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

Loblaws makes $2B in PROFITS… and still can’t figure out the difference between Canada and the U.S.

17 Mar 2026 · 2 min

Watch on YouTube

1:51

In this YouTube editorial, the speakers expose Loblaws—owner of Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart, No Frills, Extra Foods, and the President's Choice brand—for repeatedly labeling imported food products as Canadian. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) fined Loblaws $10,000 for placing maple leaf symbols on imported cheese and another $10,000 for marketing U.S.-grown broccoli slaw as a Canadian product. The speakers note that the CFIA has recorded 78 violations across Canadian grocers since 2024, moving from warnings to fines. They criticize Loblaws' dismissive response to CBC inquiries, highlighting the company's $2 billion annual profit and urging consumers to verify labels and report mislabeling via a dedicated CFIA link (b.link/maplewashing). The commentary frames the issue within broader concerns about Canadian sovereignty, tariffs, and the Buy Canadian movement, calling for public vigilance against "maplewashing".

Loblaws has been caught. The company that owns the real Canadian Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart, No Frills, Extra Foods, the President's Choice line, and a loyalty program that knows more about you than your doctor has finally been fined for passing products off as Canadian when they weren't. There is a government department that can crack down on grocery stores that pass imported food off as Canadian. It is the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, but they rely on people like you and me to report when grocers are doing it. In the case of Loblaws, they were fined $10,000 for slapping maple leaves on imported cheese.
And just like that, we're proudly Canadian.
And another $10K for claiming that broccoli slaw made in the US was a product of Canada. And when the CBC called them for comment, here's what Loblaws said: "What, consumers can just tell us if there's a mistake? No. Stop. You do not get to make us unpaid quality control staff for a corporation that clears $2 billion a year. Clears! In profit. A profit that keeps getting bigger every year. You have employees. You have suppliers. You have legal obligations. Get your shit together." You either care about this country or you don't. You can afford to double-check the labels. The CFIA identified 78 violations across all grocers since 2024, and until recently they were getting warnings. Sounds like the grace period is over. Good, because so is our patience. We started the Buy Canadian movement because we needed to. The tariffs haven't gone away. The threats to our sovereignty haven't gone away. Check the label. If the shelf says Canada but the label says USA, if the produce box says BC but the sticker says California, report it to to the CFIA at b.link/maplewashing. Like, the maple leaf has to mean something. We decide that. Not fucking Galen Weston.