I am in mourning and it’s all to do with butter. The rise of the American dollar means I can’t afford to pay $5.39 US for a pound of butter and it’s killing me. I’ll tell you why I’m in love with butter from the States. It’s all in the wrapping. Have you ever tried to slice through the foil cover around a block of soft Island Farms butter, it’s a sloppy disaster. Washington State butter is so perfect. It begins with the rectangle cardboard box that holds four perfectly measured and wrapped individual portions. Each square is divided into tablespoons so exquisitely perfect for bakers like myself. Just pop it out of the box, place on the counter to soften and you’re ready to whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookes. It tastes delicious too, creamy, smooth and oh so buttery, perfect in every way.
In the bank line up last week I overheard a woman asking how much it was to buy $100 US dollars. “$148,” replied the teller, there was a gasp amongst us. I knew our dollar was predicted to drop but I don’t think anyone saw this free fall coming. That delicious Hawaii Mai Tai I had in Maui last year will increasingly become a drink of the past as U.S. sun destinations become out of reach.
A recent trip to Point Roberts to pick up a barbecue part at TSB Shipping was a quiet affair. There weren’t many B.C. license plates in the parking lot of the International Marketplace either now that the mega Power Ball lottery has been won, but if you know your prices wine is still a bargain. No line ups at the gas stations either, if you do the math it’s no longer a savings to buy U.S. gas, so I passed on a fill up at the Shell station and headed straight for the lonely Canada border guard.
One of the perks of living in Tsawwassen is its close proximity to two U.S. borders. When I moved here four years ago a friend who lives in North Delta took me on an educational tour of cross border shopping. It was enlightening and fun. After my indoctrination it became a regular event to head south for the day with friends or family shopping at Bellis Fair and comparing prices at Costco. Topping off the day with a late afternoon Mexican burrito at one of the many delicious Tex Mex restaurants in Bellingham my last stop was a full tank of gas on my way North. With a wave from the Canadian border guard I’d head home with a trunk full of American goodies.
Then there is poor Trader Joe’s, how I miss it. A cashier once told me that 70 per cent of their business was from Canada and without us they would be in serious grocery free fall. When the exchange rate was around 10 or even 15 per cent I didn’t mind spending the extra time and expense for the foodie experience of Trader Joe’s. I have my favorite products, butter of course, creamy yogurt, orange cranberry tea buns, dried fruits, ground beef, cheese, so much cheese, and the mandatory bottle of cheap California chardonnay. Those shopping days are long gone and I yearn for them. When can Joe and I be reunited, and when can I buy some butter?
For those of us south of the Fraser River our shopping habits have changed, we are staying home to shop. As one friend noted the increased parking congestion and violent buggy exchanges at the local Costco’s are on the rise now that all those cross border shoppers are forced to buy local again.
While my butter woes may be a first world problem it highlights our peril, globalization dictates our local prices for goods and services. What happens in Saudi Arabia dictates food affordability on the west coast of Canada, fascinating but also disturbing for the vulnerable. I suspect I’ll be singing the American butter blues for a while, so in the meantime I’ll brave the crowds, line up for samples and buy my butter at Costco.
