It was hard to miss Ontario Premier Doug Ford's message to potential U.S. expansionists on Wednesday: He wore it right on his hat.
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa ahead of a meeting of the premiers with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss Canada's response to the threat of US tariffs, Ford wore a navy blue cap emblazoned with the words “Canada is not for sale” in white block letters '.
The design was clearly reminiscent of the slogan 'Make America Great Again', which was popular among supporters of newly elected President Donald Trump.
Trump recently threatened to impose a tariff on all Canadian goods and has pondered using “economic force” to “eliminate” the border between the two countries. These threats led to Wednesday's meeting in Ottawa.
“This is about everyday Canadians standing up for the country,” Ford said when asked about his choice of headgear.
He said he received the hat from Ottawa's Jackpine Dynamic Branding and later thanked the company on X.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford arrives for a meeting in Ottawa on January 15, 2025.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford arrives at a rally in Ottawa on Wednesday wearing a hat with the slogan “Canada is not for sale.” (Blair Gable/Reuters)
Jackpine's Liam Mooney said the idea for the hats came last week when he and his partner were watching Ford being interviewed on Fox News and heard the host say it would be a “privilege” for Canada to join the U.S.
“We thought, no. It's a privilege to be Canadian,” Mooney said.
Mooney said they quickly came up with the “cheeky” slogan, which he confirmed is an intentional reference to the MAGA brand, and soon built a website with the help of online merchandising giant Shopify.
Mooney said a member of Ford's staff noticed the hats and called to see if someone could be ready for the prime minister in time for Wednesday's meeting.
“In a week we went from concept to the Prime Minister's head,” said Mooney, describing the response as “overwhelming”.
Liam Mooney of Ottawa-based Jackpine Dynamic Branding said the idea for the hats came after he heard a Fox News host say it would be a “privilege” for Canada to join the U.S.
Liam Mooney of Ottawa-based Jackpine Dynamic Branding says the idea for the hats came after he heard a Fox News host say it would be a “privilege” for Canada to join the U.S. (Olivier Plante/CBC)
On Wednesday afternoon, Mooney said Jackpine had made tens of thousands of dollars in sales, thanks in large part to Ford's plug. But Mooney described the venture as a “small act of patriotism” rather than a money-making scheme.
“It doesn't matter what your political preference is, what your party affiliation is or what your worldview might be. I think we can all agree that Canada is a great country, and in a world of nations, Canada stands alone as a very unique country. and a great country,” he said.
'We want people to be proud of it [their] country, and we want people to feel like there is a way they can make a statement.”
The hats are currently made in Vietnam and Bangladesh, but Mooney said Jackpine is committed to establishing a fully Canadian supply chain involving union workers.
