YORKTON - There is little to suggest the word of the year for 2025 will not ultimately end up being tariffs.
We live in a world where China is in a snit with Canada over this country’s tariffs on EVs from their country so of course they reacted with tariffs on things from Canada.
Then there is the ill-winds from the United States created by the hot air of petulant president Donald Trump.
The result is chaos on a massive scale in terms of trade.
One thing that has emerged out of the chaos is a renewed pride in Canada for all but a few who no doubt wish we were American.
The majority are happy to note Canada is not for sale and has zero interest in being the 51st state in a country that is in obvious disarray with threats to long held precepts emanating from the White House.
The tariffs also has many – it should be most hopefully -- Canadians reading labels in stores looking to buy Canadian.
One might suggest we should always have been doing that, but if one good things comes of tariffs it would be a concerted efforts by Canadians to ‘buy Canadian’.
You often hear about communities extolling the virtues of ‘buying locally’ because it is supportive of neighbours. The idea of buying Canadian when possible really just expands that reasoning to a national level.
We know for example, Yorkton Council much prefers a successful local tender when available, over one from a firm from another city. It makes sense to spend at home.
Now Council is spending our tax dollars, so they do look to the lowest tender to be fiscally responsible.
That same thinking should of course extend to all levels of government – it is ultimately our money they are spending.
But given the aforementioned tariffs chaos the exception today is to focus on spending within Canada.
That is why it is disturbing that the Saskatchewan Party is still seemingly fine with contacting services from the United States – hardly a strong message of defiance to Trump’s disruptive efforts.
The opposition NDP recently brought to light two questionable contracts signed by the government.
As a result,the provinces Minister of Health admitted extension of a contract to private company LifeLabs for at least another year. LifeLabs, which is now operated by American-based Quest, was awarded a $60-million contract by the Government of Saskatchewan in 2017.
And the province is outsourcing park reservations and hunting and fishing licenses to an American company.
The Sask. Party government pays RA Outdoors LTD, a Texas-based company operating as Aspira, approximately $2 million per year (Public Accounts, page 271).
Now $2 million might not seem all that significant in terms of the provincial budget, or the tariff war, but there is a principle at play here.
The governments across this nation need to be at the forefront of sending a message to Trump and supporting Canadian business, and sadly Premier Scott Moe and his party is failing on that count.
But, hopefully the rest of us are paying at least a bit more attention to buying Canadian these days.
