🎧 Wave Reads For You
It was getting close to the end of the school year for Mrs. Thomas and her Grade 6 class. Everyone was very excited! The classroom was filled with chatter about summer plans, parties, sports, and being free from school for two glorious months!
At the same time, though, amid all the enthusiasm, the teacher sensed anxiety. These kids were now old enough to be aware of what was going on in the world. And this year, in particular, there seemed to be an awful lot of news about trade wars causing trouble for Canada. Discussion of increased costs for everything we buy, possible shortages of things we need and looming unemployment… these were all cause for concern.
In light of all this, Mrs. Thomas decided to go off plan. She made her lesson instead about these real-world topics. Rather than focus on the problems, though, she led her students to think about solutions. “What can we all do in our own way to better the world we live in? To protect our country, our community, and our families?” She asked them to become influencers for good. Then she suggested that they write about their findings and experiences to share with the class as their first assignment in the Fall.
Fast forward to September. The kids rose to the challenge. These are their stories:
Made in Canada… ya think?
By Oskar, 12 years old
Okay, so first of all, when my teacher said we had to write a report, I thought, “Cool, I’ll read Diary of a Wimpy Kid again and fake it.” Then she started explaining that we had to write about something important, like the Canadian economy. And I was like, “Um, excuse me? I don’t even have a bank account.”
So I started by googling “Trade War”… and WHOA, it’s as nasty as it sounds. It’s like this giant drama between countries, except instead of people throwing punches, they throw taxes on stuff. They’re called tariffs. Basically, if Canada sells candy to the U.S., the U.S. might slap a big tax on it so it costs more. That pushes Americans to buy candy made in their own country. It has no extra tax, so it’s cheaper. And then Canada’s like, “Oh yeah? Well, take THAT!” and puts a tax on American peanut butter or steel or whatever. It’s like dodgeball, but with money.
Honestly, at first I didn’t really care. I mean, I’m twelve. My biggest decision is whether to spend my allowance on Pokémon cards or Timbits. But then I realized: if Canadian companies don’t do well, people lose jobs. And if people lose jobs, they can’t buy stuff. And if they can’t buy stuff, stores close. And if stores close, then I can’t buy either cards or Timbits. It all connects.
And here’s the thing: it actually matters to regular people. When prices keep going up, many families cannot afford to buy the things they need.
That’s why we need to make sure we buy Canadian products whenever possible. It is one way we can help our country’s economy. Every single family like mine can make a difference. Here’s how I see it:
- If you buy Canadian apples, a Canadian farmer gets paid.
- That farmer uses Canadian products and supplies to run their company.Â
- The company pays taxes to the Canadian governments. That money is used to provide services to Canadian people.
- The company hire workers. The more money they make, the more jobs they can create.
- Those workers buy hockey tickets, pizza, and maybe even Pokémon cards for their kids.
- So the money keeps moving around Canada instead of flying off to another country.
When the U.S. puts tariffs on Canadian products, it’s like they’re saying, “We don’t want your stuff.” And that’s rude. Canada makes awesome things! We literally invented basketball, snowmobiles, and Hawaiian pizza (yes, pineapple on pizza is Canadian). Canada Goose parkas, lululemon, poutine. If we don’t support our own economy, who will?
But it can get tricky. People want to buy Canadian products, so many companies want to say they make them. You’d think “Made in Canada” means it was totally made here. But nope. There are levels. It’s basically like Fortnite skins—some are legit, some are just knock-offs.
- 100% Canadian
This is the real deal. It is grown, sourced, and manufactured in Canada. Like maple syrup from Quebec, or potatoes from P.E.I. - Made in Canada with Imported Ingredients
This is a product that is put together here, using some parts from other countries. Like a chocolate bar made in Ontario with cocoa beans from Ghana. Still good, but not fully Canadian. - Packaged in Canada
This one’s sneaky. Some companies just ship stuff here, put it in a box with a picture of a maple leaf. It’s like when I copy my friend’s homework but write my name at the top. Technically “done in Canada,” but not really. - Misleading
This is the worst. It’s when a company tries to trick you with red-and-white packaging, maple leaves, or even “Canada” in the name, when the product is totally made somewhere else.
After learning about all this, my shopping trip with my mom was a completely new experience. I was on the lookout for the little red maple leaf that the government uses to certify a Canadian product. And I started to read all the labels. If it says “Product of Canada,” that means it’s grown and made here. If it says “Made in Canada from domestic and imported ingredients,” that means it’s mixed.
I even used my mom’s cell to google companies we were not sure about. In some cases, you need to study history and politics to get your answers. Like the Ketchup Wars. We used to consider Heinz to be the Canadian ketchup. But did you know that everybody got mad at Heinz when they shut down their Canadian factory? Then French’s took over and gave us hope and reason to buy French’s ketchup to go with their mustard on our hot dogs.
It was actually eye-opening, and a lot of fun. I felt like a detective: “Aha! This cereal is lying to me!” It’s like playing Among Us, but the impostor is a box of cookies.
Buying Canadian is more than groceries. It’s a commitment that can impact all our purchasing decisions. Where we buy our clothes, our technology, our back-to-school needs. The cars we drive. Choosing a staycation instead of a trip to the US. Supporting local stores and restaurants.
Honestly, I think we kids should care about this stuff just as much as our parents. Because one day, we’ll be the ones needing jobs. And if we don’t act now, there may be no jobs later.
So yeah, supporting the Canadian economy is actually a big deal. It’s not just about money – it’s about people, jobs, and making sure Canada stays awesome.
Maybe today I can’t drive, I can’t vote, and I definitely can’t grow a beard. But I can influence my family and my friends’ families to make a difference just by choosing what to buy.
