February 4, 2025

Courtenay Elementary Community School Society (CECSS) announces its commitment to Team Canada’s initiative to prioritize Canadian-made products in response to the United States’ recent threat to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian goods.

Although a 30 day pause on those tariffs is in place, the political climate in the United States remains uncertain. Last school year, CECSS spent nearly $25,000 on groceries for Courtenay Elementary’s lunch program. The Feeding Futures funding the community school receives mandates that we serve nourishing lunches with a target of 30% of the food we procure be “BC Food.” We are well on our way to meeting this target.

In an effort to support local economies and reach this target, we are taking deliberate steps to avoid purchasing American-made products and purchasing local or Canadian products to show solidarity in the face of this economic threat from the United States.

We encourage the community, whenever possible, to follow suit and buy Canadian or buy local to not only protect Canada but build resiliency in our economy.

Courtenay Elementary Community School Society

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