Apparently, there are two vastly different definitions of “elbows up,” the ubiquitous rallying cry of patriotic Canadians outraged over injuries and insults inflicted by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The first definition, of course, is a reference to the hockey-style elbow shiver we are prepared to inflict on anyone who threatens our sovereignty.
More recently, however, “elbows up” has developed a parallel connotation: as a description of the posture some Canadians assume as they raise an elbow to quaff an American wine or whiskey.
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In-storage U.S. alcohol went back on shelves Wednesday.
The latter group of elbows-up activists were in abundance this week when the NDP government announced it would start selling off the $8-million stockpile of American alcohol it pulled off the shelves earlier this year to protest Trump’s tariffs and annexation fantasies.
Taking all that booze out of circulation was a strong statement that most certainly was felt south of the border. But now, the sheer value of the boycotted alcohol was starting to wear a hole in Premier Wab Kinew’s pocket. Thus, the decision to sell off the stockpile, a bit at a time.
The first million dollars worth of the American alcohol went on sale first thing Dec. 10. Kinew promised that half of the proceeds from this close-out sale would go to non-profit groups supporting people during the holidays.
Notwithstanding the philanthropic element in this equation, the reaction to the return of American booze to Liquor Mart shelves was bizarre, to put it mildly.
Some Winnipeggers actually lined up outside many Liquor Mart locations in Winnipeg before they opened to be among the first shoppers to reclaim American wine, spirits and beer. Once inside, patrons of Yankee booze set aside their delayed gratification and filled carts and boxes with bourbon, blended whiskeys, American rum and wine.
It’s possible the eager-beaver Manitoba shoppers were not necessarily representative of the vast majority of the province’s citizens, who seemed to be quite enthusiastic about shunning American alcohol as a potent protest against the new-age American imperialism being practiced now in the Trump White House.
Even so, it was alarming to see so many people putting aside patriotic and political concerns to buy products that, quite frankly, are easily replaced with other products. There are better rums from Jamaica, Canadian wines are growing in maturity and complexity, and you can buy wonderful Irish whiskey aged in bourbon casks if you need a hint of Kentucky in your highball glass.
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The premier should not be faulted for wanting to unload the American alcohol. The province, through its Crown alcohol concern, invested a pretty penny in all that booze. Still, the rush to buy up the dregs of what we have left in government warehouses was, shall we say, unseemly — even though the alcohol was already bought and paid for, and its sale therefore won’t benefit U.S. producers.
Canada is still without a trade deal with the Trump administration, a condition that is pushing prices upwards and threatening jobs in key industries as Canadian exports fall out of favour as their cost soars after tariffs are applied.
The alcohol boycott, along with the decision by Canadians to stop travelling to the U.S., have been potent forms of protest against the economic havoc that Trump has wrought. The domestic pushback by American businesses impacted by these boycotts will be key to forging a fairer trade deal.
So, to those Manitobans who still crave Kraken rum or Gallo wines, enjoy those products while they last. But given that the tariff war is nowhere near resolution, it’s important to remember the broader fight and our need to pull together.
Stay calm, and keep your elbows high. Once the purchased products are sold, keep the boycott going.
