A shoutout to The Green Beaver Co. for producing the only mouthwash on The Canada List that scores 10 out of 10. The Canada List is the work of Matthew Shane, an associate professor of psychology at Ontario Tech University.
Thousands of consumer products of all types are included in the list with a rating of how Canadian they are. Need mouthwash, cookies or a new vehicle? Consult the guide to see how a wide variety of brands score. Here’s an e-mail Q&A I did with Mr. Shane to find out more about The Canada List:
Q: How did an associate professor of psychology come to create a ranking of consumer products by their Canadian-ness?
A: I’m not just a university professor – I’m also a proud Canadian who believes our country is worth protecting. The Canada List is my small attempt to contribute to the strengthening of the Canadian economy. In my opinion, we’re currently dangerously reliant on the U.S. Right now, about 70 per cent of our exports go south of the border. One of the most effective things that individual Canadians can do to help reduce this reliance on the U.S. is to buy products that are owned, manufactured and/or sourced within Canada. Every purchase is a vote. Every dollar is a bargaining chip.
Q: Can you describe how products get a high score in your ranking – say eight, nine or 10?
A: The Canada List tries to move beyond superficial assessments of a product or company as either “Canadian” or “not Canadian. In my view, this is too simplistic a categorization in a globalized economy. Instead, we offer a more nuanced perspective into the extent to which each company or product truly contributes to the Canadian economy. To this end, we use an AI-assisted process to assess four key factors:
- Ownership: Is the parent company Canadian?
- Manufacturing: Is the product made or assembled here?
- Sourcing: Are the ingredients or components Canadian?
- Job support: How many Canadians does the company meaningfully employ?
Based on these factors, we generate a final Canada score on a one to 10 scale. Canadian-owned companies that manufacture their products in Canada with domestically sourced materials receive an eight, nine or 10. Foreign-owned companies that manufacture overseas and import for sale to Canada receive a one, two or three.
Q: Are there any brands that were once Canadian or have a “Canadian identity,” but are in fact foreign owned and/or foreign produced?
A: We just wrote a blog post on this topic, which highlighted a number of brands that “feel” deeply Canadian, but aren’t. Beatrice Dairy, Canada Dry, Tim Hortons, Mott’s Clamato, Coffee Crisp, Old Dutch Chips, Dempster’s Bread and Sorel are all examples of companies that have strong cultural ties to Canada, but are now foreign-owned, foreign-manufactured or both.
I should emphasize, however, that foreign-owned companies don’t necessarily receive a low Canada Score if they contribute meaningfully to the Canadian economy through domestic manufacturing, sourcing and/or job creation.
Q: What vehicles stand out for Canadian content?
A: Broadly speaking, the automakers with the largest Canadian manufacturing footprints are Ford, GM, Stellantis (Chrysler/Dodge), Honda and Toyota. Not only do these operations support upwards of 30,000 Canadian jobs (plus thousands more at auto parts suppliers), but my understanding is that the cars built in these plants also have the highest Canadian parts content – perhaps between 20 to 30 per cent. Here are the current and upcoming vehicles that are assembled in the Canadian plants:
- Honda: Civic, CR-V
- Toyota: RAV4, Lexus RX
- GM: Chevrolet Silverado; BrightDrop electric vans
- Ford: Edge, Lincoln Nautilus (retooling for the Ford Explorer EV and Lincoln Aviator EV in 2025)
- Stellantis: Chrysler Pacifica 300, Dodge Charger/Challenger (retooling for Jeep Compass in 2026)
Q: How do you score goods that are produced in Canadian facilities by foreign-owned companies?
A: This is where nuance really comes into play. While we do prioritize Canadian-owned companies, we don’t want to minimize the real contributions that foreign-owned companies who choose domestic sourcing/production can have on the economy. The way we handle this is by allowing foreign-owned products and companies that have significant manufacturing footprints in Canada to achieve a score of up to six out of 10. In some cases – for example, with the auto makers – we’ve even increased this a bit further, to 7 out of 10, to reflect the very significant role these companies play in domestic job creation and support.
Q: From your research, what percentage of a household’s week to week and monthly purchases could be converted to made in Canada products without too much fuss?
A: In my own life, I’ve found it relatively easy to pivot to products with high Canada Scores – often with just a few smart swaps. I’ve switched from Oreos to Dare or Leclerc, from Nature Valley to Made Good, from Lays to Hardbite, from Oikos to Liberté, from Tostitos to Mad Mexican. You’d be surprised by just how many of the products in the grocery aisle are home-grown. That said, the vast majority of electronics companies, software companies and streaming services are foreign owned, without viable Canadian alternatives. Finally, let’s be honest: some Canadian options cost more, and not everyone has the financial flexibility to prioritize those choices, no matter how strong their values. If you choose to swap out only a few products here and there, that’s great too. Every bit counts.
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