The threat of tariffs has taken a toll on the economy.
Members of the Canadian restaurant and food service industry are very concerned about the potential 25 per cent tariffs which U.S. President Donald Trump could impose in April.
John Lechlitner, owner of Cecil's Brewhouse and Kitchen in downtown North Bay, says looking at where their products were coming from was first on the menu when the news broke about tariffs back in early February.
Lechlitner was pleasantly surprised with what he found out.
"We actually get very little American product," he said.
"Some of our produce comes from the United States. All of our beef, all of our chicken, all of our pork is all Canadian."
As for vegetables, he says they get a lot of their lettuce products locally from the Mnogan Greenhouse located on Nipissing First Nation.
"We are actually in a reasonable position," he said.
"We have just completed reviewing the source for all our menu items. There's only two items that we have not found a suitable alternative for that are U.S. based and we are probably just going to take them off the menu."
Lechlitner believes the tariff threat can be viewed as an opportunity for Canadians to look beyond the U.S. border.
"We have to look at what we have in Canada," noted Lechlitner.
"Even as we looked at stuff, whether it is tomatoes, there are many products that are grown either hydroponically or in greenhouses in Ontario and Quebec. So we are looking at those, we are trying to source, we are working with our suppliers as well."
He notes that many scratch cooking-based restaurants are not taking a big hit but those who rely on processed foods are.
"We don't buy pre-processed hamburger patties, and chicken nuggets, all that stuff," said Lechlitner.
"So I think those are the ones that are going to have a much bigger challenge figuring out, are they coming from a big factory somewhere? Whether it is in Canada or the U.S..
"For us, our chicken strips are made in-house, so we know where the bread crumbs come from. We are using Canadian eggs and Canadian milk in the breading so it is very simple that way. I think it will impact a lot of the places that use processed food, that will have bigger challenges."
Lechlitner says he is proud to share this story.
"It is partly pride, it is partly reassuring because we have been doing the right thing," he said.
"Scratch cooking is the right thing, buying as close to home as possible."
He also believes the tariff threat has caused an incredible sense of nationalism, which is a very good thing.
"The positive unintended consequences I think Donald Trump has done more for Canadian nationalism than anybody else has been able to do in the foreseeable past," he said.
"Hopefully this wakes us up as Canadians and we stop thinking we are as reliant on the U.S. There's nothing wrong with looking close to home and doing the right thing and I think this is the time that Canadian Nationalism will shine and we will show that, and I think our resilience and maybe it takes a little bit more work to do things the right way but I think now is the time Canadians will do it."
