The Progressive Conservative party of Ontario reportedly paid C$278,910.71 on the viral hats during the province’s election campaign
Dealing with the unprecedented threats from Donald Trump’s threats to Canada’s economy and sovereignty have required unconventional strategies from federal and provincial leaders, including barring liquor sales and cancelling contracts with Tesla.
But among the more unorthodox strategies to hit back against the US is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on novelty hats.
In January, sensing a marketing opportunity after Trump threatened to annex Canada, an Ottawa-based company began selling hats with the message “Canada is not for sale” in capital letters. Days later, Ontario premier Doug Ford – a blunt-spoken, burly populist with a knack for politics – entered a high-stakes meeting with other premiers and the prime minister wearing the hat. The move kicked off a frenzy of online orders and created a rare moment of political consensus.
But Ford’s love of the hat cost the province nearly C$300,000 (US$218,000), according to reporting by the Trillium.
