Not long ago, an ordinary trip to the grocery store in Barrie was just that: ordinary. Now, with each careful selection of maple-leaf-branded goods and locally roasted coffee beans, residents signal a subtle act of defiance shaped by forces well beyond city limits.
The spark? A trade war ignited by U.S. President Donald Trump, whose tariffs on Canadian goods and provocative statements stirred not just Ottawa but kitchen tables throughout Simcoe County. Where once the Buy Canadian slogan was a nudge, it has become a rallying cry. Barrie’s shop windows display Canadian-made with a new kind of pride, and cash registers echo the shift: at Ottawa’s Maker House, sales of Canadian products soared by 150 percent after the first tariff salvos, settling at an 80 percent year-over-year rise. That wave isn’t crashing just yet; if anything, it’s gaining force in the heart of central Ontario.
National surveys reinforce the story on Barrie’s streets. More than three-quarters of Canadians polled in June said they back removing U.S. goods from store shelves. Two-thirds now seek out Canadian-made products actively—a trend echoed by local retailers, who note the new buying patterns are less a passing mood than a growing habit. For businesses, that means both challenge and opportunity. A Canadian Federation of Independent Business survey found that 40 percent of small businesses reported increased sales of homegrown goods since the trade war began, while sales of American items declined—a rare bit of good news for local industry amid the larger uncertainty.
Residents aren’t simply boycotting out of anger. Many have found that supporting Canadian producers is easier than expected, with domestic alternatives for everything from food to furniture. Even holiday plans have shifted, with air and land travel to the U.S. dropping by double digits. Some, like Emily Olmstead—who avoids crossing the border despite family ties in Ohio—see their choices as a personal stand: “I think I’ve just got to do the best that I can to support Canada right now.” Others, such as Aaron Clark, find themselves doubling down, stating that buying Canadian is “going to become more of a habit, at least for the next few years.”
Experts suggest this is no temporary flare-up. June Cotte, a marketing professor, points to persistent rhetoric and media attention south of the border as the glue holding the boycott together. The longer tensions simmer, the deeper these patterns set. Ryan Mallough of the CFIB notes that, for some, the shift is already permanent—a habit formed not out of necessity, but out of principle and pride. “One of the things that the trade war has done is afforded a lot of us as consumers … the opportunity to look at Canadian products in a new light.”
For Barrie, the trade war has been more than an economic story. It’s become a test of identity, solidarity, and the everyday choices that quietly shape a community. Whether the boycott will outlast the politics remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the maple leaf is having its moment, and Barrie isn’t about to fold it away.
Are you buying less American?
References:
The U.S. boycott remains strong. Why many Canadians are digging in their heels
