Buy Canadian

Based in Eastman, Québec, Sauge and Co was founded in 2019 by a mother of four who wanted to create baby nursery products that reflect her values and are handmade from natural fibres.

If I compare trying to buy as much Canadian product as possible, it was far easier today than a month ago. La Cocina tortillas sit on the top shelf of the tortilla area, Covered Bridge and Hawkins rest in the high traffic chip aisle among the big companies. This store now carries 6 flavours of Sprague soup instead of one.

Some products were always there, but it was a lot less digging today!

I'm looking to self publish a book, and am looking for book printers that print in Canada.

Companies like Mixam & Sure Print & Design are based in Ontario, but they don't advertise that their printing is done in Canada. Is it correct to assume that they do it elsewhere, if they don't clearly disclose where their printing is done?

For use over camp stoves.

This is another one from the CIRA newsletter (if you own a .ca domain, there is a small discount)

From their site:

Here at A River of Yarn, our focus is to provide you with luxury knitting and crochet yarns, tools, and accessories at affordable prices. We believe that you shouldn’t have to spend a fortune to create a beautiful design.

Always with an eye on current fashions, we specialize in offering a variety of brands and sources of yarn, including alpaca, wool, cotton, flax, hemp, and acrylics. Paired with our selection of kits and patterns, we’re sure that you’ll find something that will spark your creativity and let your dreams set sail.

Location:

A River of Yarn is located on one of Canada's National Historic Sites, the Trent Severn Waterway. Accessible by both land and water. You will find us just 5 minutes north of Rice Lake by boat, and 15 minutes south of Peterborough, Ontario, by car.

353 Kent's Bay Road, KEENE, Ontario

Matches Seeds, located in Chapeau, QC, Canada, is a dedicated seed brand that focuses on providing high-quality, locally sourced seeds for gardeners and farmers alike.

Based in Pemberton, British Columbia, Foon Skis prioritize supporting local businesses, including wood mills, fibreglass suppliers, and print studios, in the manufacturing of Foon skis.

This is one of the ones that I saw this one in the CIRA newsletter (if you own a .ca domain, there is a small discount)

I thought the card game was neat, the questions are wholesome. Some photos from the site:

Family edition:

date night (18+) edition:

Other details:

They do local pickup: Spin Énergie location is at 3483 Park Ave, Montreal, Quebec H2X 2H6.

Where it's made:

96% of Happy Tears products are designed and manufactured in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Shipping: Domestic orders are delivered in 1 to 5 business days from ship date, and 1 to 3 weeks on international orders.

All the big chains I know are American (Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop). Smaller independent chains will run into supply issues and even pre-ordering probably can't guarantee one.

If you own a .ca domain, you might already have a membership. Otherwise, it's still a nice list of some Canadian businesses.

I'm scheduling out separate posts with a few of the ones that I thought were neat (ex. the Happy Tears card game)

From the Wealthsimple newsletter

Here is an archive of the link, for future reference and to not give amazon clicks: https://web.archive.org/web/20250407150744/https://www.amazon.ca/s?srs=120919709011&lid=kfxhu3q36u15

For example is the Canadian Tire card just a Visa or MasterCard in disguise?

I'm switching to interact for as many transactions as I can but I would like to be able to cancel my visa if there's an alternate.

I've been doing the 'buy Canadian' thing for a few years now. I actually enjoy the game of trying to find cool folks making cool stuff and I know that there are others like me just like there are people who lack the time or inclination to do the research.

I also think it can be tricky for people looking at starting a business to be able to identify a need.

So what's a product you don't know of a Canadian alternative to?

Personally, it's cast iron cookware. Meyer makes great stainless stuff, but there isn't a single foundry making cast iron cookware in Canada. I've actually started emailing a few to see if I can find a Canadian foundry that would be willing to batch produce cast iron skillets. Finding a local brand already doing it would be a LOT easier!

1. Jiffy Lube is owned by Shell and they donate 54% to republicans.

2. Great Canadian Oil Change is owned by an American company called Valvoline and they donate 100% to democrats.

3. Mr. Lube is Canadian-owned and operated.

Located in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, the Atlantic Fishery Alliance is committed to harvesting and processing high-quality products using fixed-gear vessels.

Located in Niverville, Manitoba, Negash Coffee Ltd. is a family-owned local coffee roastery and shop that brings our African roots and passion for coffee to North America, specializing in a diverse selection of organic African coffee beans.

I also found this article from 2 months ago, where they were talking about difficulties with getting on Canadian grocery store shelves compared to American ones:

https://globalnews.ca/news/11008005/bc-farmer-canadian-retail-challenges/

Located in Oakville, Ontario, Reunion Coffee Roasters (RCR) is a family-owned Canadian specialty coffee roaster.

Located in Langley Twp, British Columbia, Centra Windows manufactures and installs its own high-performance windows and doors, providing custom solutions as a 100% employee-owned company.

Located in Toronto, Ontario, Bustle Clothing was founded in 2002 by Shawn Hewson and Ruth Promislow. This leading Canadian sportswear label is renowned for its cheeky take on menswear classics.

Located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Sky’s Paws Raw Diet offers freeze-dried raw pet treats for dogs, cats, and ferrets.

Atelier SYP, based in Laval, Québec, is a Montreal jewellery company founded by the talented duo Cristal Haidalis and Bobby Skafidas.