The Montreal Home Show is underway at the Palais des Congrès, where businesses are shifting their focus to local products amid concerns over tariffs and economic uncertainty.
Jessie Picard, a general contractor, said his clients are insisting that Canadian materials be used in their renovation projects but added that it is not always possible.
“They are always on the news. They are looking at everything. So, yeah, we are really pushing to get to the products,” Picard said.
It’s the same story for Marie-France Cote Nolet, who runs a network that offers training and support for women who want to take on their own renovation projects.
“A lot of our members already had those values. What I have to say, though, is that while it was nice to have before, now it is one of the first questions. It’s like people are willing to pay a little bit more for it to be local,” she said.
Many of the business owners at the show said they are confident that despite everything, 2025 will still be a good year.
But for industries like heating and air conditioning that rely heavily on U.S. imports there are worrying times ahead.
“Up to [now]? It’s not too bad. We had a couple of clients, however, just telling us they were not interested in buying any American products. But we have products around the world, so it’s not too bad. But still, I think it’s still going to hit us a little bit,” said Jean-Sebastien Blais, an Entreprise MST sales representative.
So far, Canadian counter-tariffs are not affecting the price of his products, but Blais said he is worried that if levied, they could add insult to injury.
