“Buy Canadian.” It started with a trade war—Trump bragging that the U.S. consumer economy was the greatest in the world and talks of making Canada a 51st state. What followed here was a wave of nationalism dressed as shopping: Maple syrup. Flannel. “Support local.”
Canadian made picnic table made from New Brunswick White Cedar.
But what is Canadian? Lakes? Forests? Totem poles? If so, we should ask: Are those still alive? Or are we just selling the image while we destroy the real thing?
Canada’s economy is built on extracting raw resources from unceded Indigenous land—and selling them without adding value. We take too much. We give too little back. We’re becoming a mirror of the U.S. — a clone of the same consumer machine.
And here’s the deeper problem:
We are not just being sold products. We are being cast into spells—through ads, slogans, repetition. We are being manipulated by words,
The consumer culture is spreading faster than we can even process it—through influencers, ads dressed as truth, and endless scrolling that keeps us chasing instead of thinking.
We weren’t always like this. And I’m not here to sell you nostalgia—because that, too, is a manipulation.
But somewhere along the way, we went off course. The U.S. shows us what happens when you double down on convenience and consumption. We still have time to do things differently.
We can build with integrity. We can create value without destruction.
Our First Nations cultures mean something. Our wilderness means something. Our lakes, forests, and stories are not just “Canadian icons”—they’re what keep us alive.
And if we keep selling the symbols without protecting the reality, we’ll lose both.
This Is My Value-Added Production
I could have mined the land for raw profit. Sold pigment by the pound. Cut corners. Stripped meaning. But I’ve chosen a different model.
I take very little — a few stones, a bit of charred moose bone — and I turn it into something more.
I paint stories on Canadian lumber, using materials tied to this land. But it’s the story, the creativity, the meaning — that’s what creates real value. That’s what grows culture and jobs, not just profit.
We can develop an economy without compromising our integrity. We can keep what’s iconic — the lakes, the forests, the cultures — and still have a healthy, honest economy.
This painting is more than a product. It’s a model for how we move forward.
The Film I’m Making, and Why It Matters
I’m making a film that exposes how consumer culture degrades our integrity — and why we can’t seem to move beyond it.
But this isn’t a documentary, it’s not direct or didactic. It’s a parable.
It’s not just about ads, influencers, or fast fashion. It’s deeper than that. We’ve built an economy on extraction — from the land, from attention, from meaning.
Trump’s trade war sparked a new wave of “Buy Canadian” pride, but what are we really buying?
Maple leaves? Wilderness? Indigenous culture? We’re selling the symbols while destroying what they stand for. We consume more than we need, because convenience has become our god.
For Exclusive behind the scenes look at my art and film go to: patreon.com/gsanipass
Once Upon a Time there was an Artist Named Garry Sanipass… 
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