When this virus crisis is over,we need to smarten up and start making a lot more stuff in Canada.

Greaser · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

When this virus crisis is over,we need to smarten up and start making a lot more stuff in Canada.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

What a great business plan, release a deadly virus to the world then charge 5 times what you were charging for supplies you control to combat it.

"We need to smarten up" ya, I'd agree.

Lemans64 · Poncho Master!

It is itself a Global epidemic. The mighty Dollar speaks and someone see's the dollars they can make by buying over sea's.

We live in a place where there is plenty of wood products, But while shopping at Homedepot for some 1x4 trim boards in Primed Pine,

Guess where it came from, I almost crapped my pants, really?? China.

timbuk · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

its sadder than ya think soo sad

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

What is the definition of "over"?

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Throw out what we all bought in China? 2 things- we are all buying stuff made in China because or price but also because there is no Cdn alternative? How much more would you pay for non China made?

Without global trade, what would we be paying for things where business had no competition? Take a look at what drug companies charge when they still have a patent? No where near based on a cost of development and production?

I agree, we have to have the ability to supply ourselves in the products we need for the pandemic, the masks etc but especially the vaccines. Otherwise more people die.

silver steak · Addicted!

Well this is certainly an interesting and to say the least a frustration topic. I agree totally, unfortunately , the CEOs of large corporate companies see one thing " revenue ". Our leaders show very poor business sense sometimes. The world has been converted to this Global Economy by those so called Economist ( CEO's). Labor costs are the real big issue, the cost of production . The quality of life of a person who works in a lumber plant , foundry or other labor type work in china is not what it relates to in North America, for that matter there is a difference between North and South America.

Now , when Canada grows grains and wheat, allows it to be sent in raw product form to China, in china they are finished into cereals and other products by those large corporations and brought back and sold in North America under the same Trade name K - - - - g -s as it was thirty years ago. That's not morally right in my books,

We need to keep raw materials here, create the jobs in Canada to finish the end products in Canada including Crude Oil products. Lefbridge Alberta would be a Fantastic location for a major Petroleum Refinery iIMHO. If we expect to survive long term in this economic competition, we must make ourselves more sale able by raising the level of quality of products made in Canada.

Look at our biggest trade partner and look at the difference in the currency between us, does anyone else see a problem with that ratio ?

Sorry for ranting,

MC · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

It's complex, but IMHO a side effect of being totally capitalist - work goes to the low bidder to drive up profits. In this case the low bidder is China, or Bangladesh, etc. etc.

People want cheap stuff, so if you make your goods in a place where there are lax, or no, safety or environmental standards, not to mention quality/process control/checking (i.e. the label says it has 'this' in it, but it actually has 'that'), you're gonna get cheap stuff, but there's going to be another price to pay.

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

For sure, like the title says, smarten up already! There should be zero question when it comes to food supply, drugs and medical equipment. It needs to be sourced here regardless of cost.

We could, and would during conflict get cut off totally by those states (I think we already are partially), then what? We are fools for allowing it to happen. Can we not see this?

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

It all comes down to boosting stock value for shareholders. I recently read a CEO of a major corporation saying "My heart says we should produce our products here but my head (thinking of the shareholders) will always vote to produce where there's the greatest benefit to the shareholder". Many of us have investments consisting of stocks, mutual funds and EFT's and if we aren't seeing 5-10% gains year over year we are upset.

gparis7 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

cdnpont wrote:
For sure, like the title says, smarten up already! There should be zero question when it comes to food supply, drugs and medical equipment. It needs to be sourced here regardless of cost.
We could, and would during conflict get cut off totally by those states (I think we already are partially), then what? We are fools for allowing it to happen. Can we not see this?

Well said. I understand why there is so much trade with China but for essentials like we are talking about here, we should be self-sufficient. The US and Canada are finding out the hard way what happens when we are not. Add the layer of internal competition for scarce resources as is happening within the US for medical PPE, as well as a dysfunctional political system, and you get a pandemic that is arguably out of control in that country. I feel for the front line medical workers there. They seem to be operating with one hand tied behind their backs. Just my opinion.

-- Edited by gparis7 on Saturday 25th of April 2020 07:07:49 PM

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

MC wrote:
People want cheap stuff, so if you make your goods in a place where there are lax, or no, safety or environmental standards, not to mention quality/process control/checking (i.e. the label says it has 'this' in it, but it actually has 'that'), you're gonna get cheap stuff, but there's going to be another price to pay.

As well as cheap manpower, along with little or no worker regulations and benefits.

A Canadian worker would NEVER work under those conditions.

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

Perhaps we should look at making consumer goods in Canada that can be repairable. I think people would consider paying 20% more for a TV knowing that it could be easily repaired if it breaks. We had our Electrohome Colour TV for years when I was a kid.If it broke "Bob's TV" would come out and repair it. Today the TV goes in the garbage if it breaks (or you get sued by the manufacturer for attempting to fix it)

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I agree Todd that people might agree to a higher price (probably much higher) if that re-engineered item could have an extendable life. I would for sure. But we all know what got us to this point. That bottom line. That "Daily Low Price" thing. We as a society don't care to look much past that point of purchase.

But our current situation with medical and drugs has to be seen a a National Security issue, something to be taken far more seriously when we begin to return to normal. If not, then it'll never change, probably worsen, and the corps will still be running the show as they see fit to their own benefit. Taking this more seriously will come with a high cost, but we should not let that stop us. All debatable sure, but after all, we will in the next few years be purchasing 80 or so fighter jets at a massive cost "just in case".

Greaser · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

..and we need to start distributing the goods we make and grow through out the country first.

We need to take care of each other's products, and not be constantly dependent on foreign product.

Look how the marijuana business grew since it was legalized.

