Ottawa's own Shopify — one of Canada's most prominent tech success stories — is speaking out against federal Bill C-22, with the company's policy chief warning the proposed legislation could handicap Canadian tech companies in an increasingly competitive global market.
What Is Bill C-22?
Bill C-22 is federal legislation aimed at regulating aspects of Canada's digital economy. While the bill's stated intent is to modernize how Canada governs technology and online platforms, Shopify's policy leadership argues the current draft goes too far — and in the wrong direction.
The concern isn't just abstract policy wonkery. For a company like Shopify, which was founded in Ottawa and remains deeply tied to the city's tech ecosystem, the stakes are very real.
Shopify's Concern
Shopify's policy chief has said publicly that Bill C-22, as currently written, could create regulatory burdens that don't exist in the United States, the European Union, or other major tech markets. That kind of asymmetry, they argue, puts Canadian companies at a structural disadvantage — making it harder to attract talent, investment, and partnerships.
The worry is that well-intentioned regulation could end up pushing innovation offshore, or discouraging the kind of risk-taking that produced companies like Shopify in the first place.
Why Ottawa Should Pay Attention
Ottawa's tech scene — anchored by Shopify's downtown headquarters and the sprawling cluster of companies in Kanata North — has grown into one of Canada's most significant innovation hubs. When a company of Shopify's scale sounds the alarm on federal policy, it's worth listening.
The city has spent years cultivating its reputation as a serious tech destination, drawing startups, scale-ups, and global companies eager to tap into local talent from Carleton University, uOttawa, and Algonquin College. Legislation that makes Canada a harder place to build a tech company doesn't just hurt Shopify — it affects the entire ecosystem that Ottawa has worked hard to build.
The Broader Debate
Shopify isn't alone in its concerns. Other Canadian tech voices have flagged similar issues with how Bill C-22 is structured, arguing that Canada needs smarter regulation — not heavier regulation — to stay competitive.
At the same time, proponents of the bill say some level of oversight is necessary to protect consumers and ensure accountability from large platforms. The debate reflects a genuine tension that governments around the world are wrestling with: how do you regulate a fast-moving industry without strangling the innovation that makes it valuable?
What Happens Next?
Bill C-22 is still working its way through the federal legislative process, which means there's still time for amendments. Shopify and other industry voices are clearly hoping to influence how the final version of the bill looks.
For Ottawa's tech community, the outcome matters. This city has produced a company worth tens of billions of dollars. Whether Canada's regulatory environment helps or hinders the next Shopify is a question that deserves serious attention — not just in Ottawa, but in Parliament Hill, which sits just a few kilometres away.
Source: Financial Post via Google News Ottawa
