Guild Electric Ltd and Mark-All Services Inc both offered to do the job for exactly $111,242.55. Two other companies quoted much higher at $146,584.65 and $161,110.00. The City was then stuck with a dilemma. Neither companies had shown previous bad performance, so they couldn't be discounted from the tie. When turned over to the city's legal department, it was suggested a publicly announced and witnessed coin flipping should take place; if city council agreed, Guild Electric would be counted as heads, Mark-All as tails. The flip, performed by the purchasing and material management staff would determine the winner as being the party with their side facing upwards.
Councilor Doug Holyday of Ward 3, Etobicoke Centre suggested that, if agreed to, the contract could be split between the two entities, an idea criticized by Councillor Jane Pitfield, Ward 26, Don Valley West. As vice-chair of the Works Committee, she said that both it would be unpractical, and would possibly set a precedent for companies to "get together on the bid and split the contract."
The Canadian federal government has said its Competition Bureau would look into the matter to see if it "raises concerns with the Competition Act", but spokesperson Andre Leclair said that they allow the contract to go ahead.
The winner, not decided as of July 10, 2003 will have the contract to paint 427,000 metres of 10 centimetre wide centre lines, as well as 290,000 metres of 10 centimetre wide lane lines. The thickness of the dry paint must be 0.25 to 0.30 millimetres thick in the City of Toronto.