A local woman selling hats, T-shirts and stickers with the slogan Canada Is Not For Sale has received backlash from people online.
Barb Marin, owner of Barb's #1 Embroidery & Apparel, started offering those items at the end of January.
“I made them up for a client. Then I made extra, so I thought, ‘well, what the heck I might as well put them out there to see if anybody in the Sault would be willing to buy them,’” Marin said.
After posting the items on social media, she received several messages from people who questioned her about them and said she shouldn’t be selling them.
They wanted her to prove the items were made in Canada.
“I've been in business 30 years. I know that we still can get some items that are made in Canada, but unfortunately they don't make hats and shirts,” Marin said.
“Items from my Canadian companies, which are AJM, SanMar, S&S Apparel, are imported from countries like Bangladesh, China, and India.
“Everything is embroidered in my shop,” she said.
There used to be companies in Canada that made those items, but they went out of business due to companies in other countries that sell those items for less, Marin said.
"If I do get products that are made in Canada, unfortunately I will be paying more and then the clients will be paying more for the markup," Marin said.
She believes small businesses will suffer if the trade war continues with the U.S.
“This war with the U.S. isn't between the people. And that's kind of all I want to say because I don't really watch all the politics, but it's not between the people.
“The main thing is you want to try to support our small local businesses and support Canadian businesses, which is the most important thing at this time.”
Marin said she fears the trade war could cause things to return to the way they were during the pandemic, when small local businesses really struggled.
“Down the road, if we don’t try to support local companies and Canadian companies, it could backfire on us – there will not be any Canadian companies to buy from and a lot of businesses could close,” she said.
The baseball hats and toques are $15, T-shirts are $20, and stickers are $4.
For more information on Barb's #1 Embroidery & Apparel, visit her website.