42nd&Grace

Elbows up. Go Canada Go. Goose the Orange Bully.

I’m here for it all. 

The fact is our bombastic neighbour to the south has inadvertently sparked a sense of national unity usually reserved for Olympic gold medal games, the legacy of Terry Fox and a fierce belief in universal healthcare.

But let’s be clear: Americans, overall, are not the problem. This mess is the handiwork of an addled president – and yes, perhaps “Addled President” deserves caps out of sheer, ironic formality – and his shameless acolytes.

There are also polls that show Mark Carney’s stance is supported by a large majority of Canadians and Americans. Everyone knows the bully is just pouting and there is a collective hope that the upcoming midterms will signal a slow return to a semblance of sanity.

In the meantime, stands must be made – Buy Canadian has become the new national mantra.

While that should be our default position whenever possible, a corporate paradox makes this awkward. Consider two giants: Tim Hortons and Costco.

Tim’s loves to wrap itself in the Maple Leaf, aggressively commercializing its roots as a homegrown success story. The reality? The company is owned by a Brazilian multinational, which bought it from American investors. Making matters worse, the quality and service have steadily declined, the donuts are no longer baked fresh in-house and the parent company is notorious for squeezing both employees and franchisees.

In contrast, Costco is a massive American corporation that sells in bulk out of buildings with all the aesthetic charm of an airplane hangar. Yet, Costco is widely recognized for treating its workers exceptionally well, offering strong pay and excellent benefits (not to forget the hot dogs). It fills a genuine consumer niche. Canada doesn’t really have a direct counterpart, unless you count the Real Canadian Superstore, which is owned by the fabulously wealthy (and frequently criticized) Weston dynasty.

This leaves us with a modern Canadian dilemma: Do you support a company blindly just because it brandishes historical Canadian roots? Do you punish local workers just because their paycheck comes from an American headquarters? Is there a “third rail” we can ride when navigating these retaliatory tariffs?

I’ve chosen Option Three: Pragmatic Patriotism.

For me, that means British Columbia blueberries are an absolute yes. Locally grown vegetables? Always. But the cat’s preferred food gets bought wherever it’s made, because cats are notoriously finicky and don’t care about trade wars. Costco ground turkey stays on the menu because it makes economic sense. And since I’m not a drinker, boycotting American booze doesn’t cost me a thing

Listening to President Trump spout nonsense about the low Canadian dollar only reinforces his profound economic illiteracy. Just as he falsely believes American consumers don’t pay the price for his tariffs, he fails to realize that a lower loonie simply means the U.S. can buy Canadian oil and potash at a discount. Conversely, raising the loonie boosts our domestic purchasing power while driving up costs for American buyers. He is hurting his own base while trying to squeeze us.

At the end of the day, standing up to this economic bullying will come with a price tag. But it is a battle entirely worth fighting. As supply chains shift and costs inevitably rise, I will enthusiastically support Canadian producers but I will also make smart financial decisions for my own household.

The economic pain will be real, but it won’t be eternal. Elbows up, Canada.