Local businesses in Ottawa take a stance against possible tariffs

Ottawa restaurants and breweries are removing American products from their menus. CTV’s Natalie van Rooy reports.

Locally owned restaurants and bars are taking matters into their own hands in Ottawa with the threat of tariffs still lingering.

The owner of Dhruvees Restaurant and Café is making a major adjustment to the menu, including swapping out American products for Canadian.

“I do all my shopping, whether it’s produce, vegetables, (or) fruits, locally,” said Donald Wingell, the owner of Dhruvees Restaurant and Café. “I stopped going into the big suppliers like Cisco and Costco and I’m more focused on going into our Canadian stores and picking up.”

Wingell says the move is costing him at least five per cent more. He’s also swapped out American booze for Canadian.

“Most of our U.S. wines are now replaced by either Canadian wines or European wines or world wines,” he said. “We don’t have any American beers anymore.”

He says the response from the public has been positive and it feels good to support Canadian business.

“I’ve also started buying products that come in from Quebec and meats from Maple Ridge, which is in Brampton, Ont.,” he said.

Other businesses across the nation’s capital are taking a similar stance. At Q Bar in downtown Ottawa, the owner says he’s swapped out all American booze.

“The first thing we did was pull all of the American branded spirits off of our shelves,” said Scott May, Q Bar owner. “We tend to be focused on Canadian and especially local beer and wine. It was pretty easy to pull the bourbon off the shelves and replace it with Canadian-made whisky.”

Over at Dominion Brewery, the owner created a brand-new craft beer called Glorious and Free after talk of the tariffs. It’s made from 100 per cent Canadian ingredients.

“We were working with local suppliers to make a beer that reflects the land and the people where we’re from, and I think this is the most important part for me … We can harness the power of local beer to do some good for our community and for our country at a really hinge moment in our history,” said Josh McJannett, Dominion Brewery co-owner.

McJannett says the community has been supportive, the IPA is brewed with Pilsner Malt from Mississippi Mills, not far from Ottawa.