John Ambard, 27, a software engineer who lives in downtown Toronto, said he has tried to avoid buying American products when possible, preferring to support Canadian brands and businesses. Ambard said he checks product labels and researches companies online to identify Canadian-made goods.
"I think, honestly, if I can support Canadian products and Canadian institutions through these tough times, I think that's a way to help in my small way," Ambard said. "I'm a little bit mad with America right now with how things are going. The attitude has just not been that of a friend."
Canada's harsh winters present a challenge for fresh produce, and grocers typically rely on greenhouses, stocked root vegetables or imports, which are usually more cost-effective. But the change in sentiment toward the United States could push grocers to explore more local suppliers, experts say, while Canada invests in building a more self-reliant food system.
The Canadian government is investing about C$3 billion over 10 years to build greenhouses to increase production during the harsh winter months. It is also trying to lower food inflation — among the highest in the Group of Seven developed nations — by increasing the domestic food supply.
Gordon Dean, the owner of Mike Dean Local Grocer, which operates stores in rural Ontario and Quebec, said his stores are now selling more produce from countries such as Spain, Brazil and Honduras than they previously did.
"There's nobody running back to the U.S. supply chain because once the new supply chains are established, they're far more diversified. We're in a safer position," Dean said.
However, Dean said restrictions and differing regulations between provinces have made it harder to move food products across Canada, leaving many grocers reliant on suppliers south of the border.
"Nationalism is now trumping economics to a degree that might switch if the relationship improves," said Mike von Massow, professor of food, agriculture and resource economics at the University of Guelph.
He said the Canada-U.S. relationship may never fully return to where it was, but a future easing of tensions, particularly under a new U.S. administration, could prompt a shift back to American products because they are often cheaper than other alternatives.
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