Alisha McFetridge questioned whether or not to bring up the issue of U.S. tariffs when she made a presentation to her board of directors last November.
McFetridge is the co-founder and CEO of RainStick Shower, a clean tech company creating products with an eye to water conservation benefits.
RainStick is North America's first circular shower that saves 80 per cent on water use and up to 80 per cent on energy while providing almost two times the water flow rate.
A large part of the company's clientele is in the U.S., so as Donald Trump won last November's presidential election, her anger and frustration at his tariff policies grew as she was forced to extensively review the company's business plan and consider potential new markets.
Her focus was on Europe, and since then has targeted the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in her pursuit to rethink her company's sales outlook without a U.S. tariff-free market.
For McFetridge, it meant carrying out a lot of research and internal rethinking, while facing the challenge of different regulatory conditions in other markets that were largely absent south of the border.
"Our sector is about water, so just in Canada the regulatory environment differs from province to province, making our mandate to find new markets difficult in trying to navigate all the different technology regulatory aspects seeking water use efficiencies," she said.
"The wine industry feels that as well, in seeking to trade more to other Canadian markets. It is time for provinces across Canada to work together to accommodate more Canadian entrepreneur innovation.
We have to be more bullish on Canada. We have the resources, the innovation and the skilled labour to be more self-sufficient."
McFetridge sat on a panel discussion hosted by the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission on April 3 to discuss how local businesses can navigate the trade challenges posed by U.S. tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, igniting a global trade war.
Mark Burleigh, CEO of Northside Industries in West 麻豆精选, said the word uncertainty has been a constant in the lead-up to Trump's tariff announcement on April 2, both for their suppliers and clients for his steel fabrication and manufacturing company which provides products for large commercial and industrial users, such as commercial trucking, forestry and boat building.
Burleigh said Northside has been forced to pivot away from U.S. suppliers to avoid adding more costs for their products, looking to plug into alternative supply chains and engaging in more dialogue with customers on how to absorb costs.
He suggested an unintended consequence of the U.S. tariffs initiative is rather than Canadian companies paying the tariff tax or passing it on to clients and ultimately consumers, there is a reinvigorated thought to seek out new markets and avoid the tariff confusion and uncertainty.
"We have to look at more supply chain initiatives within Canada. We tend to be a resource-rich but value-added poor country and I think we need to take a look at that," Burleigh said.
Ryan Malcolm, director of business development and Indigenous relationships for the Emil Anderson Groups, noted the emotional response of initiating boycotts against U.S. product procurement may provide some satisfaction in responding to U.S. tariffs, but it can cause difficulty for Canadian businesses.
"If we are building a road project and work with an established U.S. producer for bridge steel girders if a municipal government opts to boycott U.S. products, that makes it difficult for us to pivot and find another supplier," Malcolm explained.
"Now come delays in completing the project while we seek a new supplier, which might be China where the product may face lesser quality and process standards, and the delays in getting the product shipped to us add to the overall cost.
He said while consumers can absolutely make personal choices about buying U.S. products, seeking to pivot from an established supplier for Canadian companies will present challenges.
Adam Hutchens, senior manager, B.C. Interior, Export Development Canada, said despite the tariffs, our country remains a producer of resources from agri-products to oil that present export options.
"We have a lot of resources that the world still needs," Hutchens noted.
