A retired IBMer goes shopping at Costco in Toronto, Canada:
> Standing in front of a freezer filled with riced cauliflower on Monday, Michael Orr squinted at an $11.49 bag of frozen vegetables. He was trying to decipher, from the tiny print on the bag, whether it had been produced in the United States. He and his wife had agreed before coming to the store that they would adopt a Buy Canadian approach.
> “I’m very angry about the actions the U.S. is taking,” said the otherwise mild-mannered retiree, leaning against the handle of his cart. Mr. Orr had been following the news closely, and U.S. President Donald Trump had not yet announced a pause on his threat of tariffs on Canadian imports.
> Mr. Orr said he doesn’t consider himself anti-American. He worked for IBM – even lived for a time in the U.S.
> “If anything, I’m quite pro-American. But the situation right now, I just find intolerable.”
> In his cart was a two-pound bag of Balzac’s coffee – an Ontario-based company. He’d chosen it over his usual Kirkland brand beans, which are roasted in the U.S. He’d also chosen crackers made in B.C. Melatonin tablets made in Canada. He’s even sworn off his favourite Napa Valley wine for the time being, opting instead for Italian.
> The contradiction of shopping at Costco was not lost on him. It is, of course, an American company, headquartered in Washington State. And, as a symbol, Costco is about as synonymous with the American dream as it gets: a car in every garage – because you need a car to get to Costco – and a (bagged) rotisserie chicken on every table.
> “I did think, ‘Should I be coming here?’ ” Mr. Orr said. But the store, he rationalized, supports Canadian jobs. And many of the products it carries are Canadian.
> (And, as a company, Costco has in fact pushed back against some of Mr. Trump’s policies, doubling down in recent weeks on its commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion.)
> Across the concrete warehouse space was evidence of the inextricable links between the two countries – the extent to which the American dream and the Costco dream have also become the Canadian dream. Bags of Tim Hortons coffee. Denim in bulk. Poutine at the snack bar.
"The trade war is running hot in the Costco frozen food section" | Ann Hui | Feb. 5, 2025 in The Globe and Mail
