Survival in the face of tariffs top of mind for Waterloo region voters as federal election gets underway
For Karen Bramble of Waterloo, Ont., the trade war that the United States started with Canada is personal.
“We need to spew the truth over and over and over again until everybody understands this economic war is [going to] affect everybody,” she said.
Bramble is an interior stylist who sells wellness products and dried floral arrangements twice a week at the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market. She hopes the tariffs will also be an important issue for candidates running this federal election.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump slapped a 25 per cent tariff on virtually all Canadian goods. In retaliation, Ottawa imposed 25 per cent counter-tariffs on $30 billion worth of American goods.
With some Canadian goods already subject to U.S. tariffs and the threat of more being added to the list on April 2, Bramble is feeling a direct impact on her business because she sources eucalyptus from California. It’s a big part of her business and she says she may have to raise prices of each floral arrangement by about $3 on average.
“This is my bread and butter so I need to do what I need to do to survive,” she said.
“[I will] find creative ways to help sustain myself during this economic crisis, just find other ways to keep my customers.”
The federal election campaign is now in full swing after Liberal Leader Mark Carney asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election on Sunday. Voters are expected to head to the polls on April 28.
The campaign has kicked off about a week after Carney was sworn-in as prime minister and appointed his cabinet.
Hopeful for some relief
CBC Kitchener-Waterloo visited farmers’ markets in St. Jacobs and Cambridge to speak to voters about their top election issues this federal campaign.
Taja D’Abreu, who visits the Cambridge market every weekend, is another Waterloo resident who’s hoping to hear more about what federal election candidates will do to help relieve the pressures of tariffs.
“The stuff going on with America is very scary,” she said. “I would like that going forward, someone [in charge] who has a strong conviction and someone who’s standing up for Canadians.”
D’Abreu said she wants candidates to tackle the impact of the tariffs on everyday people.
“More affordable housing needs to be created … and the cost of food is way too high right now.”
D’Abreu drives from Waterloo to the Cambridge Farmers’ Market each Saturday to get her groceries. She is one of many other residents who are showing local farmers their support by trying to buy more Canadian goods.
As the push to buy Canadian products continues despite a pause in U.S. tariffs, questions swirl around the difference between “Made in Canada” and “Product of Canada.” CBC’s Dale Manucdoc breaks down what shoppers need to know.
Impact on food affordability
The effort to buy Canadian is being championed by many farmers in Canada who say they need the boost to keep them afloat.
Mark Reusser is the vice-president of the Waterloo Federation of Agriculture and a farmer in the New Dundee area of Waterloo, where he grows grains and oilseed crops.
“Anyone who eats, anyone who’s concerned about food, support your local agriculture … Now is the time,” Reusser told CBC News. “We are so apprehensive about our inability to export. And if we can’t export, we need to sell that food as much as we can here.”
Reusser said most farmers are especially vulnerable to the tariffs.
“Whether that be green and oilseed crops, whether that be vegetables, fruit, meat and livestock, flowers, ornamentals, everything you can think of is at risk here because of potential tariffs with our neighbour to the south,” he said.
Reusser said there could be situations where farmers who try to sell their product south of the border will end up in the red.
“What do you do with your product when the only way you can sell it is at a loss? That is incredibly troubling to any farmer,” he said.
“We have a lot of food processing companies where we live in Waterloo region and this indicates a loss of jobs … and they ship their product also to the U.S. and around the world. If they’re not able to do that at a profit, jobs will be lost.”
- What issue matters the most to you this federal election, and why? Share your personal stories with us at ask@cbc.ca.
Waterloo region, Guelph and Wellington County candidates
Here are the local races and the candidates who have been announced by their parties as running in the election.
More names will be added to this list as they’re posted to the Elections Canada website.
The candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Cambridge
- Lux Burgess, Green Party of Canada.
- Connie Cody, Conservative Party of Canada.
- José de Lima, NDP.
- Bryan May (incumbent), Liberal Party of Canada.
Kitchener Centre
- Kelly DeRidder, Conservative.
- Brian Adeba, Liberal.
- Mike Morrice (incumbent), Green.
- Wasai Rahimi, People’s Party of Canada (PPC).
Kitchener-Conestoga
- Maya Bozorgzad, NDP.
- Kevin Dupuis, PPC.
- Tim Louis (incumbent), Liberal.
- Doug Treleaven, Conservative.
Kitchener South-Hespeler
- Valerie Bradford (incumbent), Liberal.
- Matt Strauss, Conservative.
- Randy Williams, PPC.
Waterloo
- Bardish Chagger (incumbent), Liberal.
- Simon Guthrie, Green.
- Douglas Ross, PPC.
Guelph
- Janice Folk-Dawson, NDP.
- Gurvir Khaira, Conservative.
- Dominique O’Rourke, Liberal.
- Jeff Swackhammer, PPC.
- Anne-Marie Zajdlik, Green.
Note: Current Liberal MP Lloyd Longfield is not seeking re-election.
Wellington-Halton Hills
- Michael Chong (incumbent), Conservative.
- Pamela Geiger, PPC.
Perth-Wellington
- Wayne Baker, PPC.
- David Mackey, Liberal.
- John Nater (incumbent), Conservative.
Are we missing a candidate in Waterloo region, Guelph or Wellington County? Email us to let us know.
