Latest news with #Toronto-based
Hamilton Spectator
7 hours ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Interest in ‘elbows up' merchandise waning ahead of Canada Day, businesses say
When Rachael Coe decided to launch an 'elbows up' merchandise line at her store in Yarmouth, N.S., in March, she said it was an immediate bestseller. Within a week, Coe said her Timeless Memories shop had already made 400 sales. By the end of the first month, she had sold 2,500 products ranging from T-shirts to hoodies to car decals. Demand for items bearing Canada's rallying cry against U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and annexation threats was so high that Coe launched a website to keep up with the surge. 'It was a response from all over Canada,' she said. 'We reached every single province then we started covering worldwide. Our 'elbows up' merch went everywhere.' Many Canadian businesses hopped on the patriotic trend that also saw Ontario Premier Doug Ford wearing a 'Canada is not for sale' ball cap ahead of a January meeting with Canada's premiers and prime minister. But Coe's sales started slowing down by May. And despite a slight boost ahead of Canada Day, she said the 'elbows up' line is now selling at similar rates to the classic red-and-white merchandise she sells every year around this time. Although business owners say they are selling more Canada-themed products this year leading up to July 1, many have also noted a decline in 'elbows up' merchandise sales. The rallying cry, initially embraced as a grassroots movement at the height of cross-border trade tensions and Trump's musings about making Canada the 51st state, has shifted to a more generic expression of Canadian pride amid continued tensions, retailers and experts say. Others note that the phrase 'elbows up' has increasingly been used in a partisan context, contributing to the marketing shift. Stephanie Tomlin, Toronto-based owner of the online business Shop Love Collective, said she saw an explosion in 'elbows up' merchandise sales in March, selling as many as 10 or 15 products per day. Similarly, her sales began to stagnate in May. Leading up to Canada Day, she said she's selling 'quite a bit more' merchandise compared with previous years, but that's due to interest in Canada-themed products across the board. 'I think the climate in Canada is a little bit more settled after the election and that … we feel like we will never be the 51st state,' Tomlin said, adding that Canadian patriotism is becoming less combative as annexation talks have died down. Howard Ramos, a professor of sociology at Western University, said 'elbows up' became 'more partisan than it used to be' when Prime Minister Mark Carney embraced the phrase in his election campaign ads in late March. 'It's just added to how the expression is dying down as a pan-Canadian claim,' he said. 'Now you see on social media, especially from Conservative handles, the use of 'elbows up' in a sarcastic way to criticize Mark Carney or Liberal policies.' Negative online comments about the 'elbows up' movement have discouraged Coe from promoting her products on Facebook. But when she's interacting with customers in her Yarmouth shop, she said the phrase isn't as divisive. 'It's not a political term, and it simply means that you're defending your country, and everyone should be defending our country, just like you would defend (against) a goal in hockey,' Coe said. Danielle McDonagh, owner of Vernon, B.C.-based Rowantree Clothing, said she stopped promoting her 'elbows up' merchandise on a large scale when she noticed the phrase being interpreted as an 'anti-Conservative' and 'boomer' movement. For McDonagh, increased concern about the political climate in the United States has also chipped away at the lightheartedness of the 'elbows up' movement. 'I think some of the levity is gone for me,' she said. While sales of her 'elbows up' products have dropped by about 90 per cent since hitting 1,000 in the first month, she said she continues to promote the merchandise in small batches at local markets in Vernon. Business owners say their customers continue to prioritize supporting the Canadian economy, as they are routinely answering questions about where their products are manufactured. And the push to buy Canadian isn't just coming from this side of the border. Coe said many American tourists arriving by ferry from Maine visit her shop in search of Canadian merchandise. '(Tourists) want to support us just as much as Canadians want to support us,' Coe said. McDonagh said her business sees similar interest from Americans. 'I'm shipping a lot of Canada-centric merchandise to the States, which I just love,' McDonagh said. 'People chat with me on my site and say … we're supporting you.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
