How to fight American tariffs and support Canadian businesses discussed at Scarborough community meeting
By MATTHEW STEPHENS
East Toronto community members gathered at St. Paul’s United Church in southwest Scarborough earlier this week to discuss how tariff threats from the United States will impact Canadians.
On the evening of Tuesday, March 18, area residents gathered in the church basement to voice their concerns regarding the tariffs, and suggest ways to move forward.
The meeting opened with a short speech highlighting Canadian history by Rev. Jim Keenan, followed by an Indigenous dance to celebrate the country’s heritage and willingness to stand strong in times of adversity; particularly from American opposition.
“I think it’s extremely important that the very existence of Canada lay in the hands of Indigenous warriors in the War of 1812,” said Keenan.
“Fortunately, we had the strength of 10,000 Indigenous warriors, who came and worked with the English so that we were able to survive and become the country that we are today. Why did they side with the British? Because they shared a common goal – to resist American expansion.”
Pamphlets detailing how to support Canadian businesses were handed out to the audience, which included information about new scanning apps designed to help identify products made in Canada, how to determine whether a product is 100 per cent Canadian made, where to access Canadian and Ontario product websites, and where to find social media groups dedicated to supporting Canadian-owned businesses and products.
Following the powerful opening speech and dance, the meeting was opened to members of the community, who took to the microphone to share their concerns and opinions regarding tariffs and their impact on Canadian jobs, cost of living, food security, carbon footprint, pension plans, and more.
In attendance was Mark Bekkering, Green Party Candidate for the Scarborough Southwest riding in the recent provincial election. While he supported Keenan’s decision to defund the “Billionaire Class” supporting U.S. President Donald Trump by cancelling his Amazon Prime membership, he expressed the challenge he faces when determining whether a product is 100 per cent Canadian made.
“I stopped in the grocery store to buy cookies thinking I’m just going to buy Canadian, and everything was labelled as made in Canada. I’m not really sure. Are they really actually made in Canada? Do the ingredients come from Canada? It’s a challenge to figure that out, but for me, it’s very important that we do that,” said Bekkering.
Apps such as Maple Scan, Check the Label, and O SCANada are designed to address shopping concerns by utilizing smartphone cameras to scan barcodes and product labels, which can help users identify Canadian-made products before they purchase them.
Another overlooked concern came from Jennifer, a high school teacher who stressed the impact of her carbon footprint when shopping for products that will now be sourced from countries farther than America.
“One of the concerns I have is about the choices we’re making in the grocery store. If I previously would have purchased strawberries that came from the United States, now I’m purchasing them from Mexico, or instead of oranges from the United States, now I’m getting them from South Africa. How is that going to impact our carbon emissions as an individual and as a country, and how do I make that up?” said Jennifer.
She mentioned that although her job may not be impacted by tariffs, her pension and the holding companies that manage it may be supporting the American economy.
“One of the things that my husband and I are looking into is contacting the people who are responsible for our ESP’s (Employee Savings Plan) and asking if it can be divested if any of that money is in an American holding company. Asking if we can pull it out without losing any money,” said Jennifer.
Although many of the attendees shared their apprehension of tariffs and recent threats by Trump to make Canada the 51st state, the meeting wasn’t all fear and anxiety.
Other attendees such as Amanda Cain championed Canada’s government and members of the public for standing strong and demonstrating resilience in a time of crisis.
“I’m actually hopeful. I think the resurgence in Canadian pride, defending our borders, shopping locally, and defining who we are in comparison to the U.S., gives me hope. I haven’t seen this kind of patriotism since I was a little girl,” said Cain
She also mentioned that Canada’s access to natural resources such as oil, natural gas reserves, and electricity through power lines, may provide an upper hand over our southern neighbours.
Another speaker underscored the Canadian government’s support for those impacted by tariffs by redirecting money back into the pockets of those impacted by the trade war.
“That is the difference between Canada and the States. The States is taking the tariffs they collect and it’s going in the treasury. Where have Canadian politicians provincially and federally said it’s going to go? Back to the workers that are being affected by the tariffs. That’s the difference in being a Canadian. They’ve got your back,” said the speaker.
The community meeting drew the attention of all three levels of government, as representatives of Scarborough Southwest MP Bill Blair (who is Canada’s Minister of Defence), Scarborough Southwest MPP Doly Begum, and Scarborough Southwest Councillor Parthi Kandavel, were all in attendance.
In an interview with Beach Metro Community News after the meeting, Keenan expressed his gratitude for all who came to show support for the community in a time of uncertainty.
“Community building, helping people share their experience, strength, and hope with one another is a major part of my passion. So, I thought, let’s see if we can bring the community together to share their experiences of how they’re coping with the anxiety and fear that tariffs and threats from the U.S. have created,” said Keenan.
“I think a lot of people realized tonight how different we are from Americans in terms of the values that we cherish. I hope that people discovered some ways forward for themselves and have answers to some of the problems they are facing.”
