I’ve been doing the ‘buy Canadian’ thing for a few years now. I actually enjoy the game of trying to find cool folks making cool stuff and I know that there are others like me just like there are people who lack the time or inclination to do the research.
I also think it can be tricky for people looking at starting a business to be able to identify a need.
So what’s a product you don’t know of a Canadian alternative to?
Personally, it’s cast iron cookware. Meyer makes great stainless stuff, but there isn’t a single foundry making cast iron cookware in Canada. I’ve actually started emailing a few to see if I can find a Canadian foundry that would be willing to batch produce cast iron skillets. Finding a local brand already doing it would be a LOT easier!
Almond and almond derived products are almost all American.
Credit cards. Not like a Canadian Tire card, but the equivalent of Visa, MasterCard or AMEX. I have a line of credit through my bank, but it’s tied in with Visa. Think of the amount of $ we give the US through interest and/or annual fees! Would it be in the billions?
WHY isn’t there a Canadian credit card?
Canada does have Interac E-Transfer, which is already used as a free alternative to the likes of PayPal. It is also possible to use e-transfer for business transactions. An e-transfer system similar to Alipay where you scan a QR code to pay would be quite handy to make payments at stores. Would it be possible for credit card merchants to use e-transfer for their transactions?
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Would it be possible for credit card merchants to use e-transfer for their transactions?
Makes accounting a nightmare if it’s not integrated with Point of Sales. But Hong Kong and Brazil and a few other countries already figured out how to use a single system for e-transfers and digital payment method, it can be done if Interac is extended - and better yet, nationalized under the central bank.
Lysol wipes are like magic to me. They clean 99% of everything. I would love a Canadian alternative that are equally as effective but I don’t know of one.
Thayers Witch hazel facial toner. I have seen a couple of Canadian products but not with the same/similar ingredients.
Eatthwise is a Canadian brand that does an unscented witch hazel hydrosol but it won’t have the glycerin and other additives in Thayers
I got a bottle and it STINKS 😣
It smells like actual witch hazel which the Thayers doesn’t as it is rather diluted. True witch hazel vaguely smells of hot dog water for lack of a better term.
I just can’t use it on my face. It also stays around 🤢 I’ll use up the bottle on insect bites on other body parts but back to searching a toner.
Computer parts like CPUs and almost everything else. Almost all digital services. Credit card payment systems. A marketplace like Amazon or Temu. A store that sells MP3s or similar digital music. Most household generic bulk goods (excluding premium categories).
To be fair my definitions can be a bit strict compared to others. For example I’d include foreign brands with some assembly in Canada as being foreign for my personal tastes.
“Credit card payment systems.” Interac (if you have the cash to spend at the time) “A marketplace like Amazon or Temu.” Mavenfair.ca is a recent start-up in BC with a wholly Canadian product line FBM (fulfilled by merchant).
“Credit card payment systems.” Interac (if you have the cash to spend at the time)
Absolutely yes. However there are many cases where credit is the only option, for example parking garages, most cases where a deposit is needed like a rental car or hotel, or almost anything online.
If Interac was ubiquitous then it would solve my use case but in my understanding of the economics involved; the credit system is uniquely good for some applications
“A marketplace like Amazon or Temu.” Mavenfair.ca is a recent start-up in BC with a wholly Canadian product line FBM (fulfilled by merchant).
This is a neat looking site! It feels more boutique to me, but maybe it will evolve into something more general eventually. Thanks for the tip
Generic toothpaste, not any “super organic, green healthy” nonsense. I want fluoride and lots of it.
Attitude has a range including your standard gel pastes with fluoride.
yea, bought some local toothpaste, didn’t realize it was fluoride free.
Unfortunately I don’t have an answer for cast iron but I’d be interested too if anyone else knows a brand as I’d like to acquire a cast camp oven.
Have you tried a carbon steel skillet? Similar performance/use case for skillet sized stuff IMO but lighter. Not sure if there’s a Canadian brand for commercially available carbon steel skillets either honestly; but plenty of euro options, or a local blacksmith could make one. I plan on attempting a small skillet myself once I get my smithy setup this spring.
I’ll trade you a homemade carbon steel pan for a homemade stainless steel spatula ;)
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Beard oil. Every damn one I see in store or online is made in the US.
Have you looked online at The Cape Breton Beard Factory?