7 hours ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Interest in ‘elbows up' merchandise waning ahead of Canada Day, businesses say
When Rachael Coe decided to launch an 'elbows up' merchandise line at her store in Yarmouth, N.S., in March, she said it was an immediate bestseller. Within a week, Coe said her Timeless Memories shop had already made 400 sales. By the end of the first month, she had sold 2,500 products ranging from T-shirts to hoodies to car decals. Demand for items bearing Canada's rallying cry against U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and annexation threats was so high that Coe launched a website to keep up with the surge. 'It was a response from all over Canada,' she said. 'We reached every single province then we started covering worldwide. Our 'elbows up' merch went everywhere.' Many Canadian businesses hopped on the patriotic trend that also saw Ontario Premier Doug Ford wearing a 'Canada is not for sale' ball cap ahead of a January meeting with Canada's premiers and prime minister. But Coe's sales started slowing down by May. And despite a slight boost ahead of Canada Day, she said the 'elbows up' line is now selling at similar rates to the classic red-and-white merchandise she sells every year around this time. Although business owners say they are selling more Canada-themed products this year leading up to July 1, many have also noted a decline in 'elbows up' merchandise sales. The rallying cry, initially embraced as a grassroots movement at the height of cross-border trade tensions and Trump's musings about making Canada the 51st state, has shifted to a more generic expression of Canadian pride amid continued tensions, retailers and experts say. Others note that the phrase 'elbows up' has increasingly been used in a partisan context, contributing to the marketing shift. Stephanie Tomlin, Toronto-based owner of the online business Shop Love Collective, said she saw an explosion in 'elbows up' merchandise sales in March, selling as many as 10 or 15 products per day. Similarly, her sales began to stagnate in May. Leading up to Canada Day, she said she's selling 'quite a bit more' merchandise compared with previous years, but that's due to interest in Canada-themed products across the board. 'I think the climate in Canada is a little bit more settled after the election and that … we feel like we will never be the 51st state,' Tomlin said, adding that Canadian patriotism is becoming less combative as annexation talks have died down. Howard Ramos, a professor of sociology at Western University, said 'elbows up' became 'more partisan than it used to be' when Prime Minister Mark Carney embraced the phrase in his election campaign ads in late March. 'It's just added to how the expression is dying down as a pan-Canadian claim,' he said. 'Now you see on social media, especially from Conservative handles, the use of 'elbows up' in a sarcastic way to criticize Mark Carney or Liberal policies.' Negative online comments about the 'elbows up' movement have discouraged Coe from promoting her products on Facebook. But when she's interacting with customers in her Yarmouth shop, she said the phrase isn't as divisive. 'It's not a political term, and it simply means that you're defending your country, and everyone should be defending our country, just like you would defend (against) a goal in hockey,' Coe said. Danielle McDonagh, owner of Vernon, B.C.-based Rowantree Clothing, said she stopped promoting her 'elbows up' merchandise on a large scale when she noticed the phrase being interpreted as an 'anti-Conservative' and 'boomer' movement. For McDonagh, increased concern about the political climate in the United States has also chipped away at the lightheartedness of the 'elbows up' movement. 'I think some of the levity is gone for me,' she said. While sales of her 'elbows up' products have dropped by about 90 per cent since hitting 1,000 in the first month, she said she continues to promote the merchandise in small batches at local markets in Vernon. Business owners say their customers continue to prioritize supporting the Canadian economy, as they are routinely answering questions about where their products are manufactured. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. And the push to buy Canadian isn't just coming from this side of the border. Coe said many American tourists arriving by ferry from Maine visit her shop in search of Canadian merchandise. '(Tourists) want to support us just as much as Canadians want to support us,' Coe said. McDonagh said her business sees similar interest from Americans. 'I'm shipping a lot of Canada-centric merchandise to the States, which I just love,' McDonagh said. 'People chat with me on my site and say … we're supporting you.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025.
