slip by. Demand is growing at home and abroad, and deployments are only increasing year after year. This is where Canada can truly lead. Given the room to grow, we can create thousands of jobs and bring real skills back to the places that lost them.
That is why the buy Canadian policy matters, and that is why it is the right direction. Its success will come down to how it is implemented. Today, a product can be called Canadian while the ownership, IP and value chain sit offshore. Enough with the maple washing. True domestic value means Canadian ownership and IP, Canadian manufacturing and Canadian suppliers—not just the seller's address or office.
We have to treat technical textiles and defence soft goods as strategic industrial capabilities, just like wood and steel. That means secure supply chains, speed when a crisis comes, stronger quality control in jobs and skills, and know-how that stays in this country.
As a Canadian company, we're asking for a fair opportunity to compete at this pivotal moment—not just for now but for the long term. When the world thinks about gear built for the extreme cold and harsh operating conditions, Canada should be the country it thinks of. We have the expertise, environment, climate and industrial base to build on. The question before this committee is whether we choose now to be that country.
In my former career as a CFL player, my coach used to preach that we have to be brilliant at the basics. For Canada, this means getting the fundamentals of this policy right so that we can maximize its full potential.
For the soldiers protecting this country and representing Canada around the world, and for the allies who are counting on us, let's reawaken the Canadian textile industry. Let's make the world's best outerwear right here at home in Canada.
Thank you. I look forward to your questions.