REPRIEVE OR NOT, TRUMP STILL AN ‘IDIOT’ SAY ‘BUY CANADIAN’ SHOPPERS THIS AFTERNOON

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

MUSKOKA — Waking up tomorrow without Florida orange juice is your choice. A glass of Canadian apple juice is cheaper.

This as Donald Trump gave Canada a 30-day tariff reprieve this afternoon.

Meanwhile this afternoon, U.S. booze and produce were still on some store shelves in Gravenhurst like the LCBO and Sobey’s.

But there were also plenty of choices.

And customers were happy for the choices — even if many already practise O Canada shopping.

Vaughan Henderson picked up a “60-pounder” of 40 Creek whisky at the LCBO in Gravenhurst this afternoon as Ontario plans to quit selling American booze. Photos Mark Clairmont

Or try to. Like Eleanor Douglas of Gravenhurst.

“I thought about it this morning, but I forgot about it when I went in there” grocery shopping. “I’ll try to get serious about it and write a note on my dashboard or in my wallet.”

Others were more intent on sending a message to Trump.

Like Vaughan Henderson, another Gravenhurst shopper, who picked a “60 pounder” of 40 Creek rye whisky at the local liquor store.

“It’s made in Hamilton,” said the Gravenhurst resident who paid $70.

He says he always buys Canadian liquor.

“I try to buy Canadian all the time.”

Henderson said he thinks Trump “is an idiot.

“He just thinks he can do whatever he hell he wants.”

Asked about the president’s 51st state comment, Henderson offered a quick “guffaw.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous what he’s trying to do. I don’t like him.”

Mr. Lee, a proud “Newfie” bought Ice, a product of the Rock, today and will continue to buy Canadian.

Another LCBO customer came out with a 40-pounder of Ice vodka, made in Newfoundland and sporting a blue maple leaf at the top of its label.

“I’m a Newfie, I have to,” said Jason Lee.

He was more blunt about the tariff fight.

“I f—ing hate it.”

Asked if he was going to do anything about it as far as buying, he said “I’m just gonna buy all Canadian stuff. I’m sticking strictly with Canadian now.”

Brian O’Halloran said he’ll buy California wine “the odd time, whenever it’s on sale.

“I’m a bit of an Aussie fan,” he said, adding “yeah” he will shy away from American wines. “I’ll buy New Zealand or Australia. Sometimes I buy Chilean.”

When asked if he will ever buy American.

“Uh, why would I. I don’t drink their bourbon.”

One other person passing by offered his opinion on the trade war sales and Trump: “Not after the mess he made. He’s crazy.”

American and Canadian whisky shared the same shelf this afternoon at the Gravenhurst LCBO, where the province plans to quit selling American products.
This California wine was a big seller and while it may not have been recently restocked there was plenty of other U.S. wines on shelves in Gravenhurst.

Sandra Nicholson, a Gravenhurst cottager, was buying South African oranges at Sobey’s.

“I looked at them before I bought them,” she said noting she’s “paying attention” to what’s going on.

Bill Quinn, who was also shopping at Sobey’s, wasn’t shopping for oranges today — “I have a bag of mandarins” at his Vankoughnet cottage.

“I will make a conscious effort to go with the flow. I don’t believe what Trump is doing is fair.”

Bill Quinn will “go with the flow” when it comes to boycotting American products in Canada including oranges. There were lots of other choices on the shelves like lemons behind from Spain.
Oranges and apples from South Africa are also other options for shoppers.

Over at the Dollar Store, manager Bill McKnight said he and the owner were just talking this morning about the amount of U.S. goods they sell either made there or imported and sold through there.

“A lot of it’s imported” from the States or China.

He admitted a few customers have asked about what they sell, if their cheap goods are American or imported.

“A lot of it says U.S.A,” he said just quickly pointing to a tin of Maxwell House coffee with a product of U.S.A label printed on it.

He said he laughed today when he heard somebody call Trump “a bully.”

Bill McKnight, manager at the Dollar Store in Gravenhurst, points to a U.S. tin of Maxwell House coffee. He says they have lots of products coming in from the States.

Keith and Jennifer (Seddon) Redpath, two Beaver Creek prison employees, talked about their daughter who lives in Delaware “The First State.”

She lives about 15 minutes from where Joe Biden lives near Wilmington.

“They see him riding his bike all the time down to the beach.

“Two weeks ago she got a dozen eggs, this week $11. That’s how stuff has jumped.

“They’re scared.

“She calls (Trump) dumbo.”

The Redpath’s son-in-law “doesn’t understand why people even voted for him. He doesn’t believe that the general public understand what tariffs mean. They all thought this was great that prices were going to go down. They have no idea.”

They are already looking to buy Canadian.

“Yesterday we tried to buy Canadian peppers. There isn’t any. They’re all out of the states,” they said in unison.

Will beer traditionally associated with the U.S. be effected by tariff boycotts at corner and grocery stores?

Buy Canadian:

Buy Canada pop-up groups promote sales of Maple Leaf goods.

So what’s the dif?

The main difference between “Made in Canada” and “Product of Canada” is the percentage of Canadian content required.

According to the Competition Bureau:

If a product is labelled with a Product of Canada claim, then the last substantial transformation of the good must have occurred in Canada and all or virtually all (at least 98 per cent) of the total direct costs of producing or manufacturing the good must have been incurred in Canada.

If a product is labelled with a Made in Canada claim, then the last substantial transformation of the good must have occurred in Canada, at least 51 per cent of the total direct costs of producing or manufacturing the good must have been incurred in Canada, and the Made in Canada representation must be accompanied by an appropriate qualifying statement. An example of a qualifying statement would be Made in Canada “with imported parts” or Made in Canada “with domestic and imported parts.”

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