Last Thursday Global News reported how the province was planning to buy 5,000 Yeti water bottles for paramedics, costing up to $80 each.

BC Emergency Health Services posted the invitation to quote on the BC Bid website.

Yeti is based in Texas and only days earlier Premier David Eby said “I’m sending directions to crown corporations, to the heads of government, to do a few things. One is to look at your contracts. Can you cancel contracts with American companies and replace them with Canadian companies?”

Minutes after our inquiry, that Yeti bid was cancelled.

We were told, “Provincial Health Service Authority Supply Chain has decided to pause the bid.” Adding that upon further review, “we recognize that using Canadian re-sellers of American goods, might fall outside the B.C. government’s expectations.”

1:46 B.C. Emergency Health Services water bottle controversy

Now the owner of a B.C.-based water bottle company says he would like to bid on the contract.

Travis Haruki Evans says his Haruki brand bottles are similar to Yeti. Both companies use factories in Asia, but his are a lot less expensive.

Evans told Global News “our water bottles are about 25 dollars depending on what size you get. We have 40 ounces and 60 ounces and they’re about 25 to 35 dollars.”

At that price the savings would potentially be more than two hundred thousand dollars. Provincial Health Services says it looks forward to reposting the bid.

Evans says he looks forward to bidding on the contract.

Conservative leader John Rustad commented, “so when I look at all procurement, I think we should be having a B.C. or Canada first approach. I think that’s a good thing to do.”

The water bottles have been provided for paramedics since the 2021 heat dome.