Tod MaffinCanadian Commentator, From Far and Wide · Emotional Support Canadian

Buy Canadian, they said 🙂 #no

21 Mar 2025 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:08

The video segment reports that Nanaimo’s Loaves and Fishes food bank is receiving a massive influx of U.S. fruits and vegetables that island grocery stores could not sell. Dan Van Domzelaar, representing the food recovery program, describes the variety and volume of the produce—mushrooms, cucumbers, peppers, kiwis, oranges, and other items from California—at a scale he has never seen. The segment highlights that this “windfall” may be linked to Canadian retailers cutting back on American produce due to shifting consumer demand and a growing “Buy Canadian” sentiment, with some stores like Victoria’s Urban Grocer attempting to eliminate U.S. imports entirely. Speakers frame the situation as a unifying moment for Canada, emphasizing collective action and the value of the donations despite potential short‑shelf‑life concerns. Sinclair adds that the produce is still valuable and notes that other countries also produce similar goods.

Donations of U.S. fruits and vegetables from island grocery stores that couldn't sell them are pouring into Nanaimo's Loaves and Fishes food bank on a scale that this food recovery program's Dan Van Domzelaar has never seen before.
It's everything. So we're seeing mushrooms, cucumbers, peppers, kiwis, lots of oranges, lots of stuff coming from California.
It's definitely unified Canada and brought them all— brought us all together. We're all on the same page on how we're going to deal with this moving forward.
But this windfall with American produce may have a best before date as grocery stores reduce their orders for American goods due to changing customer demand, or like Victoria's Urban Grocer, attempt to cut out American produce altogether.
But it's worth it. We know it's worth it. Be surprised what you can find. Um, you can— other countries produce produce as well.
According to Sinclair, at the height of the donations, up to 500 kilograms more of American produce was coming into this Nanaimo warehouse each day as Canadians put their money where their what patriotism is and put Canada First in their carts.