Where are the product for 24 Sussex Drive coming from?
The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) requires broadcasters to air a certain percentage of Canadian content. This is a great way to promote Canadian artists and other creative types. It also helps ensure that our Canadian culture isn’t lost amongst the overwhelming amount of American and International media we are exposed to.
My questions is...
Why isn’t there something like this in place to help promote Canadian goods being used within the Government.
Government sourcing should be subject to some sort of Canadian content law. It doesn’t make sense for our government to buy foreign automobiles, building materials, and other equipment when they could source it locally and support Canadian jobs. Does it make sense for the government to use taxpayer money to give Bombardier a $1 billion bailout, and then award a $2.4 billion contract to their competitor AirBus (from France). Surely, Bombardier could produce planes better than the current fleet of Hercules and Buffalo aircrafts, some of which have been flying since the 1960’s.
A challenge to the Prime Minister of Canada
It is great you are renovating 24 Sussex Drive; that place was long overdue for a tune up. Since it was built in 1868, it is probably made of nearly 100% Canadian building materials. My challenge to you is to renovate this structures with as many Canadian building materials as possible, or at least product made in North America. This shouldn’t be too difficult, Canada is filled with manufacturers producing: steel, kitchen cabinets, electrical and plumbing fixtures, and of course…. flooring.
Speaking of flooring, it looks like Sophie was shopping at Canadian Heritage Hardwood Flooring.
You would think with a name like “Canadian Heritage Hardwood Flooring”, all of their flooring would be made in Canada….right?
You’d be wrong, all of their flooring is Made in China.
To me, this is the worst kind of company. Give the impression your product is made in Canada to appeal to shoppers desire to buy local , sustainable products; when in reality, it is Made in China. If you were to have this Made in China flooring installed in such a historic Canadian landmark, you’d not only be promoting this deception but many Canadians would be very upset.
What's with the Prime Minister and China anyways?
When China’s Premier Li Keqiang visited Ottawa in September, Colonel By Drive was lined with China’s flag and he was welcomed with open arms. You have had “cash for access” events with Chinese billionaires, and have talked about strengthening trade relationships with China through trade deals. You do realize we have a trade deficit of over $20 billion with China? Meaning we buy three times more from them then we sell them. Why would we want to open more trade with China?
A Carbon Tax...
Also, about that Carbon Tax. Over the past 25 years, Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions have increased by less than 20% and seemed to have levelled off. Over the same period, China’s greenhouse gas emissions have increased by more than 340%. Since 80% of China’s electricity comes from coal and they are building two new coal plants every week, this will continue.
Implementing a carbon tax will only make Canadian goods more expensive and less competitive than products made in China.
This will help people like your friends at Canadian Heritage Hardwood Flooring who have everything made in China, but hurt companies like us who make our products locally. This will kill Canadian jobs but that isn’t the worst part. It means fewer products will be made locally and more goods made in China using dirty energy. Products imported from China are not only made with dirty energy but have to be shipped across the ocean in container ships, which creates a massive amount of pollution. 15 of the world’s largest container ships pollute more than all of the automobiles in the world. For more information on the impact of buying goods made in China, watch the video below:
Here are a few more stats about the pollution in China...
- The pollution in China is calculated to contribute to 1.6 million deaths/year, roughly 17% of all deaths in China.
- Regulation of air emissions from ships is virtually nonexistent today in China.
- The sulfur levels in marine bunker fuel alone are 100 to 3,500 higher than that permitted in on-road diesel fuel in China.