I feel compelled to jump on the bandwagon before there aren’t any more seats.
No, I’m not talking about the Edmonton Oilers’ quest to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada for the first time in more than three decades, although I would like to see that happen next month. The bandwagon I’m referring to is the one filling up with businesses that are proudly flying the flag amid all the tariff uproar caused by the antics of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Before I go on, I just want to make it crystal clear that this column and its author are 100 per cent Canadian. I’m so Canadian, in fact, that I was born in the nation’s capital.
I raise this pointless point because it seems to be all the rage these days to declare that a business is 'proudly Canadian owned and operated,’ presumably to capitalize on our increased patriotism in the face of economic pressure from south of the border.
Given the hand we’ve been dealt, it certainly makes sense for stores, particularly supermarkets, to make it clear where the items on the shelves come from so shoppers can make informed decisions. This effort to highlight product origins has undoubtedly provided a boost to domestic producers, so I guess it only makes sense that other businesses would look to cash in as well, even if it might be a bit of a stretch for some of them.
I had to chuckle while watching TV recently when a commercial for a home service company – it was for a plumber, electrician or the like – made a point of stressing its Canadian roots. I don't normally assume the technician doing my furnace maintenance is commuting from Montana, so it’s not one of those businesses I equate with the tariff tiff, but I guess it can’t hurt to show your Canadian pride at this juncture in time.
If you’ve caught any of the NBA playoffs – and I’ve watched my fair share – you can’t avoid the Crave commercials that boast about its lineup of shows, specifically The Last of Us, The Handmaid’s Tale and Hacks. At the end of said commercials, the streaming service tells viewers it’s ‘Proudly Canadian,’ even though the TV series in question come from American-based HBO, Hulu and Max.
They’re far from alone as it seems everywhere you look these days, from gas stations to home improvement stores, you’ll find a maple leaf adorning the signage to give us that little extra boost of patriotism.
I’m certainly not trying to make light of the overall ‘Buy Canadian’ effort as it’s important to hit Trump where it hurts through our spending decisions, but the rush by businesses to fly the flag during these tumultuous times has gone over the top.
So, on that note, I just want to let you know that the Western Wheel, even though we’re not making a fuss about it, is proudly Canadian. The content you find on these pages is produced in our Okotoks newsroom by honest-to-goodness Canadian journalists, not imported from some news article factory south of the line.
Then again, you probably knew that already.
