This is one case where I would support the Ontario NDP 100%. This protectionist — yes protectionist — “buy Ontario” crap is very very dangerous from an economic standpoint. Didn’t you learn anything from the Free Trade debate???? Ontario’s economy is highly dependent on trade — can you imagine what it would be like if every one of Ontario’s trading partners decided to implement “buy local” strategies. Not good for Ontario, not good at all. It goes both ways — if you stop buying from them, they stop buying from you. The NDP should buy from where they want from who they want based on convenice, service and price, and not “buy Ontario” demagoguery.
That’s certainly not what one would conclude by reading your post. But I can only agree 100% on the hypocrisy of it…after all, these are the experts in anti-free trade “buy local” rhetoric, and here they are buying American.
What’s amazing to me is that the NDP seem to have suddenly discovered the “buy local” issue. Where have they been over the course of the last 20 years when most of the province has managed to clue in all by themselves.
Good Things Grow in Ontario wasn’t born yesterday. Let’s not also forget those farmers and producers in rural/small town Ontario who have had their produce fall in value because we were so hospitable to the Chinese. Visiting the Meaford area last fall we got an earful on how they hosted a Chinese delegation, showed them how to farm apples, gave them seeds to take back and viola nicely put the Meaford farmers out of business because. He told us that those tetra-paks of juice that say “Made in Canada” refers to the packaging, not the juice inside which we import from China.
That’s a part of BUY LOCAL that we’re hearing far too often these days.
Don’t even get me started on garlic. We grow it locally but the stores sell imported stuff 24/7 which is why we appreciate the independent grocers around here who deal with the locals.
No party that I can tell is speaking to THAT tidbit of “buy local” – how about pressuring the Weston’s to buy local???
Why not pressure the Westons to “buy local”? The only pressure that we should be exerting on the Westons is through our spending dollars. Don’t like their imported produce…shop elsewhere. If they sell it, it’s because it sells. Just yesterday I saw people at the local supermarket buying bland, pale, California strawberries while our local strawberries are now in season, and can be found all over the place (including many supermarkets and local fruit and vegetable stores). You like local garlic over teh Chinese stuff…don’t buy the Chinese stuff. THAT is what will prompt them to stock local produce. In any event, buying local in this case is a quality issue in my view, not a principle by any means. If for some ungodly reason, local produce was inferior to imported, I would not have any problem buying imported. Finally, buying local produce only works during a couple of months during the summer. The rest of the year, it’s really nice to get fresh imported vegetables, in contrast to when I was a kid and had to rely on Frozen.
I guess you missed the part of my post that indicated that my choice is the independent grocers over the national ones because they do deal locally when in season. Good Canadians that the Westons are line up on the same side as the NDP promotion – same hypocrisy of preaching one thing to the public yet doing something very different themselves.
Filling your freezer with fresh local for the winter is another option that we’ve chosen. Local farmers markets are good sources of local produce also.
We have also taken full advantage of the farmers who sell right from their farms and sell at reasonable prices as well.
I totally get the hypocrisy of it. I just don’t think this is an issue that has legs. There are so many issues within the NDP platform that far outweigh use of stock photography. We need to get on those.
… and it was printed at a union shop, Bisson said.
So, the Ontario NDP will only support you if you’re American or Union.
Nice!
This is one case where I would support the Ontario NDP 100%. This protectionist — yes protectionist — “buy Ontario” crap is very very dangerous from an economic standpoint. Didn’t you learn anything from the Free Trade debate???? Ontario’s economy is highly dependent on trade — can you imagine what it would be like if every one of Ontario’s trading partners decided to implement “buy local” strategies. Not good for Ontario, not good at all. It goes both ways — if you stop buying from them, they stop buying from you. The NDP should buy from where they want from who they want based on convenice, service and price, and not “buy Ontario” demagoguery.
Take a Valium. I support free trade, and you know it. What I don’t support is rank hypocrisy, which the Ont. NDP is trading in, big time.
That’s certainly not what one would conclude by reading your post. But I can only agree 100% on the hypocrisy of it…after all, these are the experts in anti-free trade “buy local” rhetoric, and here they are buying American.
I had enough of this xenophobic crap in the federal election, thank you very much. I thought trade was a good thing.
What’s amazing to me is that the NDP seem to have suddenly discovered the “buy local” issue. Where have they been over the course of the last 20 years when most of the province has managed to clue in all by themselves.
Good Things Grow in Ontario wasn’t born yesterday. Let’s not also forget those farmers and producers in rural/small town Ontario who have had their produce fall in value because we were so hospitable to the Chinese. Visiting the Meaford area last fall we got an earful on how they hosted a Chinese delegation, showed them how to farm apples, gave them seeds to take back and viola nicely put the Meaford farmers out of business because. He told us that those tetra-paks of juice that say “Made in Canada” refers to the packaging, not the juice inside which we import from China.
That’s a part of BUY LOCAL that we’re hearing far too often these days.
Don’t even get me started on garlic. We grow it locally but the stores sell imported stuff 24/7 which is why we appreciate the independent grocers around here who deal with the locals.
No party that I can tell is speaking to THAT tidbit of “buy local” – how about pressuring the Weston’s to buy local???
Why not pressure the Westons to “buy local”? The only pressure that we should be exerting on the Westons is through our spending dollars. Don’t like their imported produce…shop elsewhere. If they sell it, it’s because it sells. Just yesterday I saw people at the local supermarket buying bland, pale, California strawberries while our local strawberries are now in season, and can be found all over the place (including many supermarkets and local fruit and vegetable stores). You like local garlic over teh Chinese stuff…don’t buy the Chinese stuff. THAT is what will prompt them to stock local produce. In any event, buying local in this case is a quality issue in my view, not a principle by any means. If for some ungodly reason, local produce was inferior to imported, I would not have any problem buying imported. Finally, buying local produce only works during a couple of months during the summer. The rest of the year, it’s really nice to get fresh imported vegetables, in contrast to when I was a kid and had to rely on Frozen.
I guess you missed the part of my post that indicated that my choice is the independent grocers over the national ones because they do deal locally when in season. Good Canadians that the Westons are line up on the same side as the NDP promotion – same hypocrisy of preaching one thing to the public yet doing something very different themselves.
Filling your freezer with fresh local for the winter is another option that we’ve chosen. Local farmers markets are good sources of local produce also.
We have also taken full advantage of the farmers who sell right from their farms and sell at reasonable prices as well.
You are doing the right thing, Cath! And yes, Marc L., there is a principle behind buying locally from your small, independent farmer.
Part 1 of 9, they are all worthwhile watching:
http://youtu.be/ppL_UuN73Fc
I totally get the hypocrisy of it. I just don’t think this is an issue that has legs. There are so many issues within the NDP platform that far outweigh use of stock photography. We need to get on those.