Murray Lupenette of Metro Picton shows off some Ontario lettuce that’s increased in popularity since the start of the trade war with the U.S. (Jason Parks/Gazette Staff)
As Donald Trump, who presides over a country ten times our size, attacks Canada in an unprovoked trade war, local shoppers understand the assignment. Direct shopping dollars to Canadian producers. Avoid buying American goods whenever possible. The Gazette took a trip around Picton this week to check in with grocery stores as they navigate the trade war. There were abundant maple leaves marking the good stuff — and people checking the fine print. Local grocers are learning they’d better have quick answers about where they source their goods.
Murray Lupenette of Metro
People are doing their best to avoid buying
anything made in the USA. On the other hand, if you want to eat healthily or you need a certain product for your diet, you will wind up
buying lettuce or celery out of the States, at least in the short term.
Inside the Picton Metro, Manager Murray Lupenette is watching the great Canadian grocery war of 2025 on its front lines: in the grocery aisles. The theatre is the produce section, a tropical jungle where intel — Country of Origin — is paramount.
Mr. Lupenette admitted he was looking forward to the summer, when produce from three local suppliers arrives. Fresh produce from Lakeshore and Honeywagon Farms is a few months away.
Until then, he’s preaching patience.
Last week, Metro was doing a brisk trade in broccoli crowns from Mexico. Then the grocer received a fresh shipment from the United States. Those crowns may as well have had a picture of King Trump on them. They went untouched, piling up on the shelf.
“People are doing their best to avoid buying anything made in the USA,” Mr. Lupenette said. “On the other hand, if you want to eat healthily or you need a certain product for your diet, you will wind up buying lettuce or celery out of the States, at least in the short term.”
That is, until countries like Mexico, Guatemala and Costa Rica are able to build and grow the critical mass production capacity to supply 30 million Canadian shoppers.
“One thing is for sure, I don’t see any going back to U.S. produce once we can source from other countries,” Mr. Lupenette said. “Once attitudes and shopping habits are changed, they seldom, if ever go back. This has been a big wake up call for all of us in the grocery industry.”
Meanwhile, soup from Sprague Canning, with deep ties to the County, is always almost out of stock.
“It’s the only soup we consistently sell in the summertime,” said produce manager and longtime Metro mainstay Les McKenzie. Sprague got its start in Mountain View in 1925 and, a century later, they’re as popular as ever.
Mr. Mackenzie also directs shoppers to big balls of iceberg lettuce suddenly popular again. That’s all Canadian, as opposed to the fashionable Romaine, still mostly out of the U.S.
Foodland owner Jamie Yeo notes there were alway those few, loyal customers who looked for local and Canadian products, but there are suddenly many more.
Since opening the Picton Foodland in 2021, Mr. Yeo has ensured each regional product has a “shelf talker” that tells the number of kilometres it has travelled from door-to-door.
Reid’s Dairy products, made in Belleville, are marked 46 km. Hagerman Farms produce just 2 km, the short distance up Loyalist Parkway to just past the roundabout.
Mr. Yeo’s produce department changes with the seasons. Soon, bountiful local produce will be in good supply and shoppers with an eye for fresh will be sizing up sweet corn and strawberries.
“Our shoppers always support the local farmers whenever possible. From maple syrup to fresh produce, I’m a big believer the best stuff is grown close to home. We will continue to support local producers.”
Many are rejecting produce if it’s grown in the United States.
“People just aren’t willing to buy it, and I know our head office has been extremely busy sourcing fruits and vegetables grown in other countries.”
County Farm Centre staff are turning to social media to source new, Canadian-made products. Manager Chad Camp notes there are a number of Facebook pages designed for connecting Canadian goods producers with small and independent retail outlets. The store is also following Premier Doug Ford’s suggestion and putting red maple leafs on Canadian-made goods.
Recently, The Farm Centre started carrying Farmer’s Gold. The Southwestern Ontario startup founded by Melanie and Ashley Lozon sources corn from the 519 area code and crafts white cheddar, jalapeño cheesies, and onion ring corn snacks. Bags have been flying off the shelf.
The Farm Centre has always prioritized locally sourced meat, including Dana Vader’s Lamb, East Lake Steak from Lynn Leavitt, Scott’s Chicken, and pork farmed at Waupoos Winery. Most of the store’s bird seed comes from western Canada, and the majority of dog food is from Ontario.
“We try to source as much local food and products and do our part,” said Mr. Camp.
Giant Tiger’s Jennifer Thompson is on the front line of the trade wars, and speaks often with conflicted shoppers who want to be patriotic — but who also have a budget to worry about.
“We are hearing from the people who can afford to be discerning with the food shopping, but we are also hearing from the people who can’t afford to make those choices,” she notes.
Giant Tiger’s Giant Value frozen food products are Canadian grown and priced so everyone can afford them. But when it comes to some processed foods, Canadian-made options tend to be more expensive. That’s hard, particularly when shopping for a large family.
“Unless you are working in this industry, it’s tough to see how food security is such an important issue,” Ms. Thompson said.
At the Picton store, she has noticed more customers are supporting Giant Tiger because of its deep Canadian roots. Recent renovations have dramatically expanded the frozen food and grocery aisles. The new look means the Picton Giant Tiger “now feels like the grocery store we are.”
At David’s No Frills, small maple leaf symbols are affixed to each price tag on every shelf, indicating if the product is Canadian.
“It’s such a turnaround in such a short amount of time,” says grocery manager Paul Jones.
“We are learning about ingredients and countries of origin, so there’s quite a ramp up to being better informed.”
Some Loblaws stores are already advertising Moroccan oranges and South African pears.
“We are trying to source from non-U.S. vendors, but that takes time. In a lot of cases, they haven’t done business with these companies before and it can’t just start flowing overnight,” Mr. Jones notes. “Supply chains will adjust, Canadian and non-U.S. companies will pump up production to meet demand, but that develops in its own time.”
Shoppers are more engaged than ever before, asking questions before putting goods in their carts and looking for the maple leaf.
“As a Canadian, it’s wonderful to see people being patriotic in their grocery shopping,” Mr. Jones adds.
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