by Tod Maffin
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Until Premier Trump (Province of America) started yapping, many of us up here didn’t know about all the great Canadian products out there. We bought the American crap because it was at eye level in the grocery stores. Sometimes you buy ketchup based on what you’ve always bought, without realizing there are Canadian products like Primo that are better and often cheaper.
Turns out there's a whole bottom shelf of Canadian products that are better, cheaper, and have been patiently waiting there for decades like a golden retriever that nobody adopted.
This week, I launched Tod's Try It Tuesday!
Every Tuesday if you’re out shopping, pick up one Canadian product you've never tried before. Just one. Something that's been exiled to the bottom shelf because the brand didn't slip the store chain an envelope of cash to move it up. It can be something simple, like ketchup. Or something you'd eat every morning, like cereal.
I asked people to try something, then come back to the social media post and tell us about them.
Here are some of the results.
LAUNDRY AND HOUSEHOLD CLEANING
Nellie's (nelliesclean.ca) was by far the most-mentioned brand in the entire dataset, with dozens of enthusiastic comments about their laundry soda, dishwasher cubes, WOW Stick stain remover, and dryer balls. Made in the Lower Mainland, BC.
Tru Earth (ca.tru.earth) came in a strong second, with many comments praising their laundry detergent strips and dishwasher tabs. Made in Burnaby, BC. (Note: some commenters flagged that the strips contain polyvinyl alcohol, a synthetic polymer, so the "plastic-free" claim is contested.)
Eco-Max (eco-max.ca) got multiple recommendations for laundry detergent, dish soap, and dishwasher pods. Made in Canada with Canadian-sourced materials.
The Unscented Company (theunscented.co) was recommended several times, especially for those with sensitive skin or scent sensitivities. Available at Canadian Tire.
Attitude (attitudeliving.com) got multiple mentions for cleaning products and body wash. Quebec-based.
Oak and Willow (oakandwillow.store) received strong recurring praise, particularly for laundry powder, shampoo bars, and dish soap. Based in North Bay, ON.
Etee (shopetee.com) was recommended for laundry powder, beeswax wraps, and deodorant. Made in Toronto.
Down East (downeastclean.com/) was mentioned several times for dish soap and laundry detergent, made in Dartmouth, NS.
Biovert (biovert.com) got a handful of mentions as an eco-friendly Quebec-made laundry detergent.
CANNED AND JARRED FOOD (BEANS, SOUPS, SAUCES)
Sprague Foods (spraguefoods.com) was the clear standout, with a very high volume of comments recommending their baked beans, soups, and chilis. Family-owned, Belleville, ON, operating since 1925.
Primo (primofoods.com) was frequently mentioned for ketchup and pizza/pasta sauces. Canadian-grown tomatoes, made in Ruthven, ON. Many commenters reported difficulty finding Primo ketchup in their area — availability is patchy.
Dora (superdoracanada.com) was recommended repeatedly for jams, jellies, and ketchup. Made in Quebec. Multiple commenters preferred it over Smucker's.
Aylmer got a handful of mentions for tomato soup and canned goods.
CEREAL AND GRAINS
Red River Cereal (arvaflourmills.com) was one of the most-mentioned products in the entire file. The brand is now owned and made by Arva Flour Mills in Arva, ON — Canada's oldest continuously operating flour mill (since 1819). Commenters were extremely enthusiastic and nostalgic. Many didn't know it was back in production.
Sunny Boy Cereal (sunnyboyfoods.com) was mentioned several times as a western Canadian alternative hot cereal, made in Camrose, AB.
Farm Girl Cereal (farmgirlcereal.com) was recommended multiple times, particularly for the cinnamon crunch variety.
T O D B I T
Red River Cereal was invented by a woman experimenting with local grain. In 1924, Gertrude Skilling experimented with different grain mixtures grown in the Red River valley. The recipe was patented in 1929.
ICE CREAM AND FROZEN DESSERTS
Chapman's (chapmans.ca) was the most-recommended ice cream brand by a significant margin. Family-owned in Markdale, ON since 1973. Commenters praised the sugar-free, lactose-free, and premium lines. Multiple mentions of the factory fire story as a reason to support them.
Kawartha Dairy (kawarthadairy.com) came in a close second, especially popular in Ontario. Family-owned since 1937, headquartered in Bobcaygeon. Moose Tracks and pralines-and-cream were the most-mentioned flavours.
SNACKS AND CHIPS
La Cocina Foods (lacocinafoods.ca) received consistent praise for their tortilla chips. Family-owned, made in Ste. Anne, MB, from Canadian corn.
Covered Bridge Potato Chips (coveredbridgechips.com) were recommended multiple times, particularly by east coast commenters. Made in Waterville, New Brunswick.
Hardbite Chips (hardbitechips.com) got several mentions. Made in Surrey, BC.
Hawkins Cheezies (hawkinscheezies.com) came up repeatedly, often with strong emotional attachment. Made in Belleville, ON.
Twigz Pretzels (twigzpretzels.com) were recommended, particularly the dill pickle and cinnamon churro flavours. Made in Calgary.
T O D B I T
Hawkins Cheezies predate Cheetos. Cheezies date to around 1940, while Cheetos didn't arrive until 1948.
CONDIMENTS AND PICKLES
Putter's Pickles (putterspickles.com) was recommended many times for dill pickles, sweet and spicy pickles, and relish. Montreal-based since 1948, now the largest Canadian manufacturer of pickles and sauerkraut.
Brine Co. (Instagram.com/brineco_canada) pickles from Quebec were enthusiastically recommended by several commenters.
