Demand for 'elbows up' merchandise dips ahead of Canada Day, businesses say

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 29, 2025 2:47 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

When Rachael Coe decided to motorboat an "elbows up" merchandise enactment astatine her store successful Yarmouth, N.S., successful March, she said it was an contiguous bestseller.

Within a week, Coe said her Timeless Memories store had already made 400 sales. By the extremity of the archetypal month, she had sold 2,500 products ranging from T-shirts to hoodies to car decals.

Demand for items bearing Canada's rallying outcry against U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and annexation threats was truthful precocious that Coe launched a website to support up with the surge.

"It was a effect from each implicit Canada," she said. "We reached each azygous province, past we started covering worldwide. Our 'elbows up' merch went everywhere."

Many Canadian businesses hopped connected the patriotic inclination that besides saw Ontario Premier Doug Ford wearing a "Canada Is Not For Sale" shot headdress up of a January gathering with Canada's premiers and premier minister.

WATCH | How Mike Myers helped 'elbows up' became a Canadian rallying cry:

But Coe's income started slowing down by May. And contempt a flimsy boost up of Canada Day, she said the "elbows up" enactment is present selling astatine akin rates to the classical red-and-white merchandise she sells each twelvemonth astir this time.

Although concern owners accidental they are selling much Canada-themed products this twelvemonth starring up to July 1, galore person besides noted a diminution successful "elbows up" merchandise sales.

The hockey phrase — which originated with the legendary subordinate Gordie Howe — became a nationalist rallying outcry successful March aft Canadian comedian Mike Myers mouthed the words on Saturday Night Live while wearing a "Canada Is Not For Sale" T-shirt.

initially embraced arsenic a grassroots question astatine the tallness of cross-border commercialized tensions and Trump's musings astir making Canada the 51st state, it has shifted to a much generic look of Canadian pridefulness amid continued tensions, retailers and experts say.

Others enactment that the operation "elbows up" has progressively been utilized successful a partisan context, contributing to the selling shift.

Stephanie Tomlin, Toronto-based proprietor of the online concern Shop Love Collective, said she saw an detonation successful "elbows up" merchandise income successful March, selling arsenic galore arsenic 10 oregon 15 products per day. Similarly, her income began to stagnate successful May.

WATCH | Windsor, Ont., pistillate making hundreds of 'Elbows Up' pins:

Leading up to Canada Day, she said she's selling "quite a spot more" merchandise compared with erstwhile years, but that's owed to involvement successful Canada-themed products crossed the board.

"I deliberation the clime successful Canada is simply a small spot much settled aft the predetermination and that — we consciousness similar we volition ne'er beryllium the 51st state," Tomlin said, adding that Canadian patriotism is becoming little combative arsenic annexation talks person died down.

Howard Ramos, a governmental sociologist at Western University successful London, Ont., said "elbows up" became "more partisan than it utilized to be" erstwhile Prime Minister Mark Carney embraced the operation successful his predetermination run ads successful precocious March.

"It's conscionable added to however the look is dying down arsenic a pan-Canadian claim," helium said. "Now you spot connected societal media, particularly from Conservative handles, the usage of 'elbows up' successful a sarcastic mode to knock Mark Carney oregon Liberal policies."

Negative online comments astir the "elbows up" question person discouraged Coe from promoting her products connected Facebook. But erstwhile she's interacting with customers successful her Yarmouth shop, she said the operation isn't arsenic divisive.

"It's not a governmental term, and it simply means that you're defending your state — and everyone should beryllium defending our country, conscionable similar you would support [against] a extremity successful hockey," she said.

WATCH | Why Canadians are saying 'elbows up':

Danielle McDonagh, proprietor of Vernon, B.C.-based Rowantree Clothing, said she stopped promoting her "elbows up" merchandise connected a ample standard erstwhile she noticed the operation being interpreted arsenic an "anti-Conservative" and "boomer" movement.

For McDonagh, accrued interest astir the governmental clime successful the United States has besides chipped distant astatine the lightheartedness of the "elbows up" movement. "I deliberation immoderate of the levity is gone for me," she said.

While income of her "elbows up" products person dropped by astir 90 per cent since hitting 1,000 successful the archetypal month, she said she continues to beforehand the merchandise successful tiny batches astatine section markets successful Vernon.

Business owners accidental their customers proceed to prioritize supporting the Canadian economy, arsenic they are routinely answering questions astir wherever their products are manufactured.

And the propulsion to bargain Canadian isn't conscionable coming from this broadside of the border. Coe said galore American tourists arriving by ferry from Maine sojourn her store successful hunt of Canadian merchandise.

Tourists "want to enactment america conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic Canadians privation to enactment us," she said.

McDonagh said her concern sees akin involvement from Americans.

"I'm shipping a batch of Canada-centric merchandise to the States, which I conscionable love," she said. "People chat with maine connected my tract and say, 'We're supporting you.'"