The Good, the Bad, and the Forgetful

Last week I was at a get together, and the hostess announced, "Would anyone like some white wine? It's Canadian wine. My sister wouldn't let me buy anything else!" She was half joking, and yet many Canadians now feel the same sentiment. If we are going to be punished by our weak dollar on the import side, and punished by new tariffs on the export side, maybe it's time to start supporting our own local, Canadian businesses.

Of course, as a local producer, I wholeheartedly agree with the principle of buying local goods and services from local businesses. Why not support your friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens, especially when some of their hard-earned dollars are going to be spent locally as well.

There are, however, some hurdles with trying to prop up local economies, and "Buy Canadian".

The first issue is our national institutions and system of governance. We do not have a national government that is designed to serve the interests of the people of Canada. Most of our political class are far too busy serving their own interests. Our Prime Minister doesn't even think Canada is a country. Remember, we are the "first truely post-national country", according to Trudeau.

To make matters worse, we have Provincial governments that have terrible trade and commerce relations between themselves. It is hard to find Okanagan wine in many Provinces outside B.C. The Maritime provinces import energy from the USA to heat their cities and homes. Quebec even imports fossil fuels from Saudi Arabia.

And speaking of Quebec, it is perhaps the worst offender in this regard. Today, Quebec's Premier stated that it would not be in the best interests of Quebec to allow the Energy East pipeline to go through their province. The hypocrisy of saying you don't want to help the Prairie Provinces move their fossil fuels to new markets, but then taking the lion share of the Equalization Payments, which mostly come from the minerals that are being extracted in the Prairies, is truely remarkable.

The other dilemna cannot be blamed on anyone in Ottawa, or far-off, distant corners of the country. No, the other issue lies directly at our feet. Or more accurately, in our heads. Remember 2020-2023? Ahhh the good old days, when we wore talismans on our faces to ward off the evil spirits and searched in vain for toilet paper throughout the land, to no avail! Or something like that .

During the Covid fiasco, there was a big push to buy local, and to think local. And it had a real affect on the way people lived, and thought, and did business. The problem is that we tend to be forgetful. Especially since Amazon, and Loblaws, and Costco were there to make things so convenient for us. I'll admit I've fallen into that trap too.

It takes a lot more effort to build up local economies, and businesses, and to think locally. That doesn't mean it's not worth doing. Sometimes the hardest things to do, are also the best for us.

I'm glad people are starting to talk about our local industries and communities again. But even if the tariffs were lifted tomorrow, I hope we are wise enough to understand, that we need to keep building up our own businesses and communities, not for the good times, but for times such as these. President Trump did not make Canada weak, he has just laid bare how weak and dependant we have become.

So let's not be forgetful, but lets keep working, in wisdom, so that we can be stronger tomorrow.