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You would think that a mass merchandiser retailer such as Walmart would steer clear of politics. After all, Walmart is all about making money — and lots of it — as opposed to taking a political position that might offend some consumers.

So, why is that Walmart Canada stores are selling posters featuring the copy, “Elbows Up”?

“Elbows Up” is a Liberal Party of Canada slogan, after all. It was prominently used in the recent federal election, and it was all about taking a firm stance against U.S. President Donald Trump vis-à-vis his threats of implementing big tariffs and making Canada the 51st state. (Oddly, Walmart Canada is a wholly owned subsidy of its U.S. parent based in Bentonville, Ark. But never mind…)

So, what’s the deal with Walmart Canada seemingly supporting the Liberal Party of Canada?

Alas, Walmart won’t say.

We emailed and phoned Walmart but received no response — even though the company has an entire media relations department (which apparently does not relate to the media).

We even paid a house call to Walmart’s Canadian headquarters in Mississauga, Ont. It was bizarre. Cameraman Lincoln Jay and I were told to wait in the lobby for a media relations representative. And wait we did. But some 90 minutes later, as Walmart HQ was closing for the day, we were told nobody was available to speak with us. Talk about a lack of professionalism…

A phone call was made to the Richmond Hill Walmart where we acquired the “Elbows Up” poster. But when we were patched through to the manager, he simply hung up the phone. Customer. Service. Excellence.

In any event, here are the five queries we sent to Walmart’s so-called media relations department:

1. Why is this political poster for sale at your stores?

2. Was there any consideration to sell Conservative Party slogans on posters, i.e., “Canada First”?

3. What percentage (approximately) of your merchandise is made in Canada?

4. What percentage of your merchandise (approximately) is made in China?

5. How many of these posters has Walmart sold?

To date: radio silence prevails.

However, doing a little sleuthing on the Internet, we did get one question answered — well, sort of — regarding product sourcing. Which is to say, according to a November 2023 Reuters report, 60% of products on Walmart shelves are sourced from China while 25% are sourced from India.

Fascinating. We were led to believe that the “Elbows Up” movement was all about investing in Canada and buying made-in-Canada merchandise. Apparently not.

Oh well. Better luck next election…