CNN’s Paula Newton travels to the hometown of hockey great Wayne Gretzky, where businesses are afraid of U.S. tariffs.

Ontario

Donald Trump has signed an order to impose tariffs imports into the U.S. from countries including China, Mexico and Canada.

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A historic Canadian hockey stick business in Brantford, Ontario, is facing challenges amid the U.S.-Canada trade tensions that involve tariffs on goods. The business has long participated in trade relations with the U.S., dating back 178 years. Recent tariffs proposed by the U.S. have already impacted the business finances by a reported 10%, as stated by owner Graham Roston. Customers are hurriedly placing orders to avoid higher costs once tariffs are instituted.  

The political climate has also brought personal issues to the forefront, with Brantford's mayor expressing disbelief over the quickly deteriorating relationship between the two nations. Dual citizens, like Roston, find themselves struggling to understand the motivations behind such trade decisions, which some describe as insulting. The mayor of Brantford notes that the long-standing mutually beneficial relationship has become strained.

The town of Brantford, famously the hometown of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, is grappling with the unintended inclusion of Gretzky's name into these economic tensions. While some view Gretzky as a symbol of Canadian pride who could potentially speak out on these issues, opinions differ regarding his role, given that he has not lived in Brantford for some time. The community continues to hold him in high regard, yet there is noticeable emotional turmoil as the town navigates these complex economic and political challenges.



Inside a Canadian hockey stick business in the U.S. trade war

We've come to a place that leans into a Canadian stereotype quite naturally. It is now on the front line of a trade war. This business here has been in place for 178 years and it's been selling product and trading product with the United States since before Canada was a country. We're in Brantford, Ontario, a little more than an hour away from both Toronto and Buffalo, one of the places likely to be hardest hit by tariffs and the birthplace of hockey's great one. Where did you grow up? I grew up in a town called Brantford, Ontario. Wayne Gretzky. These are all signed by Wayne Gretzky. With tariffs looming, owner Graham Roston says business is already down about 10%. Well, for us, it's a disaster day. U.S. customers want their orders before tariffs hit. All these are going to the Miracle on Ice, Team USA, 45th anniversary. President Trump's tariffs and taunts to make Canada a 51st state are biting here. It's just ridiculous to insult your neighbor and as a dual citizen, Canadian and American, and I don't understand it from the American point of view either. Why would we insult Canadians? In Brantford and across Canada, buying American now seems like an act of treason. Even in our store, we get asked all the time, you know, are these products local? Have they been made in Canada? Brantford's mayor is incredulous about how the U.S.-Canada bond so frayed in the last few weeks. It's a mutually beneficial relationship. Until it wasn't. Until it wasn't. We're nice until we're not. And yeah, if you want a war, then it's a war. But it's a totally meaningless war from my perspective. I just, like, I really frankly don't understand it. Something else he doesn't understand, how Wayne Gretzky, Brantford's hometown icon, got wrapped up in all of this. I have so many great friends. One of them is the great one, Wayne Gretzky. He has been called a traitor, a turncoat, a MAGA junkie, a MAGA sidekick. Based on 30 years of knowing Wayne and his family, sorry, I'm getting a little bit emotional. There are people that want to take his name off the buildings here. Well, there are, I agree with you, there are people that feel strongly about it and feel emotional, very emotional about this, because we do feel under attack here in Canada. Wayne Gretzky declined comment to CNN. At the local community centre. The Brantford Titans are on the ice, Gretzky's name on the rink. He hasn't lived here for how many years? I mean, I almost see him as, you know, kind of somebody with dual citizenship, but who has chosen, you know, United States of America to live in. You wanted to speak up for Canada. I do, I do. He's kind of the voice of Canada. He has been that way in the past, and he is now, if he chose to do that. So I really would like to see Wayne do that, but I still don't feel any ill against Wayne just because he's a friend of mine. Do you think he could put in a word? Love it if he would. You know, we don't want anybody to get hurt. We want businesses to flourish, both in the U.S. and in Canada. There's got to be a way to do that without just slapping tariffs, you know, here and there and everywhere. I think that as soon as you start talking about invading another country, or taking it over, the disrespect that that presents to people, it wakes them up, and it creates a tremendous anger. How long that anger lingers here will depend on what happens with tariffs and the taunts. And while Gretzky has a solid reserve of goodwill here after decades of donations and devotion to his hometown, Bramford, like Canada, has found its limit. Paula Newton, CNN, Bramford, Ontario.

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