It was 1 p.m. when I went to the LCBO just east of Oakwood. It was the day after Trump imposed his tariffs. It was cold and windy. There weren’t many people out shopping. I asked five people if they were buying Canadian.
At the LCBO, the cashier told me everyone who walked in asked the same thing, “Did you really remove American off the shelves?” They did. I saw a huge empty space on a shelf where there were once California wines. I asked if folks left because of the ban. The cashier said no, they kept on shopping.
So did I.
I asked the LCBO’s local wine expert what he recommended to replace California wine. He suggested one brand from Niagara. At the register, a guy in front of me with a Molson six-pack in his hand said, “I’m Canadian. This is what I buy.”
After buying the Niagara wine, I walked outside the LCBO on my way to Luciano’s No Frills on Alberta Avenue. I asked people passing by the same question. Did Trump affect your shopping? A woman with an LCBO bag who didn’t want to stop said, “Yeah, I already switched. I’m buying Canadian,” and kept on walking.
Another shopper, Ashley, said she was looking for alternatives. “Most of the meat available has gone up considerably, so I’m trying to find protein in legumes and beans, which isn’t as exciting, but you have to get your protein somehow.”
Inside No Frills, I noticed that there was no produce from the U.S. There were Canadian apples. Spanish oranges. South African grapes. It looked like a coordinated effort to bypass American produce. I asked the cashier about it. She said yes, they were doing that on purpose. She hoped shoppers would be ok with switching.
She made a good point. It’s not easy to switch products after you got used to the taste of your regular brands. I like California oranges. I don’t want to switch to oranges from Spain, but I’ll do it because of Trump’s economic war. The same goes for wine.
The shoppers I spoke to inside were also making the switch and leaving American products behind.
Alyson said that Canadian companies like Loblaws need to do more to help Canadians trying to buy Canadian products. “Something has to give. Loblaws, all these stores that are Canadian, they need to bring their prices down. I know COVID hit them hard, but they made a lot of money during that period, so I think it’s time for them to bite the bullet.”
Ja Marie was looking for Canadian products. “I’m definitely trying to buy Canadian as much as possible, buying organic from Canadian farms. I’m also trying to get a subscription for Odd Box Canada which allows Canadian farmers and Canadian workers to be able to sell their products for a lower price, so it’s really been helping as well.”
Canadian patriotism felt strong in the Midtown, but it was quiet. No one was waving the Canadian flag shouting “Freedom!” They were politely defending Canada while shopping.
But not everyone was entirely on side. “I’m not going to pay more just because it’s Canadian,” said Frank, a fellow Oakwood Villager. “I’ll keep buying the cheapest I can find.”
It’s not going to be easy fighting against Trump’s trade war, but four out of five locals I spoke to are already doing it.
