On day one of the trade war between Canada and the United States, Sault, Ontario, shoppers are firmly seeking out Canadian-made products while shunning their American counterparts – with some going so far as to halt travel to the United States altogether.
“I try to buy more Canadian,” said Darlene Delabelle while shopping for groceries Tuesday morning at Pino's Get Fresh. “I won't be going over the border for anything.
“We travel a fair amount, vacationing and that into the States, but we won't be doing that.”
Delabelle’s sentiments were shared by the vast majority of shoppers SooToday spoke with on Tuesday morning.
“We buy only Canadian – if it's a U.S. product, we'll do without it,” said Mark Lake, who was also shopping at Pino's.
“We travelled through Michigan on Thursday and back again last night,” he said.
“We used to stop for fuel. We'd stop for lunch. I didn't stop for a thing. I make sure we have enough fuel to get right through, and we'll pack a lunch. I refuse to spend a penny.”
In some cases, shoppers are completely dropping products that don’t have Canadian alternatives.
“Oranges, I was buying them before, but not anymore. I can do without it,” said Jane Filion, who was shopping at Metro.
“I buy Canadian apples. There's a few things, but I just learned to do without.”
The patriotic, pro-Canadian chatter heard in local grocery aisles is backed by Village Media's polling data.
Asked whether U.S. tariffs will affect shopping in Sault Michigan, 50.72 per cent of 1,666 respondents said they have stopped shopping in Michigan entirely, with another 7.44 per cent who said they will shop there less.
Only 8.28 per cent said they will shop in Michigan just as much.
The shoppers' comments also track with border crossing data for February.
In total, traffic at the Sault Ste. Marie Border Crossing was down 13.5 per cent this February over the same timeframe last year – with a 23.1 per cent drop in full passenger fare crossings, an 8.7 per cent drop in commuter fares, and a 1.1 per cent drop in commercial trucks.
The lone figure to climb last month was a 58-per-cent increase in cars pulling trailers, which only accounted for 1.7 per cent of February’s total of 59,625 border crossings. This January, the border saw over 70,000 crossings.
During his first full month back in office, President Donald Trump continually threatened to levy tariffs on Canada and to make the country the U.S.’s “51st state,” before finally making good on his tariff threats late last night.
For some, shopping Canadian is mixed with pain at the president’s actions.
“I think anybody that is in Canada is a little lost on what's going on,” said Dane Hancherow.
“As a country that's been there for the United States since we've been in existence, I think it's a shame that our friendship has gotten to this point, and it shouldn't be this way.”
It’s a pain that’s also being felt by some businesses across the river.
Weir Package & Freight, which holds parcels for customers who have ordered a wide range of products, said they overwhelmingly rely on Canadian business as travellers cross the border to pick up products they’ve ordered stateside.
“Every single customer that I have, except for three, are Canadians,” said a man named Floyd, who works in management at Weir, adding that they have around 7,900 customers in total.
“I feel a lot of stress on behalf of our Canadian customers because we love you guys – aside from the fact that we rely on you.
"We rely on you on purpose,” he said. “You guys are our best friends. This whole trade war nonsense is completely out of pocket.”
While unsure of the trade war’s impact given its infancy, the executive director of Michigan’s Sault Area Chamber of Commerce did say Canadian traffic into the area is “always helpful.”
“I mean, you’ve got a population of between 70 and 80,000 over in Ontario, so anytime we get people coming across the bridge, it's going to help us,” said executive director Tony Haller.
“The big boxes employ more people because of all the Canadians that are shopping, and then the employees . . . spend more locally. I think (there will be) some sort of effect for sure.”
Just over 13,000 people live in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
On the Canadian side, the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce said they have also seen an uptick in people shopping Canadian, and they are advocating all levels of government to support businesses.
“What we're really trying to do right now is call on governments to remain active, aware and to be at the ready to do the counter tariffs, as well as put supports in place for small and medium sized businesses, and even our large businesses across Canada,” said president Jason Naccarato.
After the U.S. implemented 25-per-cent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports late last night – with a 10-per-cent tariff on Canadian energy – retaliatory Canadian tariffs took effect on $30 billion in American goods, with an additional $125 billion set to be levied in three weeks.
On Tuesday morning, Mayor Matthew Shoemaker issued a statement calling the U.S. tariffs a “reckless and short-sighted choice.”
“The unjustified tariffs on Canadian goods will harm both countries, and American mayors understand the broader consequences,” Shoemaker said.
“They recognize the importance of protecting the productive economic relationship shared between our countries, and that’s why the U.S. Conference of Mayors passed an emergency resolution urging the U.S. administration to reverse its course.
"This act of solidarity underscores the recklessness of these tariffs.”
Shoemaker highlighted how Sault Ste. Marie, as a border community, will be “impacted even more significantly” than other communities, which is why border mayors across Canada have come together to form the Border Mayors Alliance to help protect local economies.
“Canadians are strong and resilient. Saultites are strong and resilient,” the mayor said.
“Now is the time for us to come together and draw on this resilience in the face of this unjustified challenge. We will not be deterred.”
Don Gerrie, the mayor of Sault, Michigan, declined commenting on this article.
