Brantford, Ontario, would be a good guess – Brantford is, after all, Wayne Gretzky’s hometown. Now it dreads the overhanging threats of possible Americana tariffs. Situated just an hour’s drive from both Toronto and Buffalo, Brantford has cultivated a thriving business corridor that significantly relies on cross-border trade. In fact, according to recent analyses, the city is one of the top five Canadian municipalities most at risk of these U.S. tariffs. This vulnerability has raised alarm among the local business community and residents alike about what lies ahead.
Even in a relatively small city like Baltimore, the mayor of this city—currently Kevin Davis—has expressed concern at the fallout from these tariffs. Brantford’s booming economy, as evidenced by significant job creation and income growth, is largely rooted in trade with the U.S. We hear from many of the local businesses that as many as 80 percent of their sales have ended up across the border. They manufacture over 90% of their raw materials from other American manufacturers.
Brantford’s Economic Landscape
Brantford produces a wide variety of goods, from food processing to pharmaceuticals to plastics. This economic diversity has fostered an attractive local economy that bucks national trends and supports itself both on manufacturing and service economies. Roustan Hockey, owned by local business leader Graeme Roustan, ranks among leading local companies. This company has a niche in manufacturing hockey sticks and is one of the few hockey stick manufacturers left in North America.
Roustan then pointed to the need of getting products shipped to the United States quickly, or face large tariffs. He brought home the devastating effect these tariffs have had on his business by saying,
“The customer wants this to cross the border as soon as possible because they don’t want to get a 25% tax on their invoice.”
This feeling is echoed throughout all of Brantford’s business community as companies prepare for long-term economic impacts.
Communities across the country are being caught up in the wake of these tariff threats. Many are taking a wait-and-see approach with their spending, bypassing purchases altogether and using American products. This great deal of economic uncertainty has created an overall feel of fear in the community.
Community Concerns and Responses
Local leaders and residents to let everyone know how fed up they are with the wrong turn U.S.-Canada relations have taken. Mayor Kevin Davis cautioned that tariffs from America would be devastating for Brantford’s economy. By emphasizing how inextricably tied local businesses are to American markets, he cautioned that a major disruption would only take one event to trigger much bigger economic aftershocks.
Golf players have expressed their disdain with Wayne Gretzky’s ties to U.S. trade policy, especially when it comes to tariffs. Many locals consider Gretzky their country’s totemic representation, like one of those natives that spots a national god (Gretz) among the GIs.
“He’s kind of a voice of Canada… I really would like to see Wayne do that.” – Rick Mannen
Many others have reacted positively, even enthusiastically, to Gretzky’s inclusion in the political conversation over these punitive tariffs. Terry Corbin mentioned,
“He hasn’t lived here for how many years… I almost see him as kind of somebody with dual citizenship.”
That uncertainty represents some of the ambivalence in Brantford towards its prodigal son as he becomes an unlikely centerpiece of Canada–US trade relations.
The Impact on Local Businesses
As local business owner Ines Kowal pointed out, with the increasing input costs, pricing models may have to change before long. She stated,
“Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to absorb all these kinds of costs, so that will have to eventually be reflected in some of our prices as well.”
This short statement speaks volumes about the stress and anxiety that business owners feel. They’re anxious over what the risks, rewards, and rules will be once the dust settles on U.S. trade policy.
Graeme Roustan slammed the use of Canadian cultural heroes in trade wars. He claimed that this damages the good name earned by Canadian businesses. He added,
“It’s a drive-by assassination of a name, a good quality Canadian name, it’s just been just completely ridiculous.”
Residents further reaffirm such thoughts as they fear what the changing state of international relations holds for their future and their jobs. As one resident said, what he wanted was peace and collaboration—not war, adding that,
“I wish he would say to Donald ‘back off and treat Canada as a partner instead of trying to take over.’” – Rick Mannen
As Brantford navigates this uncertain landscape, local leaders and business owners are adapting their strategies to mitigate potential impacts from shifting trade policies.
