As levy heat rises south of border, it’s cool to be Product of Canada

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/02/2025 (194 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Despite Canada going along with all internationally agreed upon rules of engagement and being a functioning member of the global trade community, its economy is about to be hit by tariffs put in place by the U.S. government.

So many Canadian companies have grown over the years by adding U.S. customers or aspiring to do so. Culturally, that never seemed like such a far-fetched thing because the nation already consumed so many American imports, from movies and television shows to Pepsi and Coke.

Many proud Canadians have even had the notion, perhaps even only subconsciously held, that American products were better than local competitors.

But now that its population is about to be subjected to such a blatantly unfair and unprovoked economic penalty from south of the border, there is widespread celebration of anything Canadian-made.

Long before the threat of U.S. tariffs on imported goods, Marnie Scott of Winnipeg was already posting a non-stop celebration of “Product of Canada” food items via her charming website Canadiancoolfoods.com.

(The “cool” in Canadian Cool Foods, stands for “country of origin labelling” though as it turns out, it could also just mean cool.)

Scott, a veteran business development consultant with an independent streak, has put the site together all by herself with some development assistance. She does not take a penny from anyone nor does she seek sponsorship.

At times, Canadiancoolfoods.com can look DIY, with unusual fonts and layouts. Recently, she’s added an “insights” section, with background information about the companies with many stories, for instance, about the families behind some of the brands.

There are close to 4,700 products listed from more than 400 companies.

She not so much worried about being a completist as she is being a purist. Just about every item listed would either carry or be qualified to carry the “Product of Canada” designation.

Scott mocks the wannabe “processed in Canada” claim or misleading labelling that’s been cropping up featuring stylized Canadian flags or references to some association to Canada.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency states the claim “Product of Canada” can only be used “when all or virtually all major ingredients, processing, and labour used to make the food product are Canadian.”

Because the website is hers and hers alone, Scott said she posts some products that cannot use “Product of Canada” labelling if, for instance, they contain some imported ingredients not even available in Canada.

However, she tries to avoid products that are “Made in Canada,” used “when the food product is manufactured or processed in Canada regardless of whether the ingredients are imported or domestic or a mix of both,” or “Made in Canada with domestic and imported ingredients,” if the food product contains some food grown by Canadian farmers, or “Made in Canada from imported ingredients,” if all of the ingredients have been imported but the finished product is manufactured here.

For Scott, it’s all about celebrating Canadian production. She is also typically Canadian in she does not list products on the website unless she gets the OK from the companies that produce them.

For instance, there’s no Maple Leaf Foods products on the site — only because she’s not been able to navigate the corporate org chart to get someone to say yes.

There is something disorienting about the website, in there is no commercial incentives. There’s no product of the week or special discounts. There is nothing for sale.

But just about every product listed has a link to a company website or an e-commerce site and/or some suggestion as to how to purchase it.

Scott is not a food industry professional, but a proud Canadian who has travelled the world and understands there’s a generally held sentiment many countries around the world hold Canadian food products in high regard.

She believes Canadians feel the same way.

Now perhaps more than ever, her website can help the increasing numbers of Canadians willing to go out of their way to purposefully “Buy Canadian.”

There will be economic pain if/when the U.S. imposes a 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports. But at least when it comes to much of what Canadians buy at the grocery store, Scott wants us all to know we’re going to be able to find a perfectly suitable local replacement.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca