A message from ATB Financial:
The emerging trade war with a country we've long considered a trusted ally has prompted many Canadians to consider how they can bolster more businesses right here at home.
Politicians have gone as far as to call on Canadians to support jobs inside Canada by choosing the product made down the street or in the province next door.
Websites like Made in Canada are taking the guesswork out of figuring out if a product is in fact Canadian and where to find it.
In a clothing store, knowing if a garment is Canadian will mean looking closer at a tag to see where the t-shirt was manufactured. At the grocery store, it might mean choosing the apples grown in the Okanagan over the raspberries grown in California.
The push to buy Canadian is about trying to find some domestic replacements for the products and services you buy, but not beating yourself up if this isn't possible — either because of your budget or the availability of what you need to purchase.
Canada just can't grow certain products in the winter. Or a comparable product might be available, but at a 20% markup. Maple syrup comes from Quebec, but lemons just don't grow there.
A brand might have been founded in Canada and is headquartered here, but the product itself might be manufactured or assembled in the U.S. or elsewhere.
Taking an honest look at how you shop and what decisions you make to support Canadians is the goal for most Canadian shoppers. Perfection is not. It could be as simple as swapping out a mass market pop made and bottled in the U.S. for a craft soda made in Canmore.
Read more, including a list of Alberta businesses we love.
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