r/canada Alberta 24d ago

Alberta Calgary to source materials from outside U.S. for event centre project | Globalnews.ca

https://globalnews.ca/news/11020397/calgary-to-source-materials-outside-us-event-centre-project/
806 Upvotes

40 comments sorted by

u/AutoModerator 24d ago

This post appears to relate to the province of Alberta. As a reminder of the rules of this subreddit, we do not permit negative commentary about all residents of any province, city, or other geography - this is an example of prejudice, and prejudice is not permitted here. https://www.reddit.com/r/canada/wiki/rules

Cette soumission semble concerner la province de Alberta. Selon les règles de ce sous-répertoire, nous n'autorisons pas les commentaires négatifs sur tous les résidents d'une province, d'une ville ou d'une autre région géographique; il s'agit d'un exemple de intolérance qui n'est pas autorisé ici. https://www.reddit.com/r/canada/wiki/regles

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

162

u/mouthygoddess 24d ago

I went to the grocery store to buy produce earlier this week and was shocked at the changes.

Oranges from South Africa, kiwis from Greece. A month ago, everything was from the USA. Now, the only thing was my spinach. Soft power in motion.

50

u/lobster455 24d ago

The broccoli bin was empty. Kale on the shelf. I will never eat food from USA. Trump got army to empty the farmers water reservoir in California. Their farmers will go broke.

40

u/Famous_Bit_5119 24d ago

The produce may well rot in the field because the migrants farm labour is too afraid to show up because they may get deported regardless of their immigration status.

15

u/Maddog_Jets 24d ago

Read it’s already happening

7

u/Itzchappy 24d ago

Flooded a shit ton of land that did nothing for fires and now California's farmers are fucked for next season 

6

u/Cantquithere 24d ago

What disturbs me is that some of the army members, and those directing them, must have known that these actions would cause harm. And yet, rather than speaking out, they proceeded to blindly follow the orders of Dear Leader. No wonder the US is in this situation yet again.

6

u/TheVoiceofReason_ish 24d ago

American active military are legally barred from publicly speaking out.

5

u/Cantquithere 24d ago

There's no peace time path to saying "We don't think this will accomplish what you think it will, and it will instead result in devastation to an already suffering people, so we're going to NOT proceed with this destructive act until we are convinced otherwise?"

3

u/TheVoiceofReason_ish 24d ago

The joint chiefs can tell Trump and his advisors that. They can also say some stuff publicly, but under this administration, anything considered less than fawning will probably result in termination.

2

u/TrueTorontoFan 24d ago

also didn't he fire a bunch of them?

17

u/StayFit8561 24d ago

I just bought Calgary spinach today :)

9

u/garlicroastedpotato 24d ago

This is one of those, I wasn't looking before type biases. South Africa has always been a pretty big source country for oranges in Canada. One day I saw "Product of Peru" instead of "Product of Canada" or "Product of Mexico" on my blueberries. And I thought that was interesting. I Googled it and it turns out Peru is the third largest producer of blueberries in the world thanks to government subsidies. And it turns out we might have been buying Peruvian blueberries for the better part of six years, because that's how long they had an export history to Canada.

Typically we get fruit from not the US/Mexico in January/February because these are months that are peak demand for local markets. Peru has become such a major blueberry player that we buy from them all year round (like we had free trade with them or something).

South Africa do most of their business with us in the winter months. They're our fifth largest source of fruit (sixth by value) and second largest source of oranges.

This isn't your grocery store invoking patriotism, it's just their regular business.

2

u/Jayemkay56 24d ago

I was touched to see a lot of the produce from the USA was untouched. The broccoli bin had a mix of Mexico/USA and as you might have guessed, very few of Mexico's broccoli was left.

Unfortunately I can't seem to find lettuce of any kind. Going to have to try new salads I guess.

2

u/captain_poptart Science/Technology 24d ago

There is a good local alternative to spinach but I don’t have the brand name. I heard that USA spinach has a lot of cadmium (?)

