1812 Strong and Free: Former Guelph councillor behind patriotic shirts
Posted Mar 25, 2025 02:47:43 PM.
Last Updated Mar 25, 2025 03:26:21 PM.
A former city councillor in Guelph might have left the world of politics behind, but these days, he’s all about patriotism.
Mike Salisbury created the T-shirt design 1812 Strong and Free.
“We developed this T-shirt brand and it has absolutely taken off,” Salisbury said on The Mike Farwell Show, Tuesday. “There is such an appetite for people to band together and show solidarity.”
Salisbury says the shirts are Canadian-made and Canadian-distributed.
They also, of course, reference the War of 1812 and were inspired by the current U.S. trade war.
The shirt description reads, “We didn’t back down then. We won’t back down now.”
The original red and white design is selling for $25, which is a nod to the 25 per cent U.S. tariffs. Salisbury said the shirts aren’t just getting attention on this side of the border.
“There are some sales coming in from the States, our cost for shipping is purposefully high into the U.S. so — we welcome U.S. customers, but they’re gonna pay for it.”
He said he’s even noticed his shirt design popping up on some American sites.
“A lot of them are advertising how they are made in the USA… it must be automated, because the irony of that is just beyond me.”
You can check out the T-shirts by clicking here.
