Will the 'Buy Canadian' movement draw more crowds to Toronto's One of a Kind show? Artists hope yes

Toronto's One of a Kind show has been a staple for local artisans for half a century now, but this year's edition has seen a more significant push as the "Buy Canadian" movement takes off. 

Artist Ali Harrison owns Light + Paper in Toronto and says she hopes the Buy Canadian movement brings new customers to this year's show. 

"I'm hoping that this year at the show we get some new customers who maybe haven't come to the show before who are really on the Buy Canadian stick and want to support local makers, local artists, and shop at the show and discover," she said. 

The movement started in February in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats and has ballooned across the country in recent weeks.

Harrison says she fears losing business due to tariffs on Canadian exports, as she ships many orders to the U.S. and worries people won't want to pay the extra taxes. 

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She says she's also worried about sourcing her material domestically since she gets most of it from the U.S. 

"We're trying to source now all in Canada, but it's tough. They don't make everything here, so it has been a struggle," she said. 

"Since the pandemic, the prices of everything have skyrocketed for businesses and personnel, so it's already a tough time, and then adding this on top, it's really stressful."

Chuck Allen says his Manitoba-based business, Earth and Hide, won't be affected by the imposed tariffs as he gets his material from a tannery near his house. 

"It's really important for me, if I expect other people to support local, that I support local as well," he said. 

Allen thinks the Buy Canadian trend may have a positive impact on local artists as consumers are now thinking about where their product is coming from. 

Stephanie Cheng says her Toronto small business has been affected positively.

"In a way, it's been good for me as a maker and as a small business. It's hard for me to buy large, so buying small and local, it's always been my ethos and that's what I support as well." 

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This year's One of a Kind features the work of more than 400 artists from across Canada. The show director says supporting local has always been the event's goal. 

"I think more than ever we want to help and support our Canadian businesses because when you shop local, you're also making sure you're creating more jobs for our community," said the event's director, Janice Leung. 

The show runs from March 26 to March 30 at the Enercare Centre in Toronto.