Is the ‘Buy Canadian’ movement still a thing over a year later?

Canadian and American flags fly near the Ambassador Bridge at the Canada/USA border crossing in Windsor, Ont. on Saturday, March 21, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rob Gurdebeke

It has been over a year since the ‘Buy Canadian and ‘Elbows Up’ initiatives began. Are they still a thing now?

“Not as much as it was a while ago but there’s still quite a few people that are firm on it, that still like to buy Canadian,” said Fred Bouzide, owner of Fred’s Farm Fresh who always looks to buy Canadian first, but some things are not in season.

“Right now, certain things are not coming out of Canada. No blueberries, no strawberries, no cherries, no corn, no fruit so we import all of that.”

Agriculture falls into the CUSMA agreement. However, the ongoing trade war with the U.S. and upcoming CUSMA negotiations casts uncertainty over the sector.

“The silence from the federal government and lack of information sharing is concerning. It’s stalling investment, it’s stalling future plans and ultimately, we need some certainty to ensure that product continues to flow freely,” said Richard Lee, Executive Director of Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers.

“You’re making decision now that will dictate what happens next year so any intel that we can garner we’re happy to receive it.”

Guy Cameron says weather and climate impacts are making the greenhouse industry attractive with many retailers down south looking north for support.

“Probably 60 to 70 percent of what we grow does go to the U.S.” he said.

“Love the fact that the industries, the chambers here are really looking at ways to promote Canadian grown.”

An information session was held at the Ciociaro Club hosted by the Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce with the help of Senator Sandra Pupatello’s office.

There are demands in certain fields and the government is trying to facilitate Canadian companies executing successful bids.

“We’re doing events like today making sure that the right businesses are in the room and hearing from the right people at the federal level to ensure that those dollars flow to Windsor-Essex,” said Ryan Donally, CEO of the Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce.

Pupatello says the government is procuring $300 billion a year.

“It could be a service contract so once the building is built, they could do maintenance. They could do electrical support. They could do IT support from anywhere in the country for a project that’s in Vancouver,” she explained.

More information on that is available on Canada’s website.

Businesses check off all the services they can provide.

“The more boxes you tick, the more information you’re going to get when there’s a contract being let in that space, and that’s really important for our companies who many of them have never been doing business with government,” said Pupatello.

Government officials say there are many opportunities and the need to tap into them comes at the right time.

“That has really opened the doors to the companies taking this opportunity seriously and working towards those designations greater than they have before,” said Richard Janik, who is a monitor for the career ready program through the Canadian Tooling Machining Association.

He explained businesses had to seek opportunities in the past.

“Now you have to explore opportunities greater than you did before because of the changing landscape and the economic factors that are prevailing,” he said.