On Monday afternoon, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a temporary pause on U.S. tariffs, marking a significant shift just hours before the 25 per cent tariffs were set to take effect on Canadian goods.
Trudeau described the meeting with President Donald Trump as a “good call,” with the tariffs on incoming Canadian products and Canada’s retaliatory measures being put on hold for at least the next 30 days.
Although this pause does offer some temporary relief for many businesses on both sides of the border, there’s still a strong sentiment among Canadian residents to support homegrown products.
Far before the tariffs talks began, a growing number of small businesses in Toronto made it their mission to champion locally-made products, including City Cottage Market.
Located at 1666 Kingston Road in Scarborough, the shop was founded in 2021 to support local food entrepreneurs.
Co-founders Daniel and Liana Naraine source over 90 per cent of their product range from local suppliers across a variety of categories, including chef-prepared meals, cheese, wine, cocktails, snacks, coffee and tea.
The duo voiced their commitment to keeping the majority of their product range Canadian, while consistently searching for local alternatives to replace American imports.
“We’re always on the hunt for new Canadian, Toronto, and Ontario local products. We’re expanding that category altogether,” Daniel explained. “We’re always looking to find comparables to U.S. products.”
In light of the tariff news, the business saw an influx of customers coming in over the weekend as more and more Canadians vowed to avoid U.S.-made products.
“Sunday is usually our slower day of the week, and it quickly turned around to be one of the busiest days,” Daniel said.
“We’re still in a position where we can work with smaller businesses and try not to exclude every single American product that’s out there. If we can find something that is comparable to a U.S. product, 100 per cent we have no problem switching that to a Canadian product. That’s what we’ve been trying to do since day one.”
The couple emphasized that large retailers that might still have Canadian-made products might be less connected to independent producers, and thus have less knowledge of the kinds of products they’re offering.
“The one thing I was noticing is people are saying don’t buy Coca-Cola, but go to Loblaws and buy the next big conglomerate that’s Canadian. That’s great, but Loblaws isn’t known for supporting small businesses, Metro isn’t known for supporting small businesses,” Daniel said.
“Those big conglomerates, although they are Canadian products, they have the ability to absorb these tariffs and survive. A lot of these small businesses that we support, don’t have that ability,” Liana said.
“That’s why it’s not just about supporting local, it’s about supporting local and small.”
For those wanting to shop Canadian, Daniel and Liana emphasized the importance of supporting local small businesses, including their partners 100km Foods, Woodward Meats, Blackbird Baking Co., and De Mello Coffee.
“A huge majority of Canada’s economy comes from small businesses, and this is really the time for Canadians to show up for them and support them. It’s amazing that this message is coming across now,” Liana said.
Over at 29 McCaul St., Tuck Shop Provisions offers a different yet equally important take on supporting Canadian businesses.
The shop began with a focus on fashion and design in 1996 and has since evolved into a snack and coffee bar that exclusively carries Canadian-made products, including brands like Osha Mae, Smoke and Tears, and Decadence Chocolates.
Owner of Tuck Shop Provisions, Asha-Anne Middleton originally envisioned a space that allowed Toronto residents to shop for Canadian-made products without breaking the bank.
“We have ALWAYS ONLY stocked Canadian products,” Middleton proudly stated on Instagram.
Despite the challenges associated with price increases over the past few years, Tuck Shop Provisions remains committed to keeping its prices affordable for customers.
“I’m concerned about the people in Toronto who have very limited spending budgets with their cost of living. I know that everyone wants to shop at small boutiques, but Canadian-made products are not as cheap as going to No Frills,” Middleton told blogTO.
“It’s great to educate people and for us all to get involved. We’re not going to raise any prices. Unfortunately, our margins have gone down over the last couple of years with price increases, but we’re determined to keep our prices the same for customers.”
