As the threat of U.S. tariffs on Canadian products looms large, the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce is encouraging the community to shop for Canadian-made products locally.
Whether sourcing local food from the Soo Market, completing home renovations with Canadian materials sourced by local construction companies, or sipping a locally brewed beer, Chamber president Jason Naccarato said it’s an important time to support local businesses.
“I think this is going to be a challenging time for business owners, and the small businesses and the entrepreneurs are the fabric of our economy,” he told SooToday.
“When you look at things like education, health care and all these other types of services that we all need and require, it's a strong economy that fuels these types of things.”
As part of the effort, he said the Chamber is revamping a shop local campaign initially rolled out during the COVID-19 pandemic and told SooToday about a number of local businesses where Canadian products can be found.
“We started the Shop Local, Love Local initiative back then, and really what we're doing now is ramping that back up again using the same infrastructure we had,” he said.
For residents with pets, Naccarato said Ontario Wild produces locally-made dog food and treats.
He also suggested switching out “Bud Light for some nice, locally brewed beer” at one of the city’s three breweries, including Northern Superior Brewing Co., Outspoken Brewing, or Soo Falls Brewing Company.
Some other local businesses selling a variety of Canadian-made products are as follows:
- Stone’s Office Supply, which Naccarato said has been in the city for “generations”
- Thayer Lumber Co., selling wood from “local mills right here in northern Ontario”
- PAC Group LTD, a local landscaping contractor
- Paint & Decor Concepts, as “almost the entire store is Canadian, other than some of the paint”
Naccarato also said residents can look to purchase Canadian products directly from businesses online – whether local or beyond – as opposed to using larger companies like Amazon.
“A lot of the vendors have their own websites, and that would be administered through a company like Shopify, right?” he said.
“If you're wondering what's Canadian, what's not, and you're having a hard time differentiating that on Amazon … look at some of your actual stores out there.”
The Chamber is always touching base with members to gauge how tariffs might impact local business, Naccareto said, highlighting that members of Canadian and American chambers alike have spoken in favour of free trade in lieu of tariffs.
“Believe it or not, the American Chamber of Commerce has been very vocal that they're pro free trade, that we are strong allies and strong partners, and we do better when we work together,” he said.
“It's important to include that not just economic professionals and economists are saying that this is going to hurt both economies.”
In the interim, however, Naccaretto said it’s “time for us to join together and take that team Canada approach” by supporting local and Canadian-made products.