So this is Christmas – and what have we done?
No gifts made in Canada – I’m afraid, not a one

Christmas shopping has become a real challenge for us this year. We made the considered decision to buy Canadian made products when we could and otherwise to purchase quality imported items produced to minimum standards of quality and safety – by people who receive proper wages – in decent working conditions.

I guess we are a decade or two behind others with this mindset – we only hope we’re not too late! Yesterday was an eye-opener and may have been the most disturbing shopping day we have yet experienced.

Now, our kids are pretty much grown up and out on their own – two still at university and one finally settled into the early stages of a career. Mom and I still feel that compelling parental desire to take care of those basic fundamental needs that we have always done at Christmas – socks, underwear, a shirt here – a sweater there – those useful gifts that we always joke about getting, but would be lost without.

Try finding socks and underwear that are not made in either China or Bangladesh, these days. We were shocked! We expected to find loads of such products out there and we were prepared to pay a little more for the privilege of BUYING CANADIAN, or at least Italian or American or Spanish…. but that simply is no longer an option. In fact, over the past week we have visited all of our old favourite stores, only to find that there is nothing – absolutely nothing left that we can buy!

Finally, yesterday at the Bay – we found a tiny selection of Made in Canada items to purchase.

I discovered, much to my delight, that the Stanfield’s Men’s Boxer Shorts were made in Canada. “Ah, I should have known that a fine old Canadian company like Stanfield would still be holding out” – but then, festive quickly became forlorn when I confirmed that the Stanfield’s Men’s P.J’s were made in China! “Damn, here was a brand that I thought I could depend on, but now every single item would have to be checked for it’s origins”.

And this was the best thing that happened all day. Mark’s Work Warehouse, an old fave for us – had one shirt made in Canada. There were no options for us at Sear’s, RW&Co., American Eagle, Tip Top Tailors and oh so many more. Each store was the same – nothing made in Canada and nothing else that we could buy.

“I guess”, my bride concluded, “clothing is going to be a big challenge this year”. “Let’s go and look at kitchen items – they all need those”. So off, we charged to load up on oven-wares, cooking utensils and other helpful knick-knacks for our needy offspring.

We began, at the Bay, by searching for a couple of oven safe casseroles for our eldest son who, being on his own, has developed a keen interest in cooking. A la carte shopping for pots and pans has become difficult as most things, these days, are sold in sets – so we decided to check out that old American standard, Corning Ware – the superb, dependable brand of oven to table to fridge and freezer ware, made in Corning, New York. We have a few pieces of Corning ware, acquired over the years and it was exactly the right thing. Oops – small problem – MADE IN CHINA, under license.

The great American Icon of cookware, the staple of every kitchen of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s is now being made under license in China. There was one set of PYREX, actually made in the USA that we could have purchased but it was a 16 piece set and it was just more than we needed.

Sears had Kitchen-Aid – manufactured in Thailand, under license – another great American brand that we can no longer consider for purchase.

We tried them all, the Kitchen and Bath sections, clothing, sheets, towels – everything and everywhere, but it was all the same.

And then, finally, Root’s – the Iconic Canadian label – so Canadian. Founded by two enterprising Americans – so Canadian. The place where you pay more for everything (o.k. maybe in this case justified by the overall quality and style of their clothing) – just so Canadian. We found one toque, made in Canada at the Roots we visited – that was it!

Disheartened, a little depressed, certainly alarmed, we called it a day and went home with two pairs of socks, three pairs of Stanfield Boxer Shorts, a pair of men’s slacks and a toque (sorry to all of you other Root’s Shoppers – we took it!)

Where do we go from here? We found a small shop just off Main Street in Picton, Ontario that sells 100% Canadian made wool items. The selection is pretty limited and these hand-made items are all pretty expensive, but we did find a wooly headband for one lucky recipient and pair of baby booties for a great-nephew. Still, we are well behind in our shopping for this year – now contemplating extreme changes to our traditional approach at Christmas, as a result.

The changes that we are contemplating are not by choice but have been thrust upon us by the commercial reality that all manufacturing apparently seeks out and finds the cheapest possible, least encumbering option in the world despite the consequences. It is interesting that the prices we pay for these goods never go down as the costs of production plummet. I used to think that at least the famous brands and designer labels had higher costs of production to justify some of the outrageous costs charged. Apparently, this is not the case – it is all profit driven, leaving those of us who actually care about the quality of and the conditions under which the products we buy are made, out in the commercial cold!

Geez – how long can it be before Mom and Apple Pie are licensed out to a production facility in China? Mom may put up a heroic battle but Apple Pie is destined to end up just like much of the Apple Juice being poured down the throats of our nation’s toddlers. Check out how many thousands of acres of productive apple orchards have been ripped out of the ground in this country over the past 10 years!

And what of the standards of safety and decency that civilized citizens of western countries have worked so long and hard to establish and enforce? Every week brings another report of substandard – downright dangerous products being dumped into our laps by overzealous manufacturers, intent on ridding themselves of the yoke of compliance to employment and safety standards. Reduce the size, reduce the cost, reduce the rules, reduce, reduce, reduce – raise the price, raise the sales, raise the profits…

…so we are done buying this stuff! It is time for the fair citizens of this country to stand up and shout to our government – “I’m mad as hell and I am not going to buy it anymore”.

I should openly declare my bias in these matters. For over 30 years, my family and I have lived off the avails of imports. Well, sort of – our business handles both domestic and imported products. We work with producers who employ adults and who pay well above subsistence level wages and benefits. We offer imported products that compete favourably with domestic products and which work to enhance the market, as opposed to undercutting locally produced goods by such an extent as to drive them out of business. This is the way the world used to operate and it worked to the benefit of everyone involved.

There is no infrastructure left for anyone interested in producing clothing in this country. There is little infrastructure left to produce appliances or kitchen utensils or bedding or bath accessories – the list goes on and on. We must stop the complete eradication of our manufacturing sector and support those who extend the effort to “make it here”. If we as consumers provide a market – the goods will appear. It may take a while to re-build these industries, but one absolute truth of capitalism is that if the demand exists, so will a product to fill it. It may start small, but from there it will grow and we want to be a part of that.

For the most part, we can still buy locally produced food products for our loved ones. But, I worry that this is next – that we are allowing food production to fall into the hands of the same profiteers who now undermine so many other sectors of our economy and life.

We cannot let food production in this country slip away. We must not as a country, allow our basic survival to be sold out to the lowest bidder. We must stop the erosion of this infrastructure – of the farming sector – of family farms in this country and we must stop it now. We have seen the future and quite frankly, it is frightening.

Do your part this Christmas – refuse to spend on those things that are obviously made in other parts of the world due only to the ridiculous labour costs, the lax rules and the non-existent safety standards. Buy Canadian, where you can and otherwise buy quality imports from producers who respect their workers and your well being.

For our family this Christmas, we will celebrate – with loads of food (locally made cheese is high on our list, this year), a few bottles of wine, some M&M’s gift certificates for the students in the family (they have to eat – and these are really handy), a couple of handmade crafts from local artisans. However, unless the local wool shop starts to fashion more affordable socks and some wooly warm boxer shorts, it looks like Mom’s and my days of doting on the kids with the bare essentials, each year, are finally over.