Kozlik's Mustard (kozliks.com) came up a handful of times with strong praise. Toronto-based.
T O D B I T
Putter's Pickles grew from a tiny shop to Canada's pickle king. Putter's started in 1948 with only two or three employees and now employs 50 to 60 during peak season, running up to 12,000 cases a day.
PERSONAL CARE AND COSMETICS
Green Beaver (greenbeaver.com) was recommended frequently for deodorant, toothpaste, sunscreen, and Castile soap. Made in Hawkesbury, ON.
DesignME Hair (designmehair.com) got a handful of mentions for hair care products. Manufactured in Montreal.
BEVERAGES
Kicking Horse Coffee (kickinghorsecoffee.ca) was recommended several times.
King Cole Tea (kingcoletea.ca) was recommended enthusiastically, especially by Maritime commenters. Made in New Brunswick.
A few honourable mentions with solid but smaller clusters of comments: Good Protein (protein powder, Quebec), Rogers Grains (flour and oatmeal, BC), Dainty Rice, and Loon Kombucha from eastern Ontario.
Trivia
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Join the discussion about this issue in my Discord community
My new limited-edition shirt, Emotional Support Canadian, is leaving my merch store in 10 days!
Hand-illustrated by Amy Pye, an artist in Nanaimo BC (i.e., not AI), these are the most comfortable shirts you’ll ever own.
And there are lots of options for all genders (the women’s cuts really are for women, not just “unisex”).
🍁 100% made in Canada (ALL of it! From sewing to shipping!)
📦 Ships to Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, or anywhere
🌿 Crafted from sustainable material
💛 Partial proceeds to charity
🥖 Aussi offert en français
But only this month!
I am closing my merch store for the summer after June 30th, so don’t sleep on these. I’ll also be stopping sales on the Relentless Decency and I Stand With Canada shirts, so if you've wanted either of those shirts, now's the right time to pick one up: shop.todmaffin.com
The Weekly Poll
How likely are you to buy a Canadian product over an American product?
Last Week:
The Funny Bone
Canadian pilot flew for years without correct license, police say
by Greg Kearney; used under licence.
What You Missed This Week
The Good News ♥️
Grade 8 students in Kitchener, ON, gave back to their community with a garage sale, the proceeds of which went to the charity Kids Ability.
Two dogs and three cats have been reunited with their owners in Saskatchewan, after their stolen car was found in BC.
Three young men and a dog were rescued by the fire department in Musquash, N.B., after the motor on their boat failed, leaving them stranded.
Canada was recently in the top 25 picks of the best destinations for solo travellers by Travel + Leisure.
SCIENCE!!!!!! 🔭
Honeybees are now living on the roof of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and can be viewed via a livestream.
Researchers say the kelp baseline near Comox and Denman Island in British Columbia may be 10 times larger than previously thought.
New Brunswick’s provincial government has announced programs to help oyster producers as the industry deals with a disease affecting the animals.
Deep space exploration is set to bring innovations to health-care systems on Earth, researchers say, including portable medical technology and robotic care.
New Brunswickers can now track tick hot spots across the province using an online tool.
The First Peoples 🪶
The director of the National Advocacy for Justice for Girls is lobbying the Liberals to end the gender based discrimination in the Indian Act.
First Nations to hold majority ownership of new wind energy project in Saskatchewan.
Labrador’s first Innu nurse received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Memorial University in recognition of her decades of contributions.
Canadian Content 🍁
Lavanya Lakshmi’s newest novel, Leave and Come, is part romcom, part family drama, part Bollywood romp, and is available now.
Indigenous dating show Rezervations for Two is now airing on APTN.
Mr. Lewin’s debut comedy special, Maybe I’m The Problem, explores family, race, politics, and more.
Wild Things 🐻❄️
An escaped kangaroo who had been roaming the Boucherville, QC area for days has been safely captured and has been put in the care of the Granby Zoo.
Peacocks are causing paint problems in Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, BC. The birds are seeing their reflections in the car's paint and, thinking it’s a rival attacking.
Sheep are being used as a more environmentally friendly alternative to pesticides and lawn mowers in a Kentville, NS, apple orchard.
Sports 🏒
Team Canada’s celebration of their historic first victory over Qatar at the FIFA World Cup was dampened by a tournament-ending injury received by Canadian midfielder Ismaël Koné.
National Hockey League games will no longer be shown on CBC, putting an end to Hockey Night in Canada.
Canadian celebrities are out in full force supporting Team Canada at the FIFA World Cup.
Politics 🧑⚖️
The Conservative Party of Canada has started rolling out fully AI attack ads against Canada’s Liberal Party.
Canada and Italy have entered talks for Canada’s purchase of M-346 advanced jet trainer aircraft.
Canada's ambassador to the United States is urging people to "...take a deep breath, relax,” when it comes to the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement.
The federal government has brought in major changes to how pesticides are regulated in Canada.
Made in Canada
Indigenous Nations Apparel Company
Indigenous Nations Apparel Company is a Canadian Indigenous-owned clothing brand founded in 2021 by Michelle Cameron of Peguis First Nation.
The business emerged from her Winnipeg-based company, Dreamcatcher Promotions, after the pandemic created a need to adapt and explore new opportunities in apparel retail. Cameron saw a chance to build a brand that celebrated Indigenous identity while creating economic opportunities for Indigenous communities.
A key part of INAC’s story is its decision to reclaim the acronym INAC, once associated with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. The company transformed the name into a symbol of Indigenous pride, resilience, and self-determination. Its clothing features Indigenous-inspired designs and messages that reflect culture, community, and reconciliation.