By Laurence Brisson Dubreuil
September 13, 2025
Canadian flag labels near milk at a grocery store in Sidney, British Columbia, Canada, on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
(James MacDonald/Bloomberg)
Ever bought a product thinking it was made in Canada only to find out later it wasn’t?
One Montrealer says it happened to them. And now, they’re taking on major grocery chains.
Provigo, Metro, Sobeys, Walmart, and Giant Tigre are all named in a new class action.
Joey Zukran is one of the lawyers leading the case.
“This is false advertising 101,” he says.
He argues grocers used maple leaves, flags, and tags like “made in Canada” to sell products imported from elsewhere.
“When you’re telling consumers that the product is made in Canada, you’re appealing to their patriotic and moral compasses,” says Zukran.
Zukran says it’s not just about deception — he wants compensation for customers and punishment for the companies targeted.
Food distribution expert Sylvain Charlebois warns the damage goes beyond labels and is likely to further stress a frayed relationship.
“A lot of people don’t necessarily trust grocers, for a variety of reasons- pricing is certainly one of them,” he says.
And shoppers CTV news spoke to agree — this so-called maple-washing isn’t helping.
“Sometimes it’s not true. The other day I bought cheese, le Ptit Quebec, made in the States,” said Monique Langlois.
The trade war sparked a push for many Canadians to boycott American products, and some numbers reflect that.
“In the spring of 2025, American food sales in volume dropped 8-point-5 per cent- we’ve never seen that before,” says Charlebois.
The class action has yet to get the green light. But what’s at stake is more than just labels — it’s how honest Canada’s biggest grocers are with their customers.
Laurence Brisson Dubreuil
CTV News Montreal Videojournalist
Ever bought a product thinking it was made in Canada only to find out later it wasn’t?
One Montrealer says it happened to them. And now, they’re taking on major grocery chains.
Provigo, Metro, Sobeys, Walmart, and Giant Tigre are all named in a new class action.
Joey Zukran is one of the lawyers leading the case.
“This is false advertising 101,” he says.
He argues grocers used maple leaves, flags, and tags like “made in Canada” to sell products imported from elsewhere.
“When you’re telling consumers that the product is made in Canada, you’re appealing to their patriotic and moral compasses,” says Zukran.
Zukran says it’s not just about deception — he wants compensation for customers and punishment for the companies targeted.
Food distribution expert Sylvain Charlebois warns the damage goes beyond labels and is likely to further stress a frayed relationship.
“A lot of people don’t necessarily trust grocers, for a variety of reasons- pricing is certainly one of them,” he says.
And shoppers CTV news spoke to agree — this so-called maple-washing isn’t helping.
“Sometimes it’s not true. The other day I bought cheese, le Ptit Quebec, made in the States,” said Monique Langlois.
The trade war sparked a push for many Canadians to boycott American products, and some numbers reflect that.
“In the spring of 2025, American food sales in volume dropped 8-point-5 per cent- we’ve never seen that before,” says Charlebois.
The class action has yet to get the green light. But what’s at stake is more than just labels — it’s how honest Canada’s biggest grocers are with their customers.
Laurence Brisson Dubreuil
CTV News Montreal Videojournalist
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