Keep Those Elbows Up

Hoekstra said Trump says Canadians are "mean and nasty"

Canadians not traveling south to the United States or buying American goods has irked US President Donald Trump, who claims Canadians are "nasty" to deal with.

But BC Premier David Eby says the US leadership has "very little awareness" in how offensive his remarks are.

"Do they think Canadians are not going to respond when the president says, 'I want to turn you into the 51st state and begger you economically unless you bow to the US?" Eby said in Huntsville Ontario, where the premiers are meeting this week.

Eby hit back, saying US boycott is working

"Obviously, Canadians are outraged."

US Ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra was asked in Bellevue, Washington how to encourage Canadians to start traveling to the US again and this is part of what he said:

"Canadians staying home, that's their business, you know. I don't like it, but if that's what they want to do, it's fine. They want to ban American alcohol. That's fine," Hoekstra said.

"There are reasons why the president and some of his team referred to Canada as being mean and nasty to deal with, OK, because of some of those steps," he said.

So Eby pounced on the "mean and nasty" bit, and said Hoekstra's remarks show Canadians' efforts to stand up to Trump are "having an impact," and he encouraged people to "keep it up."

Asian Supermarket Chain Goes South

T&T is opening its first store near Seattle next summer

People in Bellevue, Washington State who like to eat Asian food are excited to hear that T&T Supermarket will be opening its first American outlet next summer. 

The Vancouver-based supermarket was started by Taiwanese businesswoman Cindy Lee in 1993 -- 30 years ago -- and it's the largest Asian supermarket chain in Canada with locations in British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and Ontario.

Now it's opening its first store near Seattle.

Lots of fresh produce at good prices at T&T

"It feels like a big step because it's a new country," said Lee's daughter Tina, who is the CEO. She added they have noticed a significant number of shoppers from the US at their Richmond stores, particularly during American long weekends.

What's not to like about T&T? It stocks fresh vegetables and fruits at lower prices compared to other supermarkets, and has every kind of Asian chips, candies, drinks and other snacks you can think of, as well as fresh meats and seafood, cooked food, household items and even skincare products.

Experts say bringing T&T across the border near Seattle is a good strategic move to see if it can expand even further.

"They are moving into a new market. However, Seattle is fairly low risk for them, the cultures are fairly similar to Vancouver and the demographic makeup is fairly similar," said Jarrett Vaughan, adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business.

CEO Lee, daughter of the founder

"What they've done really well is they've understood their customers extremely well," he said. "They know who their target customer is and they've been able to cater to them really well."

The company is also setting up a regional office in the greater Los Angeles area, home to the biggest port in the United States, as CEO Lee says there are plans to open more stores south of the border.

Ever wondered what T&T stands for? Tina and Tiffany, Cindy Lee's two daughters, and the initials of two early investors.