On Feb. 24, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that his plan to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian merchandise will take effect on March 4. Earlier this month, in response to Trump’s prior economic threats, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada would hit back with 25 per cent tariffs against $155 billion worth of American goods. Trudeau’s proposed tariffs, if implemented, will raise the costs of items imported from America—costs that will have to be carried by Canadian citizens.
During his address to the Canadian people on Feb. 1, Trudeau acknowledged the inconvenience citizens will face in the event of a trade war with the U.S., imploring Canadians everywhere to “choose Canada.” Though there are several ways to show support for the country, an understandable emphasis has been on consumer goods. Wherever possible, Canadians were asked to support Canada with their dollars.
The news of the American tariffs and Trudeau’s response have spurred many Canadians to action, reigniting a sense of patriotism and national pride.
Much has been the same for TRU students, many of whom have kept up with the current political discourse and dedicated themselves to the buy Canadian mantra.
“Made in Canada means using Canadian resources and Canadian labour,” Cole Etherington, a second-year student of the policing and justice program, said. “Assembled in Canada does not necessarily mean made in Canada, so you have to be careful. Buying Canadian means everything is manufactured and sourced here, and it never crosses the border.”
Victoria Warner, a second-year communication student, said she and her family have been actively buying Canadian long before any talk of tariffs. As a result, she has developed an eye for picking out locally sourced and locally produced goods.
“We’ve always been a big believer of knowing where our food comes from,” Warner said. “I feel like I’m lucky because I was taught at a really young age [how] to identify Canadian and B.C. products.”
Not everyone boasts a similar consumer consciousness, though. In fact, many students admit to not having thought twice about buying Canadian before this year.
“I didn’t really focus on Canadian stuff growing up,” Ty Jarman, a second-year policing and justice student, said. “I just looked at things I thought were cool and asked my mum to buy it. I didn’t really think about if it was Canadian or not.”
Despite this, there is a general enthusiasm for the idea of supporting Canadian products.
“Research is definitely something I’m willing to do,” Etherington said. “There are so many websites now that have all this information, so it’s not like I’m going to dig into the specifics. But I am willing to find those resources, look at a list of products, and make changes to what I buy.”
Beyond a sentiment for the love of country, many attest to feeling slighted by Trump’s comments since winning the U.S. presidential election and see this movement as a way to rebuff the president and his rhetoric.
Journalism and communication student Sam Weir felt very strongly about this.
“He’s been undermining Canada as a whole,” Weir said. “Like the thing about ‘making Canada a 51st state’. It’s just so frustrating.”
For Warner, supporting the buy Canadian movement goes beyond making a statement about tariffs; it’s also a protest against a man with an alleged history of degrading women.
“I feel like something as simple as shopping Canadian is almost protesting that. At least we’re not helping his cause,” Warner said.
For others, the struggle is an extremely personal one.
“My dad works in Alberta,” Jarman said. “If the tariffs happen, that will be a big hit on him. He might even lose his job, which isn’t good for anyone.”
Regardless of their reasons, many TRU students are ready to prove their dedication to the country and its people.
On Feb. 3, Trump enacted a 30-day pause on the tariff plans after Trudeau promised to move forward with his $1.3 billion border security plan. Despite this, many believe that buying Canadian is here to stay.
“I think the pause means that we should be preparing for the reality,” Etherington said. “We should be educating ourselves to be more conscious and, where possible, switching to Canadian products.”
“As Canadians, we need to show that we’re proud to be Canadian, and we don’t need to rely on the U.S.,” Jarman added. “We can support our own.”
For many people, buying Canadian goes beyond economics and has become a matter of defending Canadian identity.
“I definitely think it’s a matter of pride,” Weir said. “Pride in being Canadian.”
Though each student had unique perspectives of what constituted the Canadian identity, they all agreed it was something to protect and be proud of.
“I feel like Canadian values of being open, being who you are whenever you want to be that, and not being scared of being ourselves, really needs to be preserved,” Etherington said.
“If you can’t pay for your coffee or you can’t find your wallet fast enough,” Warner said, “The person behind you pays for it.”
“We’ve got the reputation of being a nice country, right?” Jarman said. “I think that politeness is worth protecting.”
Still, Warner distinguishes between unfettered national pride and a love of the people.
“I think it’s less about patriotism and more about support,” she said. “Because I feel like patriotism can lead into the uglier parts of our history, with colonialism and such. What we’re doing right now is supporting the people that support us.”
“I may not love the government,” Warner added. “But I do love our dairy farmers.”