Experts say a “buy Canadian” Thanksgiving feast can be built within a budget

The Story

Canadians looking to “buy Canadian” for Thanksgiving can build an all-Canadian-style meal within budget by leaning on harvest-season ingredients and simpler recipes, according to experts cited in the report.

Paul van der Werf, an adjunct professor at Ivey Business School at Western University in London, Ont., said Thanksgiving lines up with peak agricultural production in Canada and that the country produces key staples. He said Canada produces lots of turkey and potatoes and is the world’s second-biggest producer of cranberries.

Van der Werf pointed to Statistics Canada data indicating Ontario produced 45 per cent of Canada’s turkey in 2025. He also referenced a separate Statistics Canada report noting Canada reached an all-time high in potato production in 2024.

While a classic Thanksgiving meal, van der Werf said, is “Canadian through and through” thanks to the availability of Canadian agricultural products, he cautioned that it is not always simple to define what qualifies as “Canadian” in food supply chains.

He noted that U.S.-based Ocean Spray processes some Canadian cranberries into a jelly sauce, illustrating how ingredients can cross borders even when the raw product originates in Canada.

Jeff Stewart, executive director of non-profit Food Day Canada, said label information matters when shoppers are trying to choose Canadian-made items, including considering the origin of ingredients, manufacturing plants, and brand ownership. He added that convenience often drives people toward boxed or prepared foods, such as stuffing or store-bought mashed potatoes.

Stewart advised planning by working backwards from a holiday menu to what is in season. He suggested shoppers walk through grocery stores or farmers markets, then build the menu as they find ingredients: “Whatever is in abundance is what you’re going to find the best prices on.”

According to Stewart, harvest produce varies by region, so menus should reflect what is available locally. He said farmers typically harvest a wide range of fall produce, including pumpkins, squash, potatoes, apples and pears, and that blueberries—whose harvest finished the previous month—could cost more if they are imported.

Stewart said where someone lives can shape the menu toward local options, giving an Ontario example of a homegrown turkey and adding that in British Columbia, he would expect a fish-based celebration.

Both experts also highlighted that pantry items can limit how fully “100 per cent Canadian” a meal can be. Van der Werf said Canada does not grow spices such as cinnamon and black pepper or produce olive oil, though he argued that small portions may be acceptable for some dishes.

He said sugar is produced using imported sugar cane and that some brands, such as Redpath, are owned by American multinationals. Van der Werf noted an option to keep sugar Canadian by using sugar beets grown in southern Alberta and processed at the Rogers factory in Taber, Alta.

Van der Werf also said simpler recipes can help make the shift easier, and Stewart said choosing to commit to a fully Canadian approach can take effort at first but becomes easier over time.

Stewart described the process as a return to earlier, less convenience-dependent meals, urging people to consider “simpler things in simpler times” when planning their Thanksgiving menu. He said that if someone chooses to go “100 per cent Canadian,” they can still reach that goal even if it is “a little bit difficult at first.”