41 Comments
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Patsy Rideout's avatar

Thanks Fred, I just got kinda ticked again LOL Having lived in a border town for over 20 years, I used to get annoyed when friends, co-workers, family, strangers haha, would cross the bridge to buy a new vehicle!!! Why did you spend your money in the USA supporting USA? Buy Canadian, we have that brand in town...ya, but, they had $1000.00 off special!!! Did you factor in the $ exchange? Ahhh, NO! So, you just bought American & gave them a lot more money than if you bought in town? Ya, I guess, DAMN! Too late, you can't return it now, unless it's faulty!!! Guess I've been pro Canadian a lonnnggg time haha

Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise)'s avatar

Haha… sounds like you were ahead of the curve...

long before the rest of us caught on, Patsy 😊

Patsy Rideout's avatar

I remember when Quebec tried to leave Canada & all the calls I made to Quebec companies, telling them I was boycotting what they were selling...you can't do that, I can & I HAVE done that. All my family & friends caught on & started making their own calls haha. If we ALL do our part, Canada is the best place in the world to live, except maybe Sweden haha

Judy's avatar

Good for you!

Judy's avatar

Thanks Patsy. In the 90's my sons were crazy for aur Jordan's or a special boombox available in the U.S. I could never figure why my Canadian friends went shopping at the outlet mall in New York State when by the time we paid exchange etc. I lost. I always wanted to spend my Canadian made $ in my own country. Travel my own country. 🇨🇦 Canada Strong 🇨🇦

Patsy Rideout's avatar

We're brain twins Judy! haha

Carol-Ann Lamothe's avatar

I think they sell knockoffs to Canadians. Always something cheaper about products that should be a lot sturdier, having bought the same product in Canada.

Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise)'s avatar

Interesting point, Carol-Ann. Personal experience tends to stick with us. 😊

Penny Frost's avatar

A bit like their military hardware

Patsy Rideout's avatar

Haha, you could be right & if so, how Rude is that?

Karen H. from Canada's avatar

I love my 10 year old all electric Kia Soul from South Korea.

Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise)'s avatar

10 years electric?

You were ahead of the curve, Karen. Brilliant... 😊

Karen H. from Canada's avatar

We all have to try to do our part, right?

Michelle H's avatar

I don’t think Detroit is the issue do you? Let’s talk about DC…

Patsy Rideout's avatar

Exactly! We're pro Windsor here & can't stand the greasy orange ball haha

StrongHeart's avatar

Canada builds a future while America fights over Ballrooms an Arch a Pool and Data centers.

Larry Donohue's avatar

There is a problem with the logic bomb of this article. 600,000 Canadian jobs existed in the auto sector before Trump tariffs. There have been a couple of plant shut down and a few significant production cut backs. Trashing our gdp. Losing and not replacing important maker gdp and important jobs not likely to return. So the real problem is our dependency and integration with the US market is a structural weakness that we will only recover from by becoming makers of our own domestic auto industry. Just as it was before the auto pact put 17.5% tariffs on all autos out of the US and do a dual strategy of creating an organic truck line and kit car assembly of auto and ev's that will transition to most parts being produced in Canada in 10 years. Simple enough to do if the will and determination is there to make it happen. Being a maker country is the key. Buying foreign built autos will not provide meaningful employment or substantive gdp. We have partners that will enable this transition. Canada Strong means Canada having a strong maker industrial base using Canadian materials and exporting to our true friends.

Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise)'s avatar

Fair point, Larry.

Becoming more of a maker country is definitely part of the bigger conversation.

Kathy's avatar

Love my honda

Penny Frost's avatar

Same as here in the UK, always Fords. There are mainly Chinese , Japanese and Volkswagen on our roads now. One thing I have noticed is that McDonald’s and KFC. Are aggressively pushing on tv. Offers and prizes. I think people, like myself, are starting to boycott them.

Patricia Poohkay's avatar

LOVE this one Fred! A good “all sides” analysis.

Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise)'s avatar

“LOVE this one Fred!” ... music to a writer’s ears. 😊 Thanks Patricia.

I tried hard to show the whole chessboard on this one, because the auto story is a lot more complicated than just ‘buy Canadian’ or ‘blame America.’

Glad the balance came through.

Patricia Poohkay's avatar

It REALLY did, Fred. Think you outdid yourself on this one

Graham Brown's avatar

Haven’t purchased a North American made vehicle since 2009, the quality just hasn’t been there.

Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise)'s avatar

Sounds like quality made the decision for you a long time ago, Graham.

Gladiator for democracy's avatar

No More American Made for Me, My Jetta is beautiful.

cfordlaw's avatar

Well, now you guys up there in Canada have option to buy Chinese cars. They’ve been for sale here in Mexico for several years and I’ve become quite popular in some sectors.

Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise)'s avatar

Interesting point.

Canada may end up with more choices if this trade mess keeps escalating.

Yolly's avatar

I've been very loyalbto GM, my last auto was a Chevrolet Equinox, built in Ingersoll, they moved production to Mexico, my next auto will be Honda or Toyota who both build in Ontario. Buh bye GM!

Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise)'s avatar

That’s exactly the kind of shift a lot of Canadians seem to be wrestling with right now, Yolly.

Pam Lake's avatar

Who wants a Ford anyway, had one once, fix often and repair daily😂🇬🇧😂

JoeC's avatar

🖕🇺🇸

Larry Donohue's avatar

An additional important condition should be that new maker business be Canadian controlled. For greater reinvestment we need to keep the economic benefits of these profitable firms in Canada to the benefit of all Canadians.

Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise)'s avatar

Fair point, Larry. Keeping more of the benefits in Canada matters too.

Richard Davis's avatar

I bought a new car last year and buying an American brand never crossed my mind. I bought a Mercedes which replaced a Honda which replaced a Honda which replaced a Honda which replaced a Toyota which replaced a Honda which replaced a Toyota which replaced a Toyota which replaced a Honda.

Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise)'s avatar

Haha… looks like Honda and Toyota earned your trust over the years, Richard 😄