With recent discussions about a 25% tariff on products coming to Canada, people have been talking more about shopping for Canadian products. To many people, this isn’t a new concept. Many of us attempted to shop in Canada before any tariff threat. After all, we wanted to support our country, workers, and people. But why does it take a tariff threat to encourage loyalty to our country?
There's been a lot of talk lately about Canadians being discouraged from loving their country. I was brought up to have pride in Canada, to sing our national anthem in school, and to believe we're the greatest country in the world. Is that still the case? Do Canadians still have loyalty to their country? We certainly aren’t encouraged to with our government. And if we step away from that whole can of worms (and it is, once you start digging - a whole other topic for another day) why would we go for the foreign companies and products and not buy from Canada?
It's the price. Many people will tell you that foreign chains are cheaper. Maybe they have different products that are more appealing, but also you have to consider that less manufacturing is done in Canada now.
I remember when I was a teenager, I loved to shop in Moncton, NB. I had the chance to get off the island and see more selection than was available on PEI. One store I often shopped at was Bootlegger and I remember even as a kid, I would check the tags and be happy to see that (at that time) the clothing said 'Made in Canada'. Now my memory may be a bit hazy, after all, it's been a minute, but I'm pretty sure this was a possibility back in the day. Good luck finding that now.
I currently live in a rural area and try to shop in my community as much as possible. If I had a family, perhaps the lure of shopping in a larger area would have more appeal since there would be more mouths to feed on a budget. However, I try to shop for sales (and stock up!), and if I can't find what I want here, I try to shop for Canadian stores online. If I order from Amazon, I buy a gift card at a local store, so they at least get a sale. Maybe it's not much, but it's something. I've researched companies to make sure they're Canadian. And sure, they probably have products made in other countries, but at least I'm helping keep a Canadian business going, keeping their staff working. Having worked retail, I know that does make a difference. No business means no hours.
It takes time and a little research, but in the end, it's worth it.
