Canadian Legislative Conference: TRSA Members Bring Message to Parliament

TRSA members gathered in Ottawa for the Canadian Legislative Conference, taking the linen, uniform and facility services industry’s message directly to federal policymakers. The conference brought 20 TRSA member representatives to Parliament Hill for 12 legislative visits with members of Parliament and a senator, underscoring the industry’s commitment to advocacy, investment and long-term competitiveness in Canada.

The conference agenda centered on a full day of advocacy meetings and member engagement. Legislative visits began at 9 a.m. with MP Peter Fragiskatos and continued throughout the morning with meetings including Sen. Daryl Fridhandler, MP Billy Morin, MP Brad Vis, MP Ziaad Aboultaif, MP Anthony Housefather and MP James Maloney. Afternoon highlights included meetings with Ali Ehsassi, MP Amanpreet Gill, MP Arpan Khanna, MP Sandra Cobena and Vince Gasparro, giving TRSA members multiple opportunities to discuss the industry’s priorities with federal decisionmakers.

“TRSA has made a significant investment in advocating for the industry in Canada,” said Joseph Ricci, president & CEO of TRSA. “However, even with a hired firm, TRSA members make the best ‘lobbyists’ for the industry, which showed during this conference.”

During these visits, TRSA members emphasized the essential role of Canada’s linen, uniform and facility services industry, which employs 10,700 people at 300 facilities across the country. Members explained that the industry supports healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, government and other critical sectors by supplying, laundering and maintaining reusable textiles that help businesses provide clean, safe environments every day.

A central focus of the conference was TRSA’s request that the government of Canada clearly recognize industrial laundries as manufacturers for purposes of the Capital Cost Allowance, or CCA. Under Budget 2025, federal tax changes allow manufacturers, for a limited time, to claim CCA at a rate of 100% when purchasing manufacturing equipment or qualifying buildings. TRSA members explained that industrial laundries rely on capital-intensive equipment and facilities, and that access to immediate expensing would help companies modernize operations, support workers and customers, and strengthen Canada’s domestic service infrastructure.

CCA treatment has a direct impact on laundries because the industry depends on large, ongoing investments in equipment, facilities and technology. Under standard CCA rules, businesses generally recover the cost of depreciable property over time, which can slow the return on major investments. TRSA members emphasized that recognizing industrial laundries as manufacturing or processing operations would allow companies to deduct qualifying capital costs more quickly, improving cash flow and supporting investments in automation, energy efficiency, water conservation, plant modernization and expanded service capacity.

TRSA’s message was straightforward: industrial laundries transform soiled, unusable textiles into clean, safe and reusable products through a controlled industrial process and should be treated accordingly under Canadian tax policy. Members urged the Canada Revenue Agency to issue interpretive guidance confirming that industrial laundry capital investments qualify for manufacturing CCA incentives, while also encouraging Finance Canada to advance regulatory or legislative clarification explicitly including industrial laundries in manufacturing investment incentives.

The Canadian Legislative Conference also served as an important opportunity for members from across the linen, uniform and facility services supply chain to coordinate their advocacy message. Participants represented operating companies and supplier partners, including Cintas, Ecotex, HLS Linen Services, K-Bro Linen Systems, UniFirst, George Courey Inc., MIP, JENSEN, Kannegiesser, Tingue, Pellerin Milnor and others.

By participating in the legislative visits in a single day, TRSA members demonstrated the industry’s ability to organize around a clear policy priority and communicate its economic value to policymakers. The conference reinforced the importance of member engagement in advancing policies that support capital investment, job creation and the continued resilience of Canada’s linen, uniform and facility services industry.

To keep the momentum growing, be sure to attend the Canadian Summit in Toronto at the Hyatt Regency Toronto on Oct. 28-29. Click here to register for the summit.