Why can't we build green houses the like of what they have, big enough so Mexican produce would be taken

off our grocery list and be replaced by Canadian grown produce, grown in every region of the country.

___________

https://globalnews.ca/news/6870689/coronavirus-canada-food-supply/

I sure hope all these goods in the story above don't get tossed because no is buying them.

At minimum,get them into the hands of those who use food banks and homeless shelters all across the country.

Time for Canadians to support other Canadians in any way we can.

-- Edited by Greaser on Sunday 26th of April 2020 06:48:06 PM

ABC123 · Uber Guru

Perhaps all us Canadians have been a little bit lazy.

But just as easy as hockey sticks have now being used as drive-thru, debit card machine sticks,

We prove that we can be pretty smart.

Especially, those Canadians out west !

https://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/covid-19-u-of-s-engineers-develop-3d-printable-n95-mask-1.4905488

mask

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/team-of-manitoba-doctors-producing-reusable-n95-like-masks-1.4900046

Facemasks

-- Edited by ABC123 on Sunday 26th of April 2020 07:53:16 PM

Greaser · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Canadian Poncho wrote:
Perhaps we should look at making consumer goods in Canada that can be repairable. I think people would consider paying 20% more for a TV knowing that it could be easily repaired if it breaks. We had our Electrohome Colour TV for years when I was a kid.If it broke "Bob's TV" would come out and repair it. Today the TV goes in the garbage if it breaks (or you get sued by the manufacturer for attempting to fix it)

Absolutely correct in this thinking Todd.I totally agree to this idea.

At the beginning of August I had a wine cooler that crapped out as well as the warranty....just over the three years of warranty given and it died.

I contacted Cusinart (name on the Cooler) requesting a schematic or a parts source for the mini cooler so I could repair it. Surprise,surprise,

Cusinart referred me to Canadian Tire to seek information because they were the ones who sold it. Cuisinart name, but not their problem?

Contacting Canadian TIre, they didn't have a parts source for this unit, but did sent me the instruction booklet (which doesn't have a schematic I asked for )

and yes many things sold have a schematic glued to the back of the unit...not this one.

They then gave me the contact to the company that they bought the wine cooler from. I informed Canadian Tire that it wasn't my job to have to

contact their suppliers to get this information ,it was theirs. Then then said they would. The supplier had no information.

At that point they said they would pay for half of the repair.

I explained that I do my own repairs (I always fix my fridges,washers,dryers, stoves ect.) and paying someone who charges $80-$120 an hour

is too much to even pay half. All this communications was over a period of two months.

They apologized and said they would try to get a schematic from

the Chinese source who made the unit in China ( that was September... I still haven't gotten anything and don't expect to)

I did ream them about their green initiative and sustainability program that does it strictly for PR, while they sell things like this

item that have no schematic, no list of parts or has a source to buy parts to fix these units.Profit first I guess.

The last of these units was still for sale at the end of July of 2019....explains why they offered an exchange for broken units still under warranty.

Anyway, I would love the federal government to incorporate a law that would require repairability to everything

that is mechanical or electrica, within reason. Maybe someone in Parliament will present the bill (we'll see how much support a bill like this will get)

to require repairability of products sole in Canada.

I'm refusing to toss this broken wine cooler, I'm working on a plan to turn it into a dehydrator.

-G

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

In the video by Michael Moore they said the recycle triangle used to have the three "R's": Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. They were removed as big business didn't like what they stood for.
Us old car guys should have the recycle triangle on our collector plates!

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Make a great new CP window sticker Todd or a license plate frame/bumper sticker? Mine can say made in Canada too.

-- Edited by DonSSDD on Tuesday 28th of April 2020 03:18:28 AM

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

Canadian Poncho wrote:
the three "R's": Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

I still go by this mantra weekly, if not daily. It is almost a challenge and hobby of mine.

These are the cast iron end plates off an old (late 1800's) International Harvester Force Feed Grain Drill (seed planter). The parts were found buried in the bush. There are a few other parts of an old grain cutter that I will have to do a bit more bush wacking to retrieve.

These will be a turned into a rustic foot stool:

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

Our "Singer" flat screen stand. This sewing machine was pulled from the dump:

66 Beau · Poncho Master!

I must have missed Michael Moore explaining the R triangle and I am not surprised that a lot of businesses do not want people thinking anything other than buy a new one. I still think R-R-R when I see the triangle. And yeah, I'm one of those guys who has a tough time throwing stuff away. You never know when that _____ might come in handy.... And before I throw that old coffee maker in the recycle, I pull the cord out, switches, element ... you never know, right? (and am I the only one whose Black & Decker coffee maker lasts 367 days?).

Your comment about it not being worthwhile to pay someone to fix your broken stuff is significant. If I have to pay someone $200 to fix a something that cost me $300 to buy new, then run into a $200 parts bill on top of the labour, I'm not going to be fixing many appliances. If it's a $50 appliance, it's a no brainer. I think the repair guy charges $50 to answer the phone.

I have one of those electric fireplaces. It was here when we moved in. It was kind of nice on a cool evening, but one day, there's a little zzzt and a puff, and it no longer works. Contacted the manufacturer, they say "No Problem, It's the board." Send them a stack of money and they'd send me a new board. The part cost about $50 less than an entirely new unit, complete with wood cabinet, fake logs and everything.

I know, it's probably a dried up capacitor on the board. Someday I'll pull the board out and see if I can fix it. My luck though, I'll short out a safety circuit with a gob of solder and burn my house down. Then I'll be very warm for a very short period of time.

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I had an issue with my kenmore dishwasher leaking, it needed an o ring where the pump fits. For $105 I could get a new o ring, for $150 you could get a new pump and o ring. Picked up an o ring at an o ring place, it was 13 cents.