SPECIAL ISSUE

by Tod Maffin
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Perhaps like you, I’ve been surprised and increasingly frustrated by the amount of American produce still lining my local grocery store shelves, especially during a season when Canada is able to grow a lot more.
I decided to find out just how widespread the issue is.
I recently conducted an in-person study of the fresh produce sections of nine grocery store brands in my city. The goal was to document what proportion of their offerings were American products or where the country of origin was ambiguous.
I manually counted and logged 2,203 unique produce SKUs, ranging from loose apples and packaged mushrooms to bags of lettuce and cartons of berries. (Audit methodology is available here.)
One thing before you go…
I do this research and write my newsletter and my podcast because I care about this community and country.
And I know you do too.
There’s no big media boss here. No hedge fund. Just one Harewood guy with a keyboard, some facts, and a healthy dose of Canadian side-eye.
If this kind of independent journalism and commentary is worth something to you, please consider chipping in if you can. 💚 Thank you!
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Don’t stop reading — there’s more below! ⬇︎
THE WEEK THAT WAS
The News You Didn’t Hear… But Should Have
There’s Still Good News Out There
Peak romance: A Regina couple literally took their love to new heights... getting engaged on Mount Everest and recently tying the knot atop Mount Kilimanjaro.
More than 300 cities in the U.S. are set to host "Rage Against the Regime" protests today against President Trump and his administration's policies.
Canada ranks high among the world’s bucket list destinations, coming in second among travellers from the United Kingdom, just behind Japan.
After a sign reading “Bubba sucks at fishing” appeared near his hometown, Manitoba’s Steve “Bubba” Peters turned the prank into a fundraiser, raising money to buy fishing gear for local kids.
Big wheel energy: Canadian "bike weirdo" has broken two world records on her penny farthing, earning Guinness titles for the fastest speed and fastest one-kilometre ride.
Wild Things
When Chuck Norris isn’t around: A man punched a cougar in the face to fend off an attack near Smithers, B.C., escaping with only minor injuries.
A man is recovering in hospital after a rare grizzly bear attack near West Creston, B.C., where his wife used bear spray to fend off two bears.
That’s Brisk, Baby!: A video of a black bear chugging a bottle of Brisk Iced Tea at a northwestern Ontario landfill has gone viral.
Trade War: Canada vs U.S.
CBC asked Canadians how and why they’ve been boycotting U.S. goods and travel.
Rabid label readers: Many reported actively searching for Canadian products and adopting an “anything but American” approach when local alternatives aren’t available.
Refusing to cross the border: Others said they’re avoiding travel to the U.S. altogether.
A new report shows that the U.S. tariff circus is already hitting Canadians’ wallets, costing families about $92 in taxes in two months.
America first?🤨: Ford says it expects U.S. President Trump’s trade war to cost it about $2 billion this year, despite building most of its cars in the United States.
After a 20-year hiatus, Canada’s beef is finally making a comeback in Australia following lifted import bans first imposed in 2003 amid mad cow disease concerns.
Science!
Scientists are studying ways to make your blood deadly to mosquitoes... with ivermectin, no less.
Peacock feathers aren’t just pretty... They can shoot laser beams, too, when dyed multiple times, scientists say.
Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan are studying bats to understand why they don’t get sick from viruses, hoping their findings could lead to cures for future pandemics.
World’s ‘oldest baby’: A baby boy has been born from an embryo that was frozen for more than 30 years, reportedly setting a new world record.
The Sorry Files
Thieves reportedly stole an 84-year-old woman’s cane during a strong-arm robbery in downtown Vancouver last weekend.
Several Alberta animal rescues are among the growing list of targets of a fake cheque scam, with fraudsters sending bogus large donations that end with requests for cash refunds.
Air Canada returned a Newfoundland woman’s missing suitcase... but not only were her belongings missing, the bag contained a knife, toiletries, and a ticket scanner that weren’t hers.
Across Canada
Canadian Tire confirmed it will reduce its corporate staff roles, but declined to specify how many employees will be affected.
Canadians are facing the widest income gap on record, with a 49% divide between households in the top 40% and bottom 40%.
This was not on my 2025 bingo card: Katy Perry and former PM Justin Trudeau were spotted dining together at a high-end Montreal restaurant this week.
The CNE said it received more than 54,000 applications for about 5,000 seasonal jobs at this year’s two-week fair, amid a high youth unemployment rate.
Experts warn that Canadians’ health records are at risk of being accessed by U.S. authorities because some American companies handle the data, sparking calls for tighter safeguards.
Dystopian Hellscape
NUCLEAR WASPS!?: The U.S. Department of Energy discovered a radioactive wasp nest at a South Carolina facility formerly used to make nuclear weapons parts.
A U.S. Senate committee voted to pass a bill to try to stop sharks from eating fish on fishing lines.
Trump went on a repost rampage with unhinged memes of Obama, Clinton, and more... including the cursed babyface JD Vance meme.
GEORIGA, LET'S RIDE: Mike Collins, who is now running for Senate, misspelled Georgia in his campaign ad. His team said the video was posted by fans. Sure.
MY WORK THIS WEEK
In Case You Missed It
BLUESKY’S BEST POSTS THIS WEEK
The LOL Side



HOW CANADA’S COMPANIES ENDED THE WEEK
The Market
Royal Bank | |
TD Bank | |
Enbridge | |
ScotiaBank | |
Bank of Montreal | |
CP Rail | |
Shopify | |
Canadian Tire | |
Loblaws | |
Tim Hortons (RBI) | |
Dollarama | |
Rogers |

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