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It has become an unwelcomed scenario for many businesses the Ontario Chamber network is aiming to change.

Business owners/operators arrive one morning to discover thieves, typically under the cover of darkness, have smashed open electrical panels, gutted HVAC units, or tipped over transformers in effort to obtain the copper wire and utility components within and various metal fixtures.

These types of thefts began to gain attention approximately 20 years ago as global copper prices jumped, and later resurged in the mid-2020s due to do additional economic shifts.

Today, with the barrage of global technology booms, such as renewable energy, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence (AI), copper market prices have reached record highs making it a tempting commodity for thieves since they can easily strip away the plastic insulation and sell the bare wire to scrap yards.

Ontario accounts for approximately 58% to 63% of all copper thefts in the country, with industrial zones and regional municipal hubs – including Cambridge, Hamilton, Milton and Niagara – being identified by authorities as ‘hotspots’ for this criminal activity. Authorities say repeated targets in these areas include utility poles and commercial outdoor storage.

In Waterloo Region, well over $150,000 worth of copper wire was stolen in the last two years according to police netting thieves only a few dollars per pound but costing businesses thousands of dollars in terms of damages, repairs, construction delays, production stoppages and insurance premiums.

In effort to curtail a rise in these crimes, the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) conducted an initiative this past summer led by its South Division Crime Suppression, Analysis and Response team.

From mid-June to July 8, team members spent time providing business owners and construction site managers with security suggestions and additional officers were deployed to keep closer tabs in areas where copper thefts were more commonly reported, namely in the city’s north end and in Galt.

Policy adopted by Ontario network

“The initiative created meaningful engagement with local businesses, including stakeholders within the metal recycling industry,” says WRPS Superintendent Greg Hibbard, noting the extensive engagement it generated through a comprehensive social media campaign. “Overall, the campaign increased awareness of the impacts of metal theft, strengthened partnerships with affected sectors, and created opportunities for ongoing collaboration between police, businesses, and the broader community to address this issue.”

As well, Cambridge MP Connie Cody introduced a private member’s bill in March of this year to push for a crackdown on scrap yard dealers that buy or traffic stolen copper wire punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and a jail sentence of up to two years. The bill, entitled Protecting Canada’s Essential Infrastructure Metals Act, has yet to proceed through full debate or committee voting stages.

In absence of any concrete legislation, the Ontario Chamber network has stepped up by calling for the implementation of a standardized metal recycling framework provincewide by adopting a policy at its 2026 AGM earlier this year in Ottawa. 

The policy – entitled Turning Scrap into Strength: Provincial Metal Recycling Framework – was submitted by the Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant and co-sponsored by the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce.

After receiving approval from the Ontario Chamber network, it is now contained within the policy compedium of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce which it utilizes to advocate the Province of Ontario to implement changes that can benefit businesses.

“Coming into your business or workplace and discovering you’ve fallen victim to this type of crime not only creates a sense of violation but can be a huge blow for these businesses in terms of costs and time,” says Cambridge Chamber President & CEO Greg Durocher. “Hopefully, having this new framework in place will benefit many businesses who already have enough to deal with, especially as the trade war with the U.S. continues.”

Consistent provincial rules

The policy outlines several tasks and recommendations for the Province to undertake and implement to create this framework and preserve municipal authority. These include:

• Municipal-provincial co-ordination: Working with AMO (Association of Municipalities of Ontario), OBCM (Ontario Big City Mayors), and ROMA. (Rural Ontario Municipal Association) to align municipal licensing and salvage-yard bylaws with provincial requirements;
• Provincial standards: Create a consistent framework defining high-risk/prohibited materials, licensing requirements, and core enforcement and reporting tools;
• Stronger transaction controls: Require dealers to verify government-issued ID for restricted-metal transactions, keep electronic records for two years, and provide records to police using a standardized template;
• Traceable payments: Require non-cash, traceable payments for copper and other high-risk materials;
• Ongoing oversight: Publish annual data on metal theft and enforcement results, and regularly update the list of restricted/prohibited materials with input from municipalities, utilities, and industry.

The overall goal of these recommendations is to create consistent provincial rules, better transaction traceability, and stronger enforcement against metal theft, while maintaining an appropriate role for municipalities and consulting with the scrap metal industry.

“The Cambridge Chamber is proud to play a role in bringing this framework into the spotlight and is hopeful it will create a positive impact,” says Greg.

The WRPS also continues to do its part, noting even though its campaign has ended metal thefts remain an ongoing suppression priority for the department.

“Businesses play a critical role in preventing metal theft,” says Superintendent Hibbard. “WRPS encourages organizations to implement target hardening measures, apply Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles, maintain high-quality CCTV systems capable of capturing identifiable images, promptly report suspicious activity, and share surveillance footage with police when incidents occur.”