A 22-year-old consultant runs Made in CA, a viral online directory fuelling the patriotic shopping craze
Late last week, Maclean’s launched a new 100 per cent made-in-Canada tote bag. To my great joy, it caught the attention of Margaret Atwood, who tweeted about it. “This is taking off in Canada,” she said. Almost instantly the bags were sold out. I spent the better part of a day figuring out how to restock. We’re back in business now, though supplies are limited. The bags, designed by Maclean’s creative director Christine Dewairy, cost $25 each, and proceeds go to support the independent Canadian journalism Maclean’s has been doing for 120 years. For a limited time, you can also save 25% off subscriptions. The Maclean’s bag isn’t the only made-in-Canada product experiencing a surge in popularity; in the face of Trump’s tariffs, a patriotic buying blitz is sweeping the nation. Dylan Lobo, a 22-year-old digital media consultant in Toronto, runs Made in CA, a directory of hundreds of Canadian companies. He’s been quietly promoting Canadian-made products since 2022. After Trump’s inauguration in January, his traffic exploded as Canadians searched for home-grown goods. Ali Amad interviewed Lobo for Maclean’s about unexpectedly finding himself at the centre of our nationalistic shopping spree. —Sarah Fulford, editor-in-chief |
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has pledged to revive the oil sands. His messaging resonates with Canadians who feel the country’s fossil-fuel sector has been neglected under the Liberals. But trying to revive Canada’s oil sands is a bad idea, says Ross Belot. “It’s incredibly expensive, uneconomic and ineffective,” Belot writes in this essay for Maclean’s. “I should know. I spent my career evaluating crude markets and pipelines for Imperial Oil.” |
Rents today in major Canadian cities are astronomically high. Entry-level salaries rarely even cover the costs of shared rental accommodations. So university students across the country are moving back into their childhood bedrooms. Claire Gagné explores this phenomenon in the cover story of the next issue of Maclean’s. In her reporting, she encountered a surprisingly harmonious new normal, where adult children and their accommodating parents make the best of economic necessity—even while they worry about what lies ahead. |
Alessia Cara, wallflower icon, is back after a two-year hiatus. Her new album, Love & Hyperbole, explores the complexities of modern relationships—and fittingly, it dropped on Valentine’s Day. Over the past decade, Cara has matured dramatically: she’s collected a Grammy for Best New Artist, performed on Saturday Night Live and sung a Disney hit (for Moana). Now she’s venturing into fresh musical territory, blending her signature soulful pop with jazz, R&B and indie influences. They already shine through on her latest single, “(Isn’t It) Obvious,” a downtempo track featuring a one-minute guitar solo by John Mayer. |
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