When you are shopping for food, clothes, or other consumer items, how much do you think about where the items you are buying come from? Do you go for the cheapest items regardless of their origin or do you spend time resourcing Canadian products?
If you are not yet favouring Canadian products, you should consider doing so. There are many benefits to choosing Canadian first.
Quality
When you buy a consumer item made in Canada, you often get better quality craftsmanship and materials that are carefully sourced. Many Canadian companies either make their products here in Canada or if they use companies from other countries, they have carefully researched the best partners to deliver the quality they want.
Many Canadian companies are committed to sustainable practices and resources. Rather than using ingredients and farming methods that put more strain on the planet’s ecosystem, they choose more environmentally friendly alternatives that are often locally sourced.
Wealth of Choice
There are so many wonderful Canadian makers, designers, and producers out there that you can find a Canadian option for almost anything you want to buy. Just by browsing the listings on several Canadian websites, you can see just how much original produce there is in Canada, ranging from automotive accessories to toys and games.
Uniqueness
How many times have you bought an item of clothing from a multinational company and then spotted several people wearing exactly the same thing? Or worse, turned up for a party with someone else wearing the same outfit? When you buy items from companies with stores around the world, the same thing is also bought by thousands, if not millions of other people.
If you wish to own more unique items, consider buying from small Canadian companies that will produce the items they sell in far smaller numbers. You can even find companies that sell handmade products where each piece sold is unique.
Seasonal Fruit and Vegetables
When you buy Canadian fruit and vegetables, you can make the most of the great seasonal variety, You can buy fruit and vegetables when they are at their best: grown locally and harvested when they are perfectly ripe and full of natural goodness.
Fruit and vegetables that are grown and repackaged elsewhere are often artificially ripened. They are packaged in plastic to preserve them until they reach their destination sometimes thousands of miles from their origin. Unless you go for the organic varieties, the fruits and vegetables are often grown using fertilizers and pesticides to kill pests and speed their growth.
Better for The Canadian Economy
Very little of the money you spend on companies outside of Canada will stay in the country. Choosing Canadian products is better for the local economy because your money stays in Canada.
This money is then distributed to ensure that Canada continues to have one of the highest living standards in the world, a top-rated free education system, and one of the only universally free healthcare systems in the world.
Improves the Canadian Employment Rate And Creates Safer Communities
When you buy Canadian products, you help create more jobs in Canada. A thriving company with a loyal customer base will have the means to employ more people. They will also have the means to order more from their suppliers. For example, a popular high street food store will need more staff, but also more products from the local farmers, which in turn creates even more jobs as the farmers need help with the growing and harvesting.
Statistics show that communities where the unemployment rate is lower are safer with less crime. So when you buy Canadian products, you are also contributing to creating a safer living environment for yourself, your family, and your friends.
Better For The Environment
There are many factors that make buying from Canadian companies a better choice environmentally. One factor is the reduced need for transport as items are not shipped or flown from across the world. Another factor is the packaging. When items are sold locally, they don’t need to be wrapped in plastic to keep them fresh.
A further factor is the farming methods. Canadian farmers are more likely to use environmentally friendly practices such as crop rotation to allow the earth to recover naturally, which reduces the need for fertilisers and pesticides.
Employees Get Compensated Fairly
Wouldn’t you prefer to spend your money on something that you know was made by someone who got fairly compensated, had a regulated work day and holidays, and didn’t have to skip school to work? While many multinational companies assure customers that their employees are fairly treated and paid, the rumours persist and we cannot be sure.
However, when you shop at a Canadian company, you know the employees at all stages of the process involved in getting the item to the shop have been paid fairly and that there has been no child labour involved.
What About The Cost?
This may be the key factor that stops people from buying Canadian made products. While it is true that some Canadian products, such as furniture or shoes, may cost more, you may be able to make savings elsewhere. For example, buying locally grown seasonal products is often a cheaper option than foods imported from other countries.
If it is not in your budget to go fully Canadian, for example, when shopping for clothes or skin care products, then consider buying more Canadian. Even swapping a few items you buy each month to Canadian alternatives, will still come with all of the benefits described above.
Summary
Choosing Canadian products is better for the Canadian economy and job market, but it also has a global benefit as it is better for the environment. As a consumer, you can shop knowing that the employees have received fair pay. You also get a wealth of great quality, unique products to choose from.
Consider making 2023 the year you shop Canadian first.
