Many local people are doing their best to support Canada with their wallets.
Since American President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on Canadian products, more consumers are choosing Canadian and, where possible, avoiding American goods.
"I always try to buy Canadian. I really believe in Canadian farmers," said Heather Rogers, of Sebright. "Now, I believe we have to be even more diligent in buying Canadian."
Rogers said she reads all the product labels and searches company names on the internet to check on their Canadian roots.
"I would go without purchasing things if it wasn't Canadian. It's really important to me. I'm not interested in being a 51st state. I really enjoy Canada the way it is," Rogers said.
Midland resident John LeBarron said he's changed his buying habits, not because Trump got elected, but because Trump is imposing tariff threats.
"Ever since that started, we started making an effort to buy Canadian or at least not U.S. Mexico, South America is OK, but we're basically boycotting anything that's U.S.," he said.
LeBarron said it's challenging because it's, at times, not easy to tell if something is made in Canada.
"It's difficult in the winter," he said.
Many local grocers are responding by flagging Canadian products with signage.
"We've always tried to support local and buy local as much as we can," said Andrew Johnson, manager of Country Produce in Orillia.
"When all the tariff noise started to happen and we had customers asking what was Canadian, we decided it would be best to help out and show what we have," he said.
The store responded by placing small Canadian flags on products such as Shaw's Maple Syrup, Orillia Honey, and produce grown in Ontario greenhouses such as cucumbers and tomatoes.
Country's Produce's meat is 100 per cent Canadian and a lot of fish is as well, such as pickerel, said Johnson. The majority of space on the cheese counter is Canadian product made by Balderson, Oka, Castello, Maple Dale Cheese Co., Saputo, Woolrich and TreStelle.
The store carries Ontario milk from Kawartha Dairy and Miller Dairy and Ontario eggs from Homestead Farms.
Obviously, in the winter, some of the produce is from the U.S.A. and other countries, Johnson noted.
"We try to label everything so customers know what they are purchasing," he said.
Graham and Trudy Harwood, of Orillia, who shop at Country Produce, Costco, Zehrs and Metro, are not buying American.
"We normally do a lot of shopping at Costco. Now we check to see where everything is coming from," Graham said.
"As long as it's not from the United States. If it's made in the United States, we pass on it. We don't think it's going to make a lot of difference but it's a good start," Graham said.
Trudy reads the labels, saying, "We are really conscious of what we are buying," she said.
Trudy says she will continue to support some American companies. "If it's being processed here in Canada and it's employing Canadians, we want Canadians to have their jobs," she said.
USING TECH TO BUY CANADIAN
There are several social media sites and apps for phones that help people buy Canadian.
Facebook pages include:
3. Canadian brands and Products
Apps that can be downloaded onto a phone for free include:
- Is This Canadian?
- I Buy Canadian
- Maple Scan: Buy Canadian
- OSCANada
- Buy Beaver: Canadian
- Shop Canadian
Shop Canadian was created by Canadians Matthew Suddaby and William Boytink who wrote on its website, that it was "borne out of a desire to keep our dollars in Canada, ensuring your purchases help strengthen the economy during these tough times."