If anything, Saturday’s CItizens’ Rally for Canada showed that Stratford is rife with patriotic optimism and a willingness to stand up and fight for what they believe is right.
There were guest speakers from across a wide spectrum who took to the microphone at the rally, talking about all the things that make Canada great and how giving in to Donald Trump’s whims won’t happen. But the economics of the day are about to get more and more real, and it begged the question, what does standing up for Canada look like at the local level?
Harjinder Nijjar, Stratford’s deputy mayor and a sitting councillor, was one of those speakers addressing the gathered crowd of flag-waving residents. He said the first step is going to be remaining united while also changing some spending habits.
“We have to keep the shopping dollars local and not always be looking for that cheaper bargain,” he said. “But we have to push and take that next step further within our own country and province , breaking down some barriers and getting rid of some red tape so we can work amongst ourselves and get rid of this other taxation that we have now so we can grow together from that perspective.”
Having been planning for the eventuality of Trump’s planned tariff attacks for a month now, Nijjar has been talking with local businesses about not only what they can expect but how they should be preparing. Part of that response is going to be heightened partnerships with the provincial and federal governments, as all three levels will have to deal with the recoil effects of what tariffs will do to the economy.
“We’re going to require assistance from both levels of government and, depending on the industries and how they’re being impacted, we need to work to support them from within our own municipal government,” he said. “Social services, infrastructure and all those other key areas are going to have to work closely with the manufacturing, agriculture and tech sectors.”
Aaron Martin, the Stratford and District Chamber of Commerce general manager, has also been engaged in discussions across the community about what next steps are actually going to require. It’s been a month-long waiting game since Trump initially floated the threat of tariffs, and Martin said we’re going to see the start of them now – meaning the response Stratford has been planning for a month will soon be tested.
“Business owners are waiting to see exactly how this is going to filter down into their organizations, and once they have that we’ll see shifts,” he said. “Some might be painful but some might be good. Anytime there is something that’s a big shift like this, there are always opportunities, too. We have to be looking for those, but we’ll also have to see what the dollar does and how our government reacts.”
According to Martin, a key element to the local response will be citizens taking the initiative and getting more involved in their community. Not only does it show support to neighbours and friends, but it helps people identify what the needs a community has and how those needs can best be met.
“That’s one thing I always recommend, whether that be at a local food bank or if it’s something as simple as looking at your neighbour down the road who might be elderly and needs help clearing out their driveway or mowing the grass,” he said. “Being part of your community is really, really important and it’s a great way to support one another to make sure people don’t feel like they’re down and alone. It’s that sense of community that strengthens all of us.”
Nijjar had a slightly different take on that, as he is advocating looking locally for new opportunities to backfill what could be missing when people shift away from American goods and services.
“I think we’ve got great skills within this city and a lot of great industries within it as well, and sometimes we automatically don’t think about that,” he said. “For example, when people need business cards they just use something like Vistaprint, a US company. We need to look local for providers like that. And technology … we have some great skills here. We’ve got the university here, so we should be looking within our own backyard and utilize the skills and talents we have right here. I think we should use investStratford to help reach out to the local schools, universities and colleges and tap into that skill set. We’re close to the high-tech sector, so we should be looking at them and see what they’re able to offer us.”