09-05-2025
Readers offer their picks for Buying Canadian
Rod Sheridan enjoys an evening lounging in his Toronto home, skimming the Lee Valley Tools 2025 product catalogue – or what his wife jokingly calls 'tool porn.'
He's a loyal customer of the family-owned Canadian company that's been selling woodworking and home repair tools, gardening items, and kitchenware for more than 45 years. And he's one of many patriotic shoppers who are advocating for Canadian brands amid the current U.S.-Canada trade war.
When The Globe launched its Buy Canadian Guide this winter, it received more than 300 reader recommendations for Canadian-made products, ranging from artisan pyjamas from Bowen Island to iceberg-infused skincare from Newfoundland.
'At a time when we're worrying about trade with unreliable partners and the economic costs of tariffs, Lee Valley actually [makes] products that enable you to [save],' Mr. Sheridan said.
The Big Guide to Canadian Shopping
The retired electrical technologist and woodworking enthusiast recalls the time he bought a try-square from Lee Valley made of rosewood with a brass insert. 'It was gorgeous,' he said while sitting in his living room, admiring the hardwood floors and the various furniture he's made over the years – all with supplies purchased from Lee Valley.
Mr. Sheridan also points to the environmental benefits of buying quality-made Canadian goods. 'We're filling the landfill up with junk,' he said. 'My mom had one kettle during her lifetime [and] it's actually recyclable because it's stainless steel, so it could get smelted down, [not like] the $20 plastic one you buy at Walmart.'
And when it comes to food, folks like Mr. Sheridan know how to make do with what they have. 'I probably never had a kiwi or an avocado until I was an adult,' he said. 'Apples survive the winter [so] we had apples since we could grow them.'
Accessing quality produce year-round isn't an issue for Jennifer Panek however, who's been frequenting the Ottawa Farmers' Market since the threat of tariffs. 'I'm definitely trying to avoid U.S. products quite deliberately,' she said. 'I'm someone who's gone almost completely local for food.'
Ms. Panek supports local producers whenever she can including artisan chocolate makers like Toronto-based ChocoSol whose fresh bean-to-bar products can be found in natural food stores and online, even through monthly subscriptions.
Despite living in an urban area, there are items that are hard to source for Ms. Panek. 'Medium-grain rice seems to be all imported from the U.S. even at local Asian grocery stores,' she said.
Vancouver resident Angela Tai has several suggestions for those looking for Asian-Canadian products. One of her beloved brands is Sunrise Soya Foods, a family-owned and operated business from Vancouver that makes a wide range of soy products, including desserts and beverages. With a goal 'to have tofu in every fridge in Canada,' its products are now readily available at major grocery stores.
Opinion: Forget 'Buy Canadian.' 'Travel Canadian' is actually making a difference
Businesses too are celebrating the 'Buy Canadian' movement and seeing an uptick in patriotic customers. Take for example, Canadian burger chain, A&W, with some of their 1,050 franchisees across the country changing their logo to 'Eh & W.'
'We're hearing from our guests that they're coming to A&W because we are a Canadian business and they want to support us,' the company said in an e-mail statement.
The continuing economic uncertainty has amplified efforts by businesses to champion Canadian products. For instance, grocery retailer Save-On-Foods has displayed 'Product of Canada' and 'Made in Canada' signs on store shelves and added a 'Shop Canadian' page on their online platform. (Other grocery chains are using similar approaches.)
The company which operates 187 Save-On-Foods locations across Western Canada, sources products from more than 2,000 local suppliers, and has seen a noticeable shift in customers choosing Canadian options first, according to Ben Harrack, senior vice-president for owner Pattison Food Group. 'We have definitely seen an increase in demand for Canadian products within our stores,' he said.
Despite the proliferation of Buy Canadian branding, some consumers still struggle to find domestic products in certain categories. Cathy Farr of Guelph, Ont., has been disappointed to find out that most everyday items for her pets are imported from the U.S. 'Has this country fallen so far down that we have to import kitty litter? I'm pretty sure I could go and dig some sand out of the backyard,' she said.
Writing letters to retailers and making the extra effort to source Canadian goods has become a hobby for the 75-year-old. She's managed to find one Canadian brand, Green Beaver that makes all-natural personal care products. Her favourites are their mint hand soap, citrus deodorant, and cinnamon toothpaste.
Ms. Farr sees buying Canadian as a way of contributing to her community that she foresees being hit hard by auto tariffs. 'I wish I had the means to buy a steel plant, but the way I look at it is, if enough Canadians buy enough Canadian-made products, whether it's a tube of toothpaste or hand soap, then the owner of that company can maybe buy a new truck,' she said.
For Mr. Sheridan, the tariff war is about consciously stopping purchases from U.S. companies too. '[Tariffs] are not things you take lightly,' he said. 'Once somebody shows you what they're like, believe them.'