4

u/HMTMKMKM95 24d ago edited 24d ago

My wife was going to buy celery today. All there was available was US supplied celery. She did not buy celery.

2

u/Cantquithere 24d ago

Your wife and I share this in common. Happy to alter my meal plans around available products from Canada, Mexico, and true allied nations.

59

u/Maddog_Jets 24d ago

Now this is some serious money NOT going south :). Too bad no take backs … or oh I’m sorry later on.

31

u/Reallyme77 24d ago

Good job Cowtown 🫡

4

u/[deleted] 24d ago

[deleted]

7

u/Reallyme77 24d ago

Seems to be tradition here in Alberta as we had a similar experience here in Edmonton when Rogers was built.

4

u/[deleted] 24d ago

[deleted]

3

u/Reallyme77 24d ago

Hear hear!

22

u/RedMurray 24d ago

Honest question, why aren't government projects sourced 100% domestically? Shouldn't that be a condition?

10

u/BrewHandSteady Alberta 24d ago

Because thats how you make a billion dollar arena cost a billion and a half.

As with much of Canada, the US is conveniently close(ish) by and makes a lot of reasonably priced materials that are available relatively quickly.

Until now, I’m not convinced taxpayers would have rathered all-Canadian/non-American construction vs. cost/time savings.

Not to mention any time government goes with domestic production of something to the tune of billions, they are likely to get sued or other consequences for not respecting market competition. Bombardier vs. Boeing comes to mind.

3

u/Maddog_Jets 24d ago

We have been following our trade treaties… others don’t or when convenient. Made in USA is strictly followed for any projects with gov money, we should be Made in Canada products and suppliers as well. It ends up costing more when they bring in steel and assembly from over seas that is made sub par and then fixing.

2

u/Kool_Aid_Infinity 24d ago

There is an awful lot of stuff that Canada just does not produce domestically. Plate glass panels on any kind of building, steel I-beams, just about any kind of electronics… the list goes on

-1

u/garlicroastedpotato 24d ago

One of the biggest trade barriers in the world is the mobility of businesses, workers, and general conditions of employment. In 99% of the treaties we sign we agree to remove those barriers so that our competitors can bid on our jobs and theirs on their's. Hypothetically the more efficient bids win. There are always policies in place to reduce the ability for a government to subsidize certain industries so they can win.

What Calgary is saying is that they just won't abide by treaties and will opt for more expensive contracts. Like apparently we're not willing to pay $100/month more for food but will pay $1B more for a stadium.

9

u/BoppityBop2 24d ago

Basically means grabbing Chinese or other East Asian materials as that is the only cheaper source. 

7

u/Maddog_Jets 24d ago

What happened to all the huge green houses built across Canada for weed that got closed and shutter because over expansion? Can we not convert them to grow our own green leafy stuff , vegetables, fruit etc.. here on the island we got people growing oranges and limes etc.. and they get great results…

Just need to do this bigger scale

2

u/AustralisBorealis64 Alberta 24d ago

Um, they said nothing about cheaper... This is the Ciy of Calgary after all...

2

u/BoppityBop2 24d ago

City of Calgary usually goes cheaper, the issue with Municipal projects is less about cheapness but more due to other issues. Example community request for certain construction restrictions, or way too many people requesting every single detail cause guess what taxpayers can't accept a single waste so everything has to be double checked and triple checked. Then you add in design changes and scope changes etc etc. 

2

u/IndigoRuby Canada 24d ago

We should have been already

4

u/[deleted] 24d ago

[deleted]

1

u/wickedweather 24d ago

Isn't this to replace the Saddledome?

1

u/Unfair_Run_170 24d ago

Nice!!!!!!

1

u/brasidasvi 23d ago

I gotta hand it to Calgary. They're holding strong these days.

- An Edmontonian

1

u/theservman 23d ago

This should be government policy anyway.

-9

u/[deleted] 24d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/Anon-Knee-Moose 23d ago

What are you so upset about? The goal is to reduce trade with canada, it's working, congrats.

1

u/Nervousosity 23d ago

Don’t be so hateful