With ongoing uncertainty around international tariffs, city councillors are encouraging residents to support local businesses and boost the domestic economy.
Alta Vista Ward Coun. Marty Carr spent the day visiting shops along St. Laurent Boulevard, handing out ‘Shop Local, Buy Canadian’ stickers as part of a city initiative to strengthen Canadian industry in the face of economic tensions with the U.S.
“I took the opportunity to bring my team out around the ward to introduce myself to businesses, and to just let them know who I am and to speak to customers and talk to them about the importance of buying local,” says Carr.
“It’s my intention to support these stores and the local piece is really important. Certainly, we want to support Canadian businesses, but I think we also have to remember that we have to support the business itself. I’ve talked to a lot of small businesses that have purchased a lot of product before the tariff war hit and they’re dealing with challenges with overstock right now as people have navigated towards buying Canadian.”
At North of 7 Distillery, owner Greg Lipin says the message resonates. For over a decade, Lipin has crafted rum, vodka and Canadian whisky using local ingredients. He says that now, more than ever, it’s critical for Canadians to support one another.
“We’ve been selling a huge amount of our traditional bourbon-style whisky, which we can’t call bourbon. It’s Canadian whisky,” says Lipin, adding the small-batch spirit has been pouring off the shelf. “It’s been good for us and people have been reaching out and asking about our spirits and where they’re made which is here.”
Distillery customer Andrew Lawford says shopping local and Canadian has always been a priority for him.
“This is a great product and it’s worth every penny,” he said.
“We as a family generally make an effort when we go to Farm Boy or to No Frills, to purchase fruits and vegetables that are Canadian. This is now an opportunity to reinforce why we should be doing this and I think more than ever now, it’s something we should be doing.”
At nearby SuzyQ Donuts, manager Katie Charron quickly added the sticker to the storefront window. The gourmet donut shop sources most of its ingredients from within Canada, and Charron says customers are increasingly asking where ingredients come from.
“We buy local dairy and local bacon from just up the street and we use a lot of local suppliers as well,” says Charron. “It’s important to encourage people in the community to come and shop local and to support local businesses. We want people to know that we’re here putting in the work and that we care.”
Nationally, the ‘Buy Canadian’ movement has gained momentum amid trade tensions and U.S. tariff threats. Economists note it could add up to $10 billion annually to the Canadian economy, even as consumers face higher costs and limited options in sectors like automotive, clothing, and electronics.
Still, a survey conducted by Dalhousie University’s food analytics lab suggest most Canadians are willing to pay a more for groceries to keep their dollars at home, a sign that patriotism at the cash register may have staying power, for now.
“There’s the pro-Canadian product movement, but there’s also the anti-American movement that is pushing people towards Canadian products,” said lab professor, Sylvain Charlebois, adding that many Canadian grocery products tend to cost more than U.S. products because of supply and demand.
“Food inflation was not an issue for the last few months, but based on today’s data, food inflation is starting to increase, now, at 3.2 per cent. In fact, our food inflation is higher than America is right now. So, I do think that people will start to go back to their budgets a little bit.”
There are signs Canadians are keeping more of their spending north of the border too. Statistics Canada reports that the number of Canadians returning from the U.S. by vehicle dropped nearly 32 per cent in March.
“Really it’s about supporting the business, supporting local,” says Carr. “Making sure that we have these businesses in our community that they are thriving.”