Toronto Star
a day ago
- Toronto Star
How Doug Ford and Metrolinx dimmed Toronto's once-bright transit future
By Contributing Columnist Shawn Micallef is a Toronto-based writer and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow him on Bluesky: @ When it comes to getting around town, we're stalled. Grim and dismal times as all forms of transportation are mired. Traffic is bad and getting worse. Public transit is decades behind and often stuck in that traffic. Cycling is under attack. Not long ago it felt very different. The future was bright with smart, transformational plans big and small that had political momentum behind them. Then they started to get watered down, undermined or cancelled. Opinion articles are based on the author's interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details
Business Insider
a day ago
- Business
- Business Insider
M&A News: Nvidia (NVDA) Acquires AI Startup CentML
Chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA) has acquired Toronto-based AI startup CentML, according to The Logic, which is a major win for the startup and its investors. Interestingly, LinkedIn profiles show that CentML CEO Gennady Pekhimenko has taken on a senior director role for AI software at Nvidia, while the startup's CTO and COO also joined in managerial positions. In total, at least 15 engineers and two interns from CentML have joined Nvidia this month, the report added. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter It is worth noting that CentML, founded in 2022, focused on helping companies run AI systems more efficiently by optimizing how models use hardware resources. The startup had raised about $30.9 million in venture capital, including a $27 million seed round that Nvidia participated in last year. CentML was also part of Nvidia's accelerator program and had already been collaborating with the tech giant before the acquisition. As a result of the move, the company will stop offering services by July 17, according to a message posted in CentML's Slack channel and on X. Unfortunately, not all CentML employees are making the move to Nvidia, as some roles were cut due to an 'organizational restructuring.' This included CentML dissolving its federal incorporation and re-registering under British Columbia law in early June. Meanwhile, Nvidia continues its upward momentum, with shares gaining nearly 17% year-to-date and rising again on Friday. With a market cap of about $3.78 trillion, analysts at Wedbush believe that Nvidia could hit $4 trillion this year and possibly reach $5 trillion within the next 18 months as the AI boom accelerates. What Is a Good Price for NVDA? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on NVDA stock based on 35 Buys, four Holds, and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average NVDA price target of $175.28 per share implies 11.6% upside potential.
Cision Canada
2 days ago
- Sport
- Cision Canada
Media Open House at "ReactForge Grill & Greatness" This Saturday in Toronto - Exploring the Future of Cognitive Performance and Human Potential
TORONTO, June 27, 2025 /CNW/ - What if the key to elite performance, injury prevention, and lifelong cognitive care wasn't just in muscles or genetics—but in how we think, see, and decide? This is the question at the heart of ReactForge, a Toronto-based company leading the charge in cognitive performance training. On Saturday, June 28, ReactForge is hosting Grill & Greatness, and members of the media are invited for an exclusive insiders look at how cognitive science and in-game performance are converging right here in the GTA. Hosted at the company's flagship Cognitive Performance Institute, Grill & Greatness will bring together elite hockey players of all ages, high-performance coaches, medical professionals and the next generation of Canadian athletes for an afternoon of open demonstrations, tech showcases, and compelling conversation. "We're making brain training mainstream," says Benny Hum, Co-Founder & Director at ReactForge. "What started with elite hockey players is now helping teens elevate their sports potential, executives under stress, and seniors looking to stay sharp. This is a uniquely Canadian story of innovation, purpose, and potential." Media Highlights at Grill & Greatness: Human stories: Meet athletes and families experiencing transformative results from cognitive development Canadian innovation: Get hands-on with made-in-Canada training systems and real-time brain performance tools Brain fitness for all: Learn how ReactForge's cognitive protocols are supporting ages 6 to 8 Event Details: Saturday, June 28, 2025 ReactForge Cognitive Performance Institute 175 Jardin Dr, Unit 6, Concord, ON L4K 1X5 BBQ Lunch & Community Social from 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM RSVP requested by Friday, June 27 at 5:00 PM To confirm attendance or schedule pre-event interviews, contact; [email protected] or call 416.902.5566. About ReactForge: ReactForge is a pioneer in cognitive performance development, revolutionizing how we approach mental agility to enable instantaneous decision-making and unmatched reaction times for in-game dominance across a wide range of sports and life scenarios. Powered by advanced hardware, applied data analytics, and Perceptual-Cognitive-Motor (PCM) training, the proprietary ReactOS+ protocol has generated over 15 million data points across 1,000+ athletes and performers. From youth athletes to elite professionals and active adults, ReactForge delivers accessible, measurable, and transformational cognitive training—redefining what's possible for human performance. SOURCE ReactForge Inc.
