Standing on the brewery floor with pallets of aluminum cans behind him, Hayden McPherson said more people are coming to District Brewing Company in Regina to buy local as the tariff threats from the U.S. loom.
“I think everybody’s seeing the spike in patriotism, from the (Four Nations) hockey game to everything else going on in the world, and people are really wanting to support local,” said McPherson, the company’s marketing coordinator.
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He said the company uses Canadian grains and ingredients and is switching other things like its packaging from a U.S. supplier into Canada.
“We’re finding a lot more Canadian suppliers that are giving us a lot better rates especially as things are coming in,” McPherson explained.
He said District is a Saskatchewan business that gives back to the province, like donating its spent grain to local farmers.
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Hayden McPherson, marketing coordinator for District Brewing Company, said on Feb. 28, 2025, the little procurement it does in the U.S. is being moved to Canadian companies (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)
Right beside McPherson, Sask. NDP Leader Carla Beck said she wanted to put the spotlight on Saskatchewan breweries and distilleries ahead of the possible tariffs on Canadian goods into the U.S., set to go into effect on Tuesday.
“This is exactly the kind of business we should always be supporting, but the kind of business we should especially be supporting as we face new and changing threats to our economy,” said Beck.
If the tariffs do come into effect, Beck and the NDP called on the provincial government and SLGA to pull American beer and liquor off its shelves, and for shoppers to spend their money on local products.
“When we invest and support Saskatchewan businesses we create domino effects — more jobs, stronger communities, and a thriving innovative economy,” said Beck.
She said the situation has to be all hands on deck and actions big and small, banded together, have a big impact.
“For specific states, often Republican-led states in the U.S., what they export to Canada in terms of their liquor is of huge impact to those state economies. And we have seen that kind of pressure be effective and that’s one of the tools that we’re looking at here,” said Beck.
When asked whether the move was something the provincial government would consider, Premier Scott Moe’s office said he’s focussed on avoiding the tariffs altogether.
“That is why Premier Scott Moe has been prioritizing being in Washington, D.C. — to de-escalate the conversation about tariffs and reiterate the fact that tariffs will hurt both of our economies,” read the statement.
Read more:
- Métis Nation-Sask. sees Supreme Court ruling as monumental win
- Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says pre-approval for pipelines provides ‘certainty’
- Premier Scott Moe believes tariffs can be avoided after Washington D.C. trip