Why Can't You Source More from Canada?

We believe in "Made in Canada". It's written into MEC's Board Policy, and every day our merchandisers seek out locally made products that meet the technical demands and the style and price preferences of our members. Unfortunately, this isn't easy. Despite our buying policies and practices, it's increasingly difficult to source Canadian made goods.

The demand for lower prices by retailers and consumers makes production in low-cost countries attractive.

We'd like Canadian production to rise, but instead it has been dropping, and will continue to fall. Rising costs and declining expertise are hitting Canadian manufacturers hard. Local factories struggle to find skilled workers. Others find their access to raw materials shrinking as suppliers relocate overseas, making it harder for them to manufacture in Canada. And finally there is cost: the demand for lower prices by retailers and consumers makes production in low-cost countries attractive. The confluence of all these forces is driving our suppliers overseas or closing them down altogether.

We are a relatively small retailer whose buying volume is not sufficient to create or adequately support a domestic industry. Regardless, we're committed to Canadian manufacturers and endeavour to source from them.