'Buy Canadian' movement sees support in northern communities — even if it's not always easy

Shoppers and businesses in some small northern communities have mixed feelings about the "buy Canadian" movement started in response to the potential trade war between Canada and the U.S.

In Dawson City, some people say they've been opting for Canadian, and local, products before it became a national issue — though it's not always easy.

Nathan Naherniak manages the Bonanza Market, one of two grocery stores in Dawson City. He said about 40 per cent of his store's products are sourced from within Canada.

"It's a good initiative for customers to buy Canadian," he said. "There's a lot of great Canadian products being made and the way I view it is, it's unfortunate that sometimes we need a push from the outside, you know with the U.S. putting the tariffs on."

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened last month to impose punishing tariffs on Canadian goods, prompting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to warn of retaliatory tariffs and urge Canadians to support domestic businesses and products. Last week, Trump put his tariff plan on hold for at least 30 days.  

Naherniak said all of his store's dairy products and most of the meat section, including the fresh pork, chicken, and beef, are Canadian products. 

Naherniak said he isn't seeing a drastic change in what his customers are buying at his store but he is being asked what is made in Canada, and what isn't. Naherniak says he's been offering a little tip to those consumers who ask.

"Just to be aware that some products that are processed in Canada but made from items somewhere else outside of Canada," he said.

For example, he said many juices made in Canada are made from ingredients that come from elsewhere.

"Just because we don't have enough product being produced in Canada to go 100-per-cent Canadian," he said.

Naherniak said many of his customers are more concerned about affordability than where their groceries come from.

Dawson resident Cynthia Choban says she tries her best to buy local or made-in-Canada products for herself, but her dogs are a bit pickier.

Choban said her dogs normally eat an American brand of dog food, but Choban wanted to support the "buy Canadian" movement and so looked for an alternative at the local store. She said it wasn't going as well as she'd hoped, as her dogs didn't like the other brands.

"So I'm trying one from here to see how that goes, because I have princesses for dogs and they're picky," she laughed.