Changing shopping 'mindset' can make buying Canadian financially feasable for families: Sask. store owner
Sask. 'buy Canadian' social media group has gained 100,000 subscribers since tariff threat
Canada and the U.S. have avoided a trade war for at least a month, but the threat still looms. That's why many people across the country are making an effort to buy Canadian.
For families who have to be careful about the money they spend, buying local and Canadian may seem daunting. One Moose Jaw business owner says there is a lot to consider when it comes to pricing.
"The financial feasibility about buying local isn't really that black and white," said Nadine Lee, who owns The Wandering Market in Moose Jaw.
"Basically what I tell people is if you're buying pre-made foods, like somebody has put together a lasagna for you, you're always going to pay more. If you buy the ingredients, it's going to be a lot less."
As more people look to buy local, The Wandering Market is helping farmers get their products onto customer's plates.
Lee said her business works with about 200 local food producers. She calls the market an alternative to the "industrial food system," and makes deliveries around the province.
Lee is also a mother to six children and has to approach grocery shopping, eating and feeding in a mindful way.
"I just do my very best with whatever I can," Lee said. "So wherever I'm shopping, even if that's Walmart, or farmer's markets, I look for sales. I look for the simplest, cleanest ingredients."
Lee said stores like hers are less subject to a lot of the price changes typically seen in chain grocery stores.
"The things that we have that go up in price have more to do with the cost of packaging going up … maybe labour going up a bit more too," Lee said.
"But we also have a lot less invested in the products in terms of branding, marketing, advertising. So those costs aren't actually built into the product as much."
One example is Wandering Market's organic locally grown oats, which Lee said are much cheaper than organic oats available at chain grocery stores.
Changing the way we shop
Even when the prices seem higher, Lee said buying local and Canadian products is doable if people are willing to change their philosophy on grocery shopping and food preparation. That means not always sticking to your shopping list.
"You adopt more of a mindset of being willing to eat what's available," she said.
Lee said that is what people in countries outside of North America tend to do.
"They'll go to the market and buy what's abundant and what inspires them. So you can adopt that kind of a mindset."
Lee said families can go to Saskatchewan markets and see what's most affordable. She also encourages people to buy produce when it's been in season for some time.
"You can usually get a deal from a farmer because they have more of an abundance of it."
Lee said there are a lot of foods that not only store over the winter, but get better throughout the season. For example, carrots and beets.
"They just get sweeter and sweeter. And by about March, from being stored all winter, they're actually at their very best."
Wandering Markets sells many of these Saskatchewan products, including onions, garlic, squash, cabbage and parsnips. Lee said many greenhouses in the province are growing micro-greens, lettuce, herbs, tomatoes and cucumbers.
'Buy Canadian' interest skyrocketing on social media
Jared Rosch of Saskatoon is the man behind the BuyCanadian subreddit — an online community on the social media site Reddit. People have been sharing their favourite Canadian products and replacements for imports there.
Rosch originally started the subreddit back in 2018, during Trump's previous tariff threats against Canada. He said it didn't gain a lot of attention right away, but that has changed.
"It's definitely gained some popularity. Now a lot of people rely on products from other countries, whether they realize it or not, and it's a good way to kind of find Canadian alternatives," Rosch said.
In the past few weeks, as a potential tariff war loomed, his subreddit has gained approximately 100,000 subscribers, according to Rosch.
He said people are looking for alternatives in every single category, whether it's groceries, electronics services or where to travel.
While Rosch has made a conscious effort to support Canadian companies over the years, he said everyone has their own limits on what they can buy depending on cost and availability.
"So I guess it's on an individual basis on how far you go in the rabbit hole."
Rosch said he's noticed many companies are starting to make it a little easier for consumers to learn where products come from through labels. He said that information has often been hidden in fine print on the back of products.
"We've got to strengthen our own economy with or without the tariffs," he said.
"There is no better time to do it than right now, whether they happen or not."
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With files from The Morning Edition