Finance worker Michael Atkinson is a fan of electric cars, but lately he found himself embarrassed to drive his Tesla Model 3 around Vancouver.
Dismayed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his association with U.S. President Donald Trump, Atkinson now drives an electric Volkswagen ID.4 after returning his Tesla to the dealership with two months left on the lease.
The final straw was Trump91裸聊视频檚 planned tariffs on Canadian products, which struck Atkinson as a 91裸聊视频渉orrible economic idea.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 gonna hurt Americans, it91裸聊视频檚 certainly going to hurt Canadians and he is using it as essentially blackmail to try to make us consider being a 51st state,91裸聊视频� said Atkinson about the threatened tariffs.
He was speaking just before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Trump said on Monday that the tariffs were on hold for a month.
Atkinson, who works for a credit union, is part of a wave of Canadians turning their backs on an array of American products, big and small, to express displeasure at politics and policies south of the border 91裸聊视频� most notably Trump91裸聊视频檚 tariff plan.
Andrea Mitchell said outside a supermarket in downtown Vancouver that she 91裸聊视频渄id pretty good91裸聊视频� by purchasing mushrooms grown in Canada.
91裸聊视频淚 think it91裸聊视频檚 important to show sovereignty and that we stick together. I think it91裸聊视频檚 an opportunity for us to think about our country and the value of our future,91裸聊视频� said Mitchell, adding that Canadians are 91裸聊视频渞eally patriotic people.91裸聊视频�
Mitchell said the news coming out of the U.S. made her feel that Americans don91裸聊视频檛 realize 91裸聊视频渉ow valuable we are as an ally,91裸聊视频� pointing out that Canada had recently sent water bombers and firefighters to California to help battle devastating wildfires.
91裸聊视频淭hese threats of taking over our country and imposing tariffs that are absolutely ridiculous 91裸聊视频� I think it91裸聊视频檚 absolutely irresponsible what they91裸聊视频檙e doing, and they91裸聊视频檙e blaming it on fentanyl crossing the border, which doesn91裸聊视频檛 make any sense,91裸聊视频� said Mitchell, speaking before news of the tariff delay.
Fellow Vancouver shopper Rick Piccolo, also speaking before the tariff delay announcement, said he had a new habit of carefully reading product labels to make sure they were not made in the U.S.
91裸聊视频淭rump is an idiot,91裸聊视频� said Piccolo, 91裸聊视频淗e is like a builder who has only one tool. If you91裸聊视频檝e got a nail, he has got a hammer. You91裸聊视频檝e got a piece of wood that needs cutting, he91裸聊视频檚 got a hammer. It91裸聊视频檚 the only thing he knows. Eventually people will get tired of him being an idiot, but people are going to suffer until that happens.91裸聊视频�
Keri Kettle, associate professor of marketing at the University of Ottawa91裸聊视频檚 Telfer school of management, said that with groceries so expensive, and some American products cheaper than local ones, it could seem like a luxury to choose brands based on where they are manufactured.
But he said it was good to see Canadians rally around their identity by 91裸聊视频渕aking more conscious choices about the brands that they support.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淪ome of the provincial governments are taking very strong stances and removing U.S. from the shelf,91裸聊视频� he said, referring to measures including the removal of some U.S. liquor from government-run stores in B.C. and Ontario.
91裸聊视频淪o, I think it91裸聊视频檚 very much driven by our identity 91裸聊视频� As a proud Canadian, I think it91裸聊视频檚 a great thing to have something like this every once in a while to remind people that they91裸聊视频檙e Canadian first and for a real strong sense of national identity for Canada.91裸聊视频�
Atkinson said he grew increasingly displeased by Musk91裸聊视频檚 meddling in foreign politics, support for right-wing groups, and what he saw as Trump91裸聊视频檚 threats on Canadian sovereignty.
He91裸聊视频檚 now paying for his two cars, with about $1,800 left in lease payments on the Tesla while he91裸聊视频檚 paying $800 a month for the purchase of his new Volkswagen that he picked up 10 days ago.
His only disappointment is that when he went to the Tesla dealer to return his car, many others were waiting to pick up new Teslas.
Tesla does not release sales figures for Canada but rebate data from Transport Canada91裸聊视频檚 zero-emission vehicle program suggest about 33,000 Teslas received rebates in the nine months to Dec. 31. On a per-month basis, that is down about 15 per cent compared to the approximately 50,000 Teslas that received the rebates in the full 2023-2024 fiscal year.
Atkinson is now rethinking other expenditures.
91裸聊视频淚 think we should start thinking about considering not travelling to the United States 91裸聊视频� and it91裸聊视频檚 hard, I recognize that, but wherever possible, buy Canadian rather than goods imported from the U.S.,91裸聊视频� said Atkinson.
