The Roncy Village B.I.A. — formally known as the Roncesvalles Village Business Improvement Area — has just activated a “Made in Canada, Found on Roncy” campaign. This fun and creative campaign showcases more than 200 small businesses on Roncesvalles Avenue in Toronto. This initiative highlights a significant movement among these businesses to stock and sell Canadian-made products, responding to a growing consumer demand for homegrown goods.
The campaign just launched but its final update won’t hit until July 7th, 2025. It highlights retail facades painted with signs boasting Canadian-made wares. The slogan “Found on Roncy” was meant to emphasize the unique offerings you’ll find at the shops on Roncesvalles. It gets local residents and visitors to choose their local shops over the big box stores.
Strong Community Response
Adam Langley, Chair of the Roncy Village B.I.A., told T.O. He noted that local businesses have responded positively to the initiative, highlighting a collective effort to adapt to consumer preferences.
“And the response from these businesses has been tremendous,” – Adam Langley
The campaign’s timing couldn’t be better, with the consumer buying dynamic changing, with more consumers looking for Canadian made products. This trend isn’t just good for communities’ health, it’s designed to strengthen local economies.
Spotlight on Local Businesses
Browdaka and Friends, an eclectic gift store co-owned by Cayla Hache, is one of the many stores participating in the campaign. Hache has welcomed the initiative with open arms, revealing that they have already started to re-evaluate their product lines to favour Canadian brands.
“For us, we started to look at the Canadian brands we already had and we looked for ways to add more,” – Cayla Hache
As Hache described, external factors, such as tariffs, have forced them to change suppliers. Instead, they’ve chosen to carry candles produced in Montreal that don’t suffer from a similar tariff.
“One of the things impacted by the tariffs was candles so we started stocking candles made in Montreal instead of the brand we were carrying,” – Cayla Hache
This shift emphasizes a broader trend where businesses are willing to invest time and effort into sourcing local products, despite potential challenges.
The Future of Local Shopping
Langley believes that even if market conditions were to revert to previous standards, there remains a strong incentive for consumers to continue supporting Canadian businesses. The campaign does more than promote the value of buying local products; it builds a sense of community pride.
“If we get news tomorrow that everything is back to 2024 standards why wouldn’t we still support Canadians? Why wouldn’t I still buy from someone in Saskatchewan, Ontario or British Columbia instead of buying from someone in the U.S.?” – Adam Langley
Hache was very much in agreement with this line of thought. She emphasized that refining and distributing local products has been feasible for her growing business.
“We do actually produce quite a bit and for what we sell it hasn’t been so much of a hurdle and we can still find what we need,” – Cayla Hache
