Kitchener’s Support Local campaign aims to bolster economy from U.S. tariff impacts

Trying to aid local businesses that will likely be impacted by imposed U.S. tariffs, a new campaign has launched in Kitchener that supports the Made in Canada trend.

Banners will pop up along downtown Kitchener streets and in front of Carl Zehr Square, with bright red and white colours, promoting the Support Local campaign the city is running.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has previously said that Waterloo Region could be the second most impacted in the province by the tariffs. The area boosts manufacturing and has drawn connections to the automotive sector.

The campaign to promote local businesses was launched March 17 at Kitchener City Hall.

“We’re coming together as a community to turn these challenges into opportunities,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic during a press conference.

“There are days when we’ve seen things change in the matter of two or three hours. That is no way to run an economy that is no way to run a business.”

The mayor said the city is now, “Proactively assessing contracts, closely monitoring supply chain impacts and actively pursuing further Buy Canadian opportunities.”

The ‘Support Local’ campaign is a collaboration between the city and local business organizations.

“Elbows up Kitchener,” said Vrbanovic.

Last month, Kitchener council unanimously pushed forward a motion to activate a response that would minimize the impacts US tariffs have, as a way to protect the economy.

A series of actions will be presented at a council meeting March 17 by Kitchener’s Tariff and Trade Task Force. One of those includes changing Kitchener’s procurement bylaw to support buying Canadian.

“All of this has brought some of these important things to light in new ways that will hopefully be long lasting in terms of our shopping habits and in terms of our trade habits as well,” Vrbanovic said.

Other actions being discussed include creating more conversations with distributors and contractors on Canadian alternatives, prioritizing a Canada First supply for smaller dollar items, develop new resources on import substitutions for local businesses and launching the campaign.

“Just prior to this press conference I got off a call with the Ontario Big City Mayor’s Tariff Task Force that has a number of mayors from Ontario cities, over 100,000 who are all undertaking precarious initiatives and looking on how to build on the momentum over the last couple of weeks,” added Vrbanovic.

When asked by CityNews Kitchener if there are any plans to take down American flags, similar to what Mississauga has done, the mayor said no, adding many people have friends or family on both sides of the border.

“What’s important to remember here is that our beef is not with the American people, our beef is with the administration in the White House.”

Vrbanovic mentioned that local companies are concerned about the uncertainty hanging in the air, coming from political changes.

Kitchener’s Mayor recently came back from a trip from DC, speaking with his counterparts about the impact’s tariffs will have, and not just on this side of the border.

“Part of the message that has been delivered, for example, to US senators, US congress people and so on, this is not only going to hurt Canadians. We’re here so that you understand how this is going to hurt your residents as well.”

Vrbanovic added that Canada took the longstanding relationship with the US for granted, the world is changing and the country needs to move forward in a way that continues to build on the relationship with one of Canada’s biggest partners in the past.