How P.E.I. businesses encouraging Islanders to shop local amid U.S. tariff threat
'This is a time to stand up for Canada,' says Pizza 67 owner Dharminder Shergill
Some Island businesses are introducing creative incentives to encourage shoppers to support local or buy Canadian-made products amid the Trump administration's threats of punishing new tariffs on Canadian imports into the U.S.
At a new pizza restaurant in Charlottetown, customers who bring in a grocery receipt showing they purchased all Canadian products will get 10 per cent off their pizza order.
"We need to think about it, what we have to do, what measures we have to take in order to protect our economy," said Dharminder Shergill, the owner of Pizza 67. "This is a time to stand up for Canada and I'm hoping that all the community will come together and make this wave successful."
Checking receipts might take a bit of extra time, but Shergill said it's worth it.
Staff at the nearby Riverview Country Market are used to customers intentionally shopping for local and Canadian products. The grocer labels shelves with place names and flags that indicate where products come from.
"Ninety-five per cent of our store is Canadian-grown, locally sourced. Five per cent is just American, and we hope to see that drop," said Conner Zehan, who has worked at Riverview Country Market for about two years.
"I've seen a lot of customers come in, you know, see the U.S.A. sign, see the American signs, and they'd rather pick up something more local, more Canadian."
Seeing customers shopping insightfully, with more awareness of where products come from, is what Riverview has always wanted, Zehan said.
"We need to be more supportive of our own goods."
'Not as hard as it seems'
At The Table Culinary Studio in New London, P.E.I., every ingredient on the restaurant's seven-course menu is sourced from Canada.
"We've eliminated every single thing from our menu — both food and beverage — that's not Canadian," said Hunter Guindon, a chef at The Table Culinary Studio in New London, P.E.I.
The restaurant writes its menu backwards. They buy fresh, local ingredients first — and then decide how to use them.
"It's not as hard as it seems and it's really rewarding to know that all of the money you're spending on food is going back not only into our local economy but into our country's economy and supporting the little guys," Guindon said.
"We ask for our community to support us and it feels good to support our community."
Local governments on board
It's not just businesses taking part in the buy push to buy local. The cities of Charlottetown and Summerside are also taking steps to buy more local goods and services.
The City of Summerside passed a resolution to prioritize buying locally and Canadian-made products over American goods. In Charlottetown, Mayor Philip Brown said the city is working on its own buy local campaign.
On the provincial level, Premier Dennis King is also encouraging Islanders to support local products and Canadian-made goods.
"We're all engaged on this and we all want to do our part. We all want to try to help out in some way, shape or form," King said.
"Some of the best ways we can do that is just to be a little bit more mindful when we make our purchases of what we buy and when we buy it and who benefits."
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With files from Wayne Thibodeau