Guitars, bagels and booze: How Canadians became reluctant warriors in Trump tariff fight
Many in the food and beverage industry, like Ejeil, have yanked American products from their shelves while a “Buy Canadian” movement has taken hold across much of the country.
A small business owner who makes custom-designed guitars from the basement of his Montreal home reported that some of his U.S. customers are getting hit with $1,000 tariff fees on top of the cost of their instruments.
Others are affected in different ways. A surge in Canadian patriotism has driven up sales of red-and-white Canadian flags, patches and lapel pins and spawned a demand for hats and T-shirts with slogans like “Canada Is Not For Sale.”
Even business owners like bagel maker Rhonda Shlafman have been swept up in the tide. Shlafman said she wasn’t trying to make a political statement when she came up with a red-and-white creation that she called the Canada Bagel. She just wanted to do something to lift the spirits of her fellow Canadians, who she said seemed depressed by all of the recent negativity.
But Canadians are hungry for anything that promotes Canadian patriotism, even in the form of dough and yeast, so the Canada Bagel has been flying off the shelves of Shlafman’s shop, Fairmount Bagel.
Standing with Canada'
On a quiet street corner in the mostly residential city of Saint-Lambert, across the Saint Lawrence River from Montreal, Bidon Taverne Culinaire seems far removed from the tariff tensions roiling Canada and the United States.
Open since 2010, the cozy bistro serves up classic French fare like l’onglet de boeuf (steak) alongside other flavors from around the world and simple but popular dishes like fish and chips. Chalkboards mounted on the wall announce the menu and cocktail selections in large, loopy cursive handwriting.